The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1873-01-17

who loved Roger Lyon better than all
their friends besides, and many poor
washerwoman who blessed the day that
he saved her bit of ground from the
auctioneers hammer-to have him, the
peoples favorite, charged with such q
deed, seemed to be an outrage upon all
classes of our citizens.
Iwell remember when Lansing, Lyon s
lawyer, called upon me and begged me
to try my best to clear up the mystery.
At this time 1 had been IN the detective
force nearly four years, and of course,
knew the ropes pretty well. But for a
month I confess that at times I was
nearly baffied.
But 1 will come directly to my story.
As first step, I went to the cellar where
the body was found, and, as I had or
dered it to be left there after the inquest
till l could examine everything myself,
it still remained there. Being something
of doctor, l naturally examined the
wounds, and was satisfied they would not
cause instant death. But did not rely
upon my own medical skill in this, but
] sent for physician. He came-a sharp
fellow named Denning-and probed the
wounds. One Of them went close to the
heart, the other two were in the lungs,
evidently intended to cause hemorrhage,
which had followed, but not sufficient to
cause death Immediately.
RogerLyon's knife, with which the deed
had been committed, a silver-mounted
affair, lay near the wall.
The doctor soon finished his work, and
giving me look that interpreted in
stantly, went out, taking Lansing with
him, to whom he communicated the re-
suit of his examinations. When they
had gone walked over to the wall and
picked up the knife. As soon as l
stopped over to do this saw some marks
on the wall that appeared to have been
made by a sharp instrument of some
kind. While I was examining these
Gilbert Stuart and Albert Firftone ell
tered 1 was about to call their atten-
ton to the marks when sudden thought
caused me to close my mouth upon the
words that were almost on my tongues s
end.
After obtaining permission they took
the body to his late residence.
As soon as they were gone, l again ex-
amined the marks, and found they were
combination of letters and figures ar
ranged like this:
S-1225-D
/ copied them on paper, and then,
taking the knife with me, went to my
Office downtown, to study out, if posi-
BILE, the cipher I had discovered. I had
no doubt that it was made by Cecil,
probably after he had been stabbed; and
was convinced that the cause of its be-
ing in cipher was, that no one would be
apt to notice it enough to obliterate it.
But by what means could obtain key
was now the puzzle.
Acting according to suggestion OF
Lansing, went to the library, and for a
week I rr1mmaged its shelves for any
work that mentioned cipher writing.
continued bringing home books until
my den looked more like reading-roon
than a detectives Office, while in then
midst sat Lansing, searching every page,
and occasionally jotting down something
in book by his side.
One day, as l entered with my arms
full of books, noticed a look akin tc
triumph ON his face rs his pencil flew
} over the paper. In answer to my in
quiry he handed me slip of paper up
ON which he had copied table giving
the relative number of each letter that i,
, used in common English words.
: looked it over, and waited for him t.
; speak. In a moment he looked up ant
/ said:
: "You see that table gives Sc TIN
prominence over others; call 'e' one
Then you see st is second best; call t
two. Then run your eyes up to the fiftl
in Importance, and we have d and 4.
;. Take last number five, and the figures
with the addition of the two letters tina
were expressed, read, 'settl'd. So yo1
see have translated the cipher in on
? way"
@ ! admitted that it was a very ingeni
ous translation, and was very much Ell
couraged by it, although the wor
: 'ssettled" might not have any specia
relation to the case in hand. But | di
not doubt that it was nearer the tra
, rendering than any we had reached
! and it convinced me that the figure
. were to be changed, in some way, to LEI
tiers, before the cryptogram could be Ell
tirely solved.
y About week after this, Lansing wa
: called ont of the city by the sickness c
his mother. As ! parted with him 6
: the depot, 1 told him to keep up hi
e courage, and to write out his defenst
: while / would attend to the remainder.
Y During all this time the opposin
Y counsel were striving in every possibl
4 manner to make an adamantine chain
= evidence that should immediately col
Y denim the prisoner beyond any shadow {
d doubt.
e
3 |. CHAPTER IL.
= In this way nearly three weeks ha