Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-21
Then the murderer didn't tear up that

n.c Then t 3: murderer didn't tear up that
II don't know whether he did or not"
Confound It. johnson, what's come over
your Instead Of speaking right out a. you
a US ct 70 o. you're trying to tangie the case
mo. I'm not. repeat that don't know
whetner the murderer tore MP that paper
OF nor: staibridge might have done Il"
I think it quite probable. He was try
. "Undoubtedly. ana he Wished he'd me to be-
neve that the bits Of paper were the re-
mains Of the railway contract. but they
" eso That document was burned"
AN but little piece of It. Would you like
He took from a card case an irregular
tapering from an inch in width to a no1nt
II seemed to have been the lower left-hand
corner OF sheet The irregular upper
eage was charred The scraps had evil
psared to have been stained with blood.
middle Of II.
bowl ~ found that in the escape pipe of the
place where the murderer had washed his
nands; 1T had been rolled up and thrust
INTO the pipe. but had caught in such a
wy as 70 escape being washed down. I
eAamined the pipe on general principles
ana found It The few words that appear
Upon II are suffcient Identification But
=. na. uo you think OF the hole? How was
II made! What stained the paper red?''
horrible thought suggested itself to me.
l looked anxiously into Johnson's face. He
hoooeo' with grim expression.
PART v.
A QUESTION OF TINE.
Inis DIT OF paper was caught upon the
weapon that pierced your uncles heart"
ne SAID I nave that weapon here"
NOT Norman's stiletto" 1 cried, remem-
bering that he had taken 1t.
mere was no stiletto in the case" he
SAID. The weapon was peaceable imple-
ment suddenly perverted to a deadly use.
There it stands"
he Indicated an ordinary spindle on
which documents are spiked. 1t was simply
DIT OF steel wire about five inches long,
mounted upon a metal standard. and
sharply pointed at the end
1T was all done in a moment of pas-
SON. said the detective. Your uncle held
tnat fatal contract in his hands. 1t was
puTning Inc spectacle and your uncle's
words at the moment must have maddened
the murderer. He struck suddenly and
surely with the first thing that came to his
hand. Willard Davis fell MORALLY hurt As
ne Tell his head struck the corner of his
desk violent blow Thus doubly wounded
he lay upon the floor. The murderer bent
over him and slowly. fearfully. withdrew
the weapon
w ny Qld ne do THAR
because that bit Of paper was pinned
down upon the victims heart The muir
dercf dared not leave it there He secured
IL at the cost OF wetting his hands with
plood. The paper VAS soaked. 1t would
not burn. Distracted with fear, the MUIR
deer rolled the paper in his hands and
thrust 1t down the escape pipe, where, for
tunately for me. it lodged. Then the GRIM
mai washed his hands. dried them on that
towel. and walked out of that door,"
What are you telling me?' l exclaimed
This is all new. What has become of the
theory which you explained to me with
such care-my uncle struck down, the door
locked with his keys. the paper taken, the
fatal thrust given at last because the VIC
tim revived while Stalbridge and were at
the DOOR"
Up TO the time when I was ten years
old replied johnson, II was a very truth
ful boy. Then I happened to notice that
lying was not directly prohibited in the
commandments. Since then l have made it
a point never to tell the truth unless there
is very pressing need Of It, Thus 1 have
risen in my profession"
But why was it necessary to lie to me?"
1 demanded.
Let me show you why he said, earn
es:ly. and now you're going to get the ex-
act facts. The great point of this case is
that Mr.. Davis lived nearly half an hour
with hole in his heart. There was where
you Went aStray. You took my bogus med
zeal report on top of the natural error of
the ambulance surgeon and believed that
your uncle had been instantly killed
Wounds In the heart are popularity sup
posed to be Immediately fatal, but that is
not true. There are many cases.
Il know all about Them" 1 broke in. i'm
patiently. But you forget that when
entered the place 1 saw that door, leading
TO the rear room, close: and that it was
locked when / reached it. The murderer
was just escaping; my uncle was breathing
his last. Then, by your measure of time
the assassin had remained with his victim
nearly half hour. Is that credibe?"
1T is not replied the detective. But I
can solve your difficulty. In the first place
let HE show you how l measured the time.
II is rather pretty
He led me to the bowl beneath the glass;
and called my attention to the fact that
there was small leak from the fau-
Get. He asked me to observe the steadiness
of it, and then attempted to place the fau-
Get IN such position that there would he
a different rate of leakage. 1 found that
the thing could not be done. The faucet
worked by a la Of its own, and wherever