The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06

There was not trace of wear upon it;
OF that l am certain
Barnes whistled again In much per-
plexity. AT length he said: Its an alb
soiutely certain thing that Walker was
not Killed In the way they imagine. But I
don't think this will get Guide of scot
free. There's too much other circumstan-
tial evidence against him. or course
you'll do your best, but
II would be more than a toss-up II l
could avoid conviction. Quite so. We
must find out more. The question is. How
was this wound made? Was there a third
man in it?'
Guide may have jabbed him from be-
hind with some other instrument, and aft
erward thrown it out of the window
Yes, said l, but that Is going on the
assumption that Guide did the trick. which
| don't for a moment think is the case.
Besides, II he did throw anything dur OF
the window, it would most assuredly have
been found. They keep the permanent
way very thoroughly inspected upon the
Metropolitan. No, Barnes. There is Some
other agent in this case. animate or IMAM
innate. which so far we have overlooked
completely; and an innocent mans life
depends upon our raveling it out
Barnes lifted his shoulders helplessly.
and took another sandwich. I don't see
what We can do
Nor /, very clearly But we must
start from the commencement and go over
the ground inch by inch.
so wrapped up was in the case by
this time. that could not fix my mind ia
anything else. Then and there | went out
End set about my enquiries.
with some trouble | found the CON-
oartment in which the tragedy had taker
place. but learned nothing new from it.
The station and the railway people a,
addison Road. Kensington. we're similarly
drawn blank. The ticket inspector al
Shaftesbury Road. who distinctly remem-
bs7ed Guides passage, at first seemed in
oiined to tell me nothing new. till
dragged It out of him By a regular eme.ic
of questioning.
Then he did remember that Guide had
been carrying in his hand carpenters
straw bass. as he passed through the
wicket. He did not recollect whether he
had mentioned this to the police; didn t
see that it mattered
thought differently, and with a new
vague hope in my heart, posted hack to
the prison. l had heard no word OF this
hand baggage from Guide. 1t remained 10
be seen what he had done with it
They remembered me from my previous
Nisit' anu let me III 10 the prisoner witn-
out much demur. Yes he said. I had
and as / couldn't find any, hing else handy
to put them in ! used tbs old carpenter
basa. / had an iron eye to splice on to
the end of windlass rope. a job that
like to do myself to make sure it's done
safe. l never thought about telling you
of that bass before, sir. | didn't see as
how it matered'
Where is the bass now?
In tine Left Luggage Office at Shaftes-
bury Road station. Name OF Hopkins. I've
lost the ticket
tering the carriage at Addison Road?'
On the seat, sir, in the corner by the
window
And with that ] left him
Now thought l. ! believe l can find
out whether you murdered Walker or mott
and drove back to Hammersmith
Il enqufred at the cloakroom. Yes. the
Carpenters bass was there, beneath dus-
ty heap of other unclaimed luggage There
was demurrage to pay on it, which offer
ed promptly to hand over, but as | could
produce no counterfeit bearing the name
of Hopkins, the clerk. with a smile. said
that he could not let me have 1t. However,
when he heard what | wanted. he made no
objection to nv having an overhaul
The two Jugs of the bass were threaded
together with & hammer. / took this away.
and opened the sides. Within was a ball
Of MARINE. another OF spunyarn. a grease
pot. and several large iron eyes. Also a
large MARINE spike. 1t was this last that
fixed my attention. IL was brand-new
with bone handle and bright brass fer
rule. Most of the iron also was bright, but
three inches Of the point were stained
with faint dark brown. From a casual
inspection | should have put this down to
the MARINE spike having been last used TO
make a splice on tarred rope; but now my
suspicious made me think of something
else.
Il raised the stained point to my nose
There was no smell OF tar whatever. On
the bright part there was the indefinable
odor OF iron: at the tip. that thin coat Of
dark brown varnish had plotted this scent
away.
II think my fingers trembled when I
turned to the bass again.
Eyes, there. opposite to where the point
of the MARINE spike had been lyiDg-it
was tilted up over the ball of spun yarn
was closed-up cash in the side of the
bass. The spike had passed through there
and then been withdrawn. Round the cash
was a dim discoloratiOn which / knew to
be dried human blood
In my MIND S eye l saw the whole
CHASTITY accident clearly enough now. The
two men had been standing up, struggling
Guide had gone down under blow, knock
ed senseless. and Walker had stumbled
over him. Pitching forward, face DOWN
wards on to the seat before he could re-
cover, his head had dashed violently
against the carpenters bass. The sharp
marlne spike inside, with its heel resting
against the solid wall of the carriage, had
entered the top of his skull like a bayo-
net No human hand had been raised
against him. and yet he had been killed.
II kept my own particular ramblings in
this case remarkably quiet, and in court
led up to my facts through ordinary cross
examination.
AT the proper psychological moment I
called attention to the shape of the punct-
ure in Walkers skull. and then dramati-
caily sprang the bass and the MARINE
spike upon them unawares. After that as
the papers put it, there was applause in
court. which was instantly suppressed "
..Oh, the conceit of the men," said
O'Malley, laughing.
Grayson laughed too. Well he said,
Il was younger then. and l suppose l was
a trifle conceited. The Crown didn't throw
up. But the jury chucked us Not guilty
without leaving the box. and then leading
for the other side came across and
me on having saved Guide
from the gallows. Now I'd have bet any
thing on hanging that man. said he
Cutliffe Hyne, in New York Evening Post.