Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-10-08


guilt II / say that II was done in self
defense. and that John straker was a man
who was entirely unworthy OF your con-
fidence. But there goes the bell, and as
stand to win a little on this next race,
shall defer a lengthy explanation until a
more fitting time"
We had the corner OF a Pullman car to
ourselves that evening as we whirled back
to London. and I fancy that the journey
was a short one to Col. Ross as we'll as to
myself. as we listened to our companions
narrative OF the events which had occurred
at the partmoor training stables upon that
Monday night. and the means by which he
had unraveled them.
II confess" said he. that any theories
which 1 had formed from the newspaper
reports were entirely erroneous. And yet
there were indications there, had they not
been overlaid by other details which con-
cealed their true import. 1 went TO Devon
shire with the conviction that Fitzroy
Simpson was the true culprit although, OF
course, 1 saw that the evidence against
him was by no means complete. II was
while I was in the carriage, just as we
reached the trainers house, that the i'm
nense significance Of the curried mutton
occurred to me You may remember that
I was distract and remained sitting after
YOU had all alighted. I was marveiing in
my own mind how I could possibly have
overlooked so obvious a clue"
''I confess" said the colonel. that even
now cannot see how II helps us"
"It was the first link in my chain OF
reasoning. Powdered opium is by no means
tasteless The flavor is not disagreeable'
but 1t is perceptible. Were it mixed with
any ordinary dish the eater would I'M
doubtedly detect it and would probably eat
no more. A curry was exactly the medium
which would disguise this taste. BY no
possible supposition could this stranger
Fitzroy Simpson, have caused curry to be
served in the trainers family that night,
and it is surely too monstrous a coincidence
TO suppose that he happened TO come along
with powdered opium upon the very night
when a dish happened to be served which
would disguise the flavor. That is UNI
thinkable Therefore Simpson becomes
eliminated from the case, and our atten-
ton centers upon Straker and his wife,
the only two people who could have chosen
curried mutton for supper that night The
opium was added after the dish was set
aside for the stable boy. for the others
had the same supper with no i'll effects.
Which of them, then. had access to that
dish without the maid seing them?
before deciding tnat question Hdu
grasped the significance of the silence OF
the dog, for one true inference invariably
suggests others. The Simpson incident had
shown me that a dog was kept in the
stables, and yet, though some one had been
in and fetched out a horse he had not
barked enough to arouse the two lads in
the loft. Obviously the midnight visitor
was some one whom the dog knew well.
II was already convinced, or almost con-
WINGED, that John Straker went down to
the stables in the dead of the night and
took out Silver Blaze. For what purpose?
For a dishonest one, obviously, or why
should he drug his own stable boy? And
yet 1 was at a loss to know why. There
have been cases before now where trainers
have made sure of great sums of money by
laying against their own horses, through
agents, and then preventing them from
winning by fraud. Sometimes it is a pull
ing jockey. Sometimes it is some surer and
subtler means. What was it here?
hoped that the contents of his pockets
might help me to form a conclusion.
And they did so. You cannot have for
gotten the singular knife which was found
in the dead mans hand. knife which GER
tainly no sane man would choose for a
weapon. 1t was, as DIR. Watson told u.s. a
form Of knife which is used for the most
delicate operation known in surgery. And
it was to be used for a delicate operation
that night. You must know. with your
wide experience of turf matters, Colonel
Ross, that it is possible to make a slight
nick upon the tendons of a horses ham
and to do 1t simultaneously, so as TO leave
absolutely no trace. horse so treated
would develop a slight lameness which
would be put down to a strain in exercise
or a touch of rheumatism, but never to
foul play"
"Vilainl scoundrel!" cried the colonel.
1--WE have here the explanation Of why
John straker wished to take the horse OFT
onto the moor So spirited creature
would certainly have reused the soundest
OF sleepers when It felt the prick OF the
knife. II was absolutely necessary to do it
in the open air"
"I have been blind" cried the colonel.
"Of course, that was why he needed the
candle and struck the match"
Undoubtedly. But in examining his be-
longings I was fortunate enough to dis
cover not only the method of the crime,
but even its motives. As a man of the
world, colonel you know that men do not
carry other peoples bills about in their
pockets. We have most OF us quite
enough to do TO settle our own I at once
concluded that Straker was leading a
double life and keeping a second estab-
lishment The nature OF the bill showed
that there was a woman in the case and
one who had expensive tastes. Liberal as
you are with your servants one can hardly
expect that they can buy 2O-guinea walking
dresses for their women | questioned Mrs
Straker as to the dress without her know
ing II. and having satisfied myself that II
had never reached her ] made a note OF
the millner's address and felt that by call
ing there with Strakers photograph I could
easily dispose OF the mythical Derbyshire,
From that time on all was plain. Straker
had led out the horse TO a hollow where
his light would he invisible. Simpson in
his night had dropped his cravat and
straker had picked II up-with some idea
perhaps that he might use II in securing
the horses leg. Once In the hollow he had
got behind the horse and had struck a
light, but the creature, frightened at the
sudden glare and with the strange instinct
Of animals feeling that some mischief wal
intended. had dashed out and the steel sho,
had struck Straker fun on the forehead
He had already. in spite of the rain
taken on his overcoat In order to- do hii
delicate task and so as he fell his knit.
gashed his thigh Do / make II clear?''
wonderful! cried the Colonel won
derfui! You might have been therep'
MY hnal shot was, confess, a very Ions
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