Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-21

| rant Of my meeting with wilcox, he had struck
| thinking his doomed rival had betrayed him.
! But Price would not have trusted to any chance
OF a possible burn bearing witness against him ,,
| The sleeve link was almost melted away, and
under IL, carefully directed to the carefully
sign passing hey ond the acid scar, but that was
the cause of the cOmmo of superstitionS re-
result of the congestion of the capilaries.
Murdered, hey ond doubt to steal his secret.
Luckily had all night to reflect, or should
| have rushed forth to denounce the wretch. But
his plans would keep him quiet for long to
| come. must prove the truth OF Wicoxs story
! to a certainty, prevent the theft of his instru-
| ments and papers. or, il too late, secure evil
dence OF their removal. Then to connect Price
with his weapon, and had q fatal chain of
something, perhaps the rattle of some coins
In his trousers pocket as lifted the sheet for
search his pockets. II they had escaped rifiing
from Price, or at the morgue, there might still
be some papers OF value
The pocketbOok held few greenbacks, vari-
| Gus business cards. postage stamps, and a few
other similar articles. In the other pocket
were match safe, cigar case, handkerchief and
pencils. In the overcOat were the old pipe and
pouch Wilcox had used since gave them to
MIN, the first Christmas at Berkeley: And In
the other side pocket, small, solid roll OF man.
uscrlpt, note paper de- One glance at 1.-THE
missing prospectus.
read It hastily o4 T. the
account OF the discovery than have given here.
Naturally, Wilcox had given rather detailed
account of the results of his discovery, but of
The means used, there was absolutely nothing;
ana OF his general theory, what eminent chem
| lists have agreed to be the vaguest and most un-
satisfactory OF statements. In addition, several
/ formulas for cheap manufacture OF one or two
OF the hydrocarbons were given. These have
been successfully attempted. but unfortunately,
| they are OF no great commercial Importance,
ana what Is worse, the process being merely
empirical as yet to any but the dead, they give
| not the slightest clue to the secret.
But OF one thing there was now absolute GER
ta1nty: My examination OF the brain, and the
suspicious OF murder, means and motive, had
formed, We're merely cumulative evidence of the
| truth OF my friends story. Yet even then, be-
| lore his few results were verified OF one thing
l could no longer doubt There was no cloud
over the intellect that had written this argu-
ment, clear and convincing and original, as
brie:, exact and logical as geometry, proving
| even in the light OF our chemistry, that many
OF the elements now sO-called are really COM
pounds. John Wilcox was sane as you or l.
He had made his discovery, and to thieve it, he
had been fOuIly murdered.
| What to do now? No doubt had evidence
enough to satisfy any reasonable man OF Prices
guilt. But was that enough? No old Caifor-
MAN could fail To remember that evidence at
least as good is offered in every murder trial
the coast; ana offered in vain, as long money
or notoriety can INDUCE an attorney to defend
the accused. Would any jury believe such a
story OF murder committed to secure some fam
ciiui discovery, of which not a sign remained?
l should have preferred consulting a lawyer
but what must be done must be hurried.
Many and many bitter pipe smoked far
into the night. Mad with inpotent fury,
clenched my fist till the nails tore the palm.
Sss 1 f 5s gold tor Which he
| fruits OF his crime would wither in his hand
and grow bitter to his taste-even if stranged
him with my own hands But no; subtler re-
venge might still be in my power. Baked OF
| his life, what his lite to me? He should
| live-to see the secret wrested from him; to
the ends carried out for which he knew his vic
| tim would gladly have died; his own prospects
ruined. the tame OF W ilcox among the greatest
| OF Americas dead. had the power over him.
|
/ had worked out bis own revenge.
| TO accomplish his purpose so skiilfuliy, Price
must have been man OF iron will and courage
/ did not lose sight of that. But his confidence
rested only on his belief in the impossibility OF
/ bequest of Wilcoxs body 10 me, he was la lied
| by my stating L intended to examine only the
structure OF the brain. had then evidently no
suspicion of the cause OF death, and had care
l lessly agreed to the theory of heart disease SO
that he had no fear of my going beyond the ver-
dict OF the inquest.
