Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-08
Copyright. 1896. by J. B. Llpp,neou Col

~@sAS
an assumed name. I made an appoint
ment with him to meet me here, and
expect him every minute"
"What, so soon!" and WILDLY shud-
dered. ugh! old man, 1 hate the SUBJ
ject. am actually afraid of what he
may tell me-"
Never mind; nothing can be WORSE
than the suspense you are suffering.
You will lose your reason if something
is not DONE"
The doorbell rang. "That must be
our man," said Warrenton. "Keep your
seat. I told Matthews to let me answer
the bell, and I will bring him in"
The next moment the colonel ushered
In the visitor. He was short, thick-set,
and about As years of age. His
hair was stiff, very abundant, and dark
brown, with dashes of iron-gray. His
face was of the round German type;
his eyes were steely gray, and shot with
strange spots of brown, which, with
his long lashes, gave peculiar effect to
his glance. He wore heavy beard,
which he strolled continually, in nerv-
Gus way, and cutaway suit of ordinary
gray material. His manner was very
easy, and inspired confidence. On be-
ing introduced to WILDLY, he held his
hand tightly for moment and looked
steadily into his eyes; then he released
the hand and sat down.
II presume you have looked over the
newspaper accounts / sent you, doc
tor" said Wawenton. 81 thought they
would prepare you for the slight addi-
tional information we are going to give
YOU"
81 had seen them all before I came,''
replied the hypnotist. 81 had no soon
er read that the dead man-pardon me,
your uncle, Mr.. Whidby--had been
found murdered with that smile on his
face than | wanted to know all about it.
No other case has ever occurred that /
know of, except that of Goetz, of Berlin,
in SS. But tell me, gentlemen, in what
way can serve you. My time is valu-
able. I want to say just here that ]
am afraid Hendricks, the detective, has
recognized me. l knew him in New
York, but had no idea that be had been
retained here. ! tell you this so that
you may dismiss me If my presence
could in1ure your case In any way. !
tried to follow your instructions as to
my disguise here, but was thrown en-
tire)y off my guard by meeting him
face to face
ut does not matter now" returned
tho oaloEel. "There are only one or
two points that he does not know about
our side, and VIC have decided to place
ourselves wholly in his hands after our
interview with YOU
II am sure that is wise" said DR.
Lampkin. "Hendricks is the most far
seeing man I ever knew. 1t would be
unjust for any reason to withhold the
slightest light you may be able to
throw on the matter. Nh. WILDLY, you
need not tell me what your particular
trouble is. for l think I have already
guessed it from one look at your SEN
sitive face. You fear that hypnotism
was used by the criminal in some way ?''
You have guessed it," faltered
WILDLY,
"4ou think Mr.. Strong was hypno.
tized just before his death?"
"Yes."
That you may have been hypnotized
and made the murderer's tool for per.
forming the act?"
YES"
You were led to this conclusion by
the blood-stain on your hand, on the por.
there, and the drop on your cuff"
II have other reasons, which have not
been made public"
MAY ask what they are? Thought
you testified to your experience in full
at the inquest
Some things seemed to come bacl
| to me later in the day. ! can't say ever
/ now that was not tlreaming, but have
| an indistinct remembrance of being ur
that night, of walking from the por
there towards my bed, and of striking ;
chair and catching it with my hand tt
keep from falling. 1t seemed to me tina,
| caused my shirt to fall from the chail
| to the floor, and that picked it up ant
replaced it before going back to bed.
told Col Warrenton about it the next
day. lie went into my room and dis
covered blood-stain just where my
hand had been on the chair. l think il
escaped the notice of the detective"
eff it did, it is the first blood stain that
ever escaped him."
! "He did not mention it,
"I1e never mentions anything. He
has been discharged from more thar
one case for looking like an idiot, bu,
that's part of his method. He know.
what he is doing"
There was short silence then
/ WILDLY and Warrcnton could see tina,
the hypnotist was deeply engaged il
the Hght Presently he said brusquely:
iii have to see you again tomorrow
or next day, Mr.. WILDLY. / can d.
nothing now. Will you come with m.
to my hotel, colonel? want to consul
you on point of law before we go an,
further. think it will be necessary
Mr.. WILDLY, for you to get goot
nights rest before we do anything
Where do you sleep?"
Last night began occupying m,
old room just across the hail." replied
WILDLY. 81 was sleeping there whel
the crime was committed, and I hay
had an aversion to it ever since; but
was glad to find that slept better Their
last night than had upstairs in an
other ROOM"
"You naturally would, and you wer,
wise to move back. If you go to bee
with the idea that you are doing even
slight thing for self-protection, thu
thought will haunt you in your sleep
It is one of the psychic laws. Would
YOU mind showing me the room?"