Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-04

cross street, Where you disappeared. Naturally
| wondered what it meant. 1t was still in my
mind about half-past three o'clock possibly
later, when | saw you enter the alley again,
disappear in the same yard, then come out
and go away"
II was not-not there said Chase
weakly. You were-were mistaken"
When We know" continued The Thinking
Machine steadily, that you entered that
house before You entered by the front door.
we know that you tempered with DR.. Sit
that you tempered with those we know that
YOU murdered Mr.. De Forrest as his dying
note stated. Do YOU see it?''
Chase rose suddenly and paced feverishly
back and forth across the room. Detective
Mallory discreetly moved his chair in front of
the door. Chase saw and understood.
Il know how you tempered with the clock
so not to interfere with its action or cause
any variation at the testing apparatus. You
were too superbly clever to stop it or interfere
out the pin which held on the hands and
moved them backward one hour. 1t was then
actually a quarter of three-you made it a
quarter of two. You showed your daring by
invading the dentists sleeping room. You
found his watch on table beside his bed, set
that with the clock, then went out, spoke to
Policeman ellis, whose number you noted,
and rang the front door bell. After you left
by the front door you allowed time for the
household to get quiet again, then reentered
from the rear and reset the watch and clock.
Thus your alibl was perfect You took a des-
perate chance, and you knew it, but it was
necessary.
The Thinking Machine stopped and squinted
UP into the pallid face Chase made hopeless
gesture with his hands and sat down, burying
his face.
1T was clever, Mr.. Chase" said the scientist
finally. 1T is the only murder case know
where the criminal made no mistake. You
probably killed De Forrest in a fit of anger,
left his rooms while the elevator bow was UP
stairs, then saw the necessity of protecting
Yourself and devised this alibi at the cost of
one tooth. Your only real danger was when
you made Patrolman ellis your witness,
taking the chance that he did not know or
would not remember when you spoke to him
Again there silence. Finally Chase
looked up with haggard face. How did you
know all this" he asked.
Because under the exact circumstances
nothing else could have happened replied
the scientist. The simplest rules of logic
prove conclusively that this did happen: BY
the way" he asked, what was the motive OF
the MURDER"
Don't you know" asked Chase DULY.
"No'
Then YOU never will" he declared gri1nly.
When Chase had gone with the detective,
Hatch fingered with The Thinking Machine.
It's perfectly astonishing he said. How
did YOU get at it, anyway"
Il visited the neighborhood, how it
could have been done, learned through your
investigation that no one else appeared in the
case; then, knowing that this must have hap
pened, tricked Chase into believing | was an
eve witness to the incidents in the alley.
That was the only way to make him confess.
OF course there was no one else In 1t.
One of the singular points in the Chase
murder trial was that while the prisoner was
convicted of murder on his own statement, no
mixing of motive ever appeared.