Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23

elaborate directions were to prevent anyone
getting the slightest clue as to his having gone,
or as to where he was. | don't know where
he is now.
Immediately after Earick was off my
hands, had Martha, my housekeeper, write
note to Singh explaining that Narlck was
ILL., and confined to his ROOM and for the pres
ent was unable to see anyone. In this note
date was specified when he would call on Singh.
Martha wrote, of course, a trained nurse
who was in attendance merely in daytime.
All these points were made clear to Singh.
That done. it was only matter of patience.
Mr. Hatch and went to Narck's apartments
each night had Martha there in day time
to answer questions-and waited, in hiding.
Mr.. Hatch is about Narcks size, and wi G
helped us along. What happened then, you
know. | may add that when Narick told me
the story | commented it as being almost
unbelievable. He understood, as | meant he
should, that | referred to the vision.
really meant that the elaborate scheme which
Singh had evolved was unbelievable. He
might have killed him just well with drop
of poison something equally pleasant"
The Thinking Machine stopped, as if that
all.
" But the crystal?" asked Hatch. How
did that work? How was it saw YOU"
That was little ingenious and rather
expensive" said The Thinking Machine so
expensive that Singh must have expected to
get large sum from success. | can best
describe the manufacture of the vision as
variation of the prnci pie of the camera obscura.
1t was done with lenses of various sorts and
multitude of mirrors, and required the assist
ance of two other men-those who were taken
from Singhs house with Jadeh.
First, the room in Varicks apartments was
duplicated in the basement of Singh's house,
even to rugs books and wall decorations.
There two men rehearsed the murder scene
that Narick saw. They were disguised, of
course. You have looked through the wrong
end of telescope? Well, the original reduc
ton of the murder scene to size where all of
it would appear in small mirror accom-
plished in that way. From this small mirror
there pipes with series of mirrors and
lenses. through the house, carrying the ret1ec-
ton of what was happening below, so vaguely,
though, that features We're barely distinguish
able. This pipe ran up inside one of the legs
of the table on which the crystal rested, and
then by reflection to the pedestal.
You, Mr.. Hatch, saw me lift that crystal
several times, and each time you might have
noticed the click was trying to find how
the reflection reached it. When you lifted
it slowly and put my fingers under it, knew
There was a small trap in the pedestal, covered
with velvet. This closed automatically and
presented a solid surface when the crystal
was lifted and opened when the crystal was
replaced. Thus the reflection reached the
crystal, which reversed it the last time and
made it appear right side up to the watcher
The apparent growth of the light in the crys-
tia caused below. Some simply
removed several SneetS OF SduZe, one at q. tl11e
from in front of the first lens
Welt" exclaimed Detective Mallory.
That's the most elaborate affair | ever
heard of"
Quite right" commented the scientist
but we don't know how many victims Singh
had. Of course any vision was possible
with change 'of scene in the basement.
imagine it was a profitable investment,
because there are many fools in this world -
What did the girl have to do with it e'
asked Hatch.
That | don't know" replied the scientist.
She was pretty. Perhaps she was used as a
sort of bait to attract certain class of men.
She was really Singhs wife, imagine, not his
sister. She was a prominent figure in the
mummery with Varick. of course. With her
aid Singh was able to lend great effectiveness
to the general scheme
A couple of days later Howard Varick
returned to the city in tow of Philip Byrne.
The Thinking Machine asked Varick only one
question of consequence. How much money
did you intend to leave Singhe"
About two hundred and fifty thousand
dollars" was the reply. 1t was to be used
under his direction in furthering an investiga-
ton into the psychic. He and l had planned
just how it was to be spent
Personally, Varick is no longer interested
in the occult