The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-05-20
Lyon had been arrested and charged with

Although but few were intimately ac-
quainted with Cecil Stuart, and a scarce
ly large circle barely knew him as very
eccentric man, yet the crime being COM
mitted at the very door of their mansion
made it seem the most startling one in the
records of our city; and as there were many
influential personages who loved Roger
Lyon better than all their friends besides,
and many poor washerwoman who bless
ed the day that he saved her bit of ground
from the auctioneer's hammer-to have
him, the peoples favorite, charged with
such a deed, seemed to be an outrage upon
all classes of our citizens.
/ we'll remember when Lansing, Lyons
lawyer, called upon me and begged me
to try my best to clear up the mystery
At this time l had been in the detective
force nearly four years, and of course,
knew the ropes pretty well. But for a
month confess that at times was nearly
baffled
But will come directly to my story.
AS first step, l went to the cellar where
the body was found, and, as l had ordered
it to be left there after the inquest till l
could examine everything myself, it still
remained there. Being something of a
doctor, naturally examined the wounds,
and was satisfied they would not cause in
stant death. But did not rely upon my
own medical skill in this, but sent for a
physician. lie came-a sharp fellow nam
ed Denning-and probed the wounds
One of them went close to the heart, the
other two were in the lungs, evidently in
tended to cause hemorrhage, which had
followed, but not sufficient to cause death
Immediately.
Roger Lyons knife, with which the deed
had been committed, silver-mounted
affair, lay near the wall.
The doctor soon finished his work, and
giving me a 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 sharp
instrument of some kind. While was
examining these Gilbert Stuart and Albert
Firstone entered. l was about to call their
attention to the marks when a sudden
thought caused me to close my mouth upor
the words that were almost on my tongues
end.
After obtaining permission they took
the body to his late residence.
AS soon as they were gone, again ex
amined the marks, and found they were
Ia combination OF letters and figures ar
ranged like this:
S--1225-D
copied them on paper, and then, tax
ing the knife with me, / went to my offic,
down town, to study out, if possible, th
cipher had discovered had no doub
that it was made by Cecil, probably after he
had been stabbed; and was convinced
that the cause of its being in cipher was
that no one would be able to notice
enough TO obliterate it. But by wha
means could obtain a key was now tn
puzzle. 81
Acting according to suggestion Of Ian
sing, / went to the library, and for week
rummaged its shelves for any work tina
mentioned cipher writing. ! continue
bringing home books until my den locke
more like reading-room than detective
Office, while in their midst sat Lansing
searching every page, and occasional
jotting down something in q book by hi
side. -
One day, as entered with my arms fu
of books, ] noticed a look of trump
on his face as his pencil flew over the pa
per-, In answer to my inquiry he handle
me slip of paper upon which he had col
led table giving the relative number {
each letter that is used in common Epglis
words. looked it over. and waited fc
him TO speak, In moment he looked u
! and said
You see that the table gives e. I'll
! prominence over others call 'e' one. The
You see y is second best; call it two. The
run your eye up, to the fifth in importanc'
and we have d. and IT, Take last nun
Der five, and the figures, with the additio
Of the two letters that were expresse,
read, 'settl'd'' SO you see have tran
! lated the cipher in one way
] admitted that It was a very ingenior
Translation, and was very much encourage
by it, although the word settled migl
: not have any special relation to the case
hand. But / did not doubt that It w
! nearer che true rendering than any VIC ha