But if should surprise him with the disclo-
| sure of the full knowledge of bis motives and
means, there was little doubt sudden, appalling
tear would hide any difficulty OF prosecution
from his eyes To insure his safety, he would
consent TO any terms.
Had any right to condonee could not but
| believe ii. To set the doubtful chance of the
atoning death OF one miserable mortal against
such a great good to all men was idle He
would use the discovery only for his own selfish
guilty ends: L would fulfill Wilcox's trust i'm
" iicox name, for the whole world; and the
murderer would find MS vic i'm risen from the
grave, once more 10 conquer him.
must act instantly. IelephOuing FisnersOn
:. Keep Z. carefully Swallowed till further no
tice 1 began TO write. For my life might not
be worth rush in the presence of desperate
man, desperately armed Price was Alter
long thought and many failures, l decided on
the following letter, of which l kept q copy. 1
wrote with the utmost positiveness, connect
ing the various proofs into "A direct certain mar
rative:
Wednesday. December 49, 1885,
EDWARD PRICE. ESQ.
>ir:on Monday arrived in this city a week before
cox and he ulied with me that evening He told
NE Lat some time previously you mad each dlscov-
cred tine secret OF manufacturing artificial quIuIne
IL also disclosed to NE the method employed Fear
ing my arrival you had determined to kill Rim i'm
metiittey. 10 keep The secret tor yourself Tuesday
var plan BY means Storage cell Of Your own IN
Nention, which .ou had charged the Pnauix Elec-
pIrposeiy wounded MIN ON the day before at spot
where you could direct the shock without suspicion
ve minutes you would have learned that Know all
Al me time OF she death you removed wilcoxs ap-
paratus into MS oihce 1hd thence into room
linen paid Visit 10 his rooms all his notes
re.ative to Tie discovery. ard with them the manu-,
scrip, of his WORK, whose existence you had not sus
pete. That night you removed all his papers and
sl nave them iii hiding. can prove every WORD OF
You are in my power Any attempt to escape will
De tht signal Ior your arrest If you wish save
suaF ME. you mus, agree 10 my terms You must first
-iNe up 10 NE al the manuscripts, notes. papers, in
attl-nents aiI apparatus, stolen by you from John
oi California ali Your Interests as bis ieatee and III
YOU patent granted and applied for. in any electrical
Y
mus NOT leave san Francisco fer one year
Il yOI do this you are sate if You DO uOt the legal
auth"i!its VIII proceed al once Ifby O'clock FRI
dy morning nave not received all of Wilcox prop
efiE above ntntI0ned, shall consider YOU To have.
refused my terms and shall act accordingly on the
moment All communications between US must be
/ III Wfltng III you attempt TO remove me You will
ma IL useless le police have already received their
| instructions TO act. GEORGE AIGHT
During the next day my mind was all impa-
thence Us 10 what the result of my letter TO
Price would be. Thursday passed away and
no a,hsMer. I9si an nope OF having any reply
what should do ii no answer were received by
the appointed time,-whether ought to show
to P1lce the mercy he had not shown to my
murdered iriend,-but nothing could alter or
Affect my precOnceived plan.
AT last came nine O'Clock of FRIDAY mornino
and had received no reply to my letter From
detectives i nand engaged, learned that Price
/ mao COME nome as usual W edneSday night and
thi.t since then he had not lett the house de-
| termined To wait no longer. \ couple of police.
men were summoned, and went with them to
Prices house.
Still fearing that this might he merely a ruse
! 10 entrap ME and to effect my death as he had
Killed WILCOX, sent the policemen ahead to
make the arrest while l remained on the floor
below. FOR lew moments all was still, and
then hearu u door broken i'll. Then another
brief period OF silence, and my name was called
l rushed up the stairs hastily and into the
/ rooln; aud there Oh the floor lay the body of
Edward Price-dead.
| On the table near by, was q large box adj
dressed TO me. lopened IL and saw a mass OF
| charred paper and what appeared to be pieces
Oh chemical apparatus, but broken and shat
tered hey ond recognition. Poor Wilcox 5 work
had ali been In vain. Whatever the secret OF
MS discovery mad been, whatever its value to
| the world, II was lost forever.
one WORD more Regarding the lightning
I m. fl,at r.4t, II