18
THE BATTALION.
also sent for; but when she came her father was insensible
and incapable, seemingly, of recognizing her. He lay on
the floor, moaning, with his head dropped upon his breast
and his limbs without motion.
Dr. Bates came in almost at the same moment as Mrs.
Brown. His examination disclosed a wound four inches
long. The skull was crashed through as if by some heavy
cutting instrument, driven b} r a powerful arm. The doc
tor said the wound had evidently been inflicted by some one
standing behind the victim.
The theory of the lawyers, even before the holding
of the inquest, was that there were two persons concerned
in the murder; one who met Goodrum just outside the door,
and the other who rushed upon him from behind the cor
ner of the restaurant—a street ran on one side of it as well
as one in front—and struck the fatal blow unseen by him.
The coroner dissented from this opinion, saying that it was
quite possible for one and the same person to lure the old
man a few steps away from the door and then, on his turn
ing to regain the restaurant, to strike him from behind.
There was nothing found near the spot where the old
man fell that could criminate any one or guide conjecture
in the least. The place was a public pass-way, trodden
hourly by many feet, and there was no use in attempting
to track the criminal.
Goodrum, whom the doctor pronounced incapable of
recovering, was closely watched in the hope that in some
moment of returning consciousness he would be able to
throw some light upon the occurrence. He did recover his
senses the next flay to some extent at least. When asked