The writing on the libellous cards was undoubtedly extremely like that of Miss Dewey, and, as events subsequently proved, was a very skilful imitation of it by someone who wished to throw suspicion upon her. When the Assizes came on, no evidence was offered by the prosecution and the case was dismissed. The libels still continued, however, and Mrs. Tugwell having received more libellous cards, her husband again took the matter up, and Miss Dewey was once more committed for trial in March, 1910. The trial was a very exhaustive one, but no convincing evidence was brought against the accused, who was therefore acquitted.
In the meantime a number of suspicious circumstances pointed to the conclusion that Mrs. Tugwell herself was the author of the libellous cards and letters, and that she had also apparently written those that she had received through the post.
In order to obtain proof of this the police, by arrangement with the postal authorities, marked a large number of stamps with a sympathetic ink, that would not become visible until it had been treated with another reagent.
Instructions were given to the postmaster that these marked stamps were to be supplied to none but members of the Tugwell family.
In April two more libellous post cards were sent to Canon Cafferata, a Roman Catholic priest, and the stamps upon these cards were two of those marked with the invisible ink.
The house of the Tugwells was now watched by the police, and one evening when Mrs. Tugwell was seen coming out, the pillar-box close at hand was immediately cleared of all its letters by an official. Mrs. Tugwell then put two letters in the box, both of which contained foul libels. One of these was addressed to a friend of hers and the other to herself.
The handwriting on both these letters was an imitation of that of Miss Dewey. A warrant was now issued for the arrest of Mrs. Tugwell, and when her house was searched, envelopes having the same watermark as that of the envelopes containing the libellous letters were discovered. There were also found some French books containing the French phrases used in the letters, and several pieces of blotting paper upon which were words and phrases occurring in libellous letters.