Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-20
THE THINKING
MACHINE
Continued from rage s

Continued from rGSe
it was, it was instantly withdrawn beyond my
reach, and | had singular, intuitive feeling
OF being in great peril myself.
For the second time The Thinking Machine
picked up and examined the strangers cord
Again he shook his head.
What do You make OF it," Hatch ventured
at last
The Thinking Machine squinted at him DULY.
81 don't make anything OF ii" he replied
frankly. " There is no starting point. have
all unknown quantities. When every conceiv-
able motive is eliminated, seems to be the
case here, we must naturally turn to that
thing which does things without motive-a
brute-say, an ape" He held up the knotted
cord. But those knots never tied by
any but human hands; directing intelligence
fashioned the moose, and human hands applied
it. That is indisputable, so we haven't even
the ape to start with. This is perhaps the first
case | have ever been interested in where all
possibilities seem to be removed"
Hatch stared at the scientist little blankly
for moment He had never before heard
just such an admission from him. We'll,
asked the reporter helplessly, where are we
going with it :"
he planted his No hat more fir1nlyaon his
enormous straw yellow head, and returned to
his apartments.
1t was ten minutes of one o'clock that night,
and Hatch had Just finished writing the story
of the tragedy for his newspaper, when there
came a call for him on the telephone. 1t was
The Thinking Machine.
Do you know of any crime similar to this
any time recentv?" asked the scientist 81
mean a crime where the circumstances re-
sembled these in any manner"
The reporter was thoughtful for q moment.
No." he replied.
Well, I'm very much afraid that there will
be another Just like it, volunteered The Think
ing Machine enignatically.
Why, who-what:" asked Hatch in amaze
ment
OF course don't know who" retorted the
scientist crabbedy. " II did | would pre-
vent it. | may say know what, but it doesn't
do us any good. Good night
Three DAYS later came another tragedy.
Barlow Gillespie and his brother James were
found dead in a room together ten miles from
the scene of the Barrett affair. Barlow, the
eldest had been strangled to death precisely
as Mildred Barrett had been. James Gillespie
lay five feet away, with bullet in his brain.
The nurderer's revolver had fallen between
them One shot had been fired-the shot
which entered James, head at the base of his
brain.
The Thinking Machine and Hatch were on
the scene of this second crime within a few
hours Again there was detailed examina-
ton to be made, and the scientist made it con-
scientously, from the strangers cord, identi-
cal in every way with the one that had slain
Mildred Barrett, to the revolver with its one
empty chamber. The Thinking Machine
weighed the weapon in his hand thoughtfullv,
and then turned to Detective Mallory.
Whose IS this" he asked.
If | knew that could not only solve this
mystery, but also the Barrett affair" retorted
the detective grimly.
Then The Thinking Machine did a singular
thing. He bent down to within a few inches
OF the upturned ace of James Gillespie, and
squinted steadily for a minute or more into
the dead, CLASSY eyes. This done, he ran his
slender white fingers through the dead mans
hair several times
u know whose revolver it is now" he said
as he rose. " 1t belonged to the other dead
man there-Bartow Gillespie
Detective Mallory regarded him in amaze
ment for instant, and then slight smile
about his lips showed what he thought OF it.
Il suppose, professor" he said. You are 60
ing to tell us that Barlow Gillespie killed his
brother, and then strangled himself with this
cord?"
No" replied the scientist almost pleasantly
"Well, then" Mallory ventured, = its going
to be that Barlow Gillespie shot his brother,
and then his brother strangled him to death
with the cord?"
No." said the scientist again. Il was 60
ing to tell you that James Gillespie attacked
his brother Barlow, and attempted to strange
him-did strangle him; that there was strug