The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-05
The Auiioyia kedge Case
EoyEeL NELSON.

editor y, s.ote: This IL the first Of a Sc
rles of highly interesting detective stories
by Frank Lowell Nelson. They deal with
wide variety OF thrilling incidents and
mysterious affairs. the clearing up Of
which Is due to Mr.. CARLTON Clarke ana
hts extraordinary powers OF deduction
ana feiepathic SUGGESTIONS. ne co-o per
ION IN solving the problems that make
Up the daily work of star pohce re-
porter. or course: the latter gets num-
Der of f:rst-class scoops. Each Is COM
plrte story. This one Is concerned with
mystery growing out OF an initiation cere-
mory in a secret society lodge)
Every man who has been a newspa-
pcr reporter and survived has one case
which he gives the post OF honor IN
memory This is the story OF the as
slgnment / like best to remember. not
only because 1t resulted in the solution
Of one Of the most mysterious cases
that ever arose in Illinois, but rather
for the reason that IL marked my first
meeting with Carlton Clarke, a meet
Ing destined to develop into our joint
excursions into hitherto untrodden
pathways in the study OF crime which
have since made Clarkes name Ia
NOUS in two continents.
II was In the summer OF 1886 that
the word came to the Office OF the Chi
cago morning paper with which L was
then connected that the police or the
iittic city of Aurovia were struggling
with a case which seemed destined to
prove one of the greatest mysteries
of the day. AS ! had met with con-
siderable success in criminal cases, the
4, managing editor lost no time in hus-
ting me off by the first train to the
scene of action ..ts'~.-t..
The brief account in the first paper
picked up. stripped of its giaring head
lines, was as follows:
Early this morning very mysterious
tragedy occurred In the hall of the An
Client Order of Persian knights, local
secret society. which resulted in the al
most instant death OF DR.. Arthur w. Will
liams. a prominent physician of this city.
The initiation of DIR. Williams was II
progress at the time. In one portion OF
the ceremony the candidate, having been
condemned to death for invading the sa-
cred domain of the SHAH. Is ordered 70
load an old-fashioned dueling pistol with
powder and ball which are furnished him.
He is then placed against the wall by
a member OF the lodge. holding the Of
flee of royal executioner. The powder
provided the candidate has always been
clever counterfeit made or pulverized
anthracite coal. and the only climax 10
the thrilling ceremony, heretofore, mas
been the fizzle OF the percussion cap and
the shouts of laughter of the lodge mem
bers. Dr. Williams was an old nand AT
lodge work. As consequence. none Oh
the efforts of the Persian knights 10
break down MS nerve or Self-possesslol
had been successful. When he had loaded
the pistol he faced Oh. Homer smith:
whose duty IL was to fire the shot and
eazed into his eyes without a isib'e
tremor Suddenly the members or the
lodge, about 300 of whom were present
were startled by a loud expio oS ,,sh nr:
from a wound in his forehead Among
the first to reach the stricken man was
DR. Smith. who had fired the fatal sho,-
He tried to stanch the blood, but me pul-
let had penetrated the brain and DR.. VIZ
liaus died In his arms without speaking
chief of Police Darling, who is prom
inent member of the order, holcing tns
office of royal astrologer. at once thoue.H'
10 secure the cup from which the pow
der had beer poured A Few grams re-
manned. He tasted them; IL was unnis
have been made and no one seems WILING
10 take the responsibility of saying that
the tragedy was anything more imam az
cident due 10 the careicssness OF sorne-
one In getting the counterfeit powder
mixed with the real article
"Oh. those country correspondence
I fairly groaned There was so much
| wanted to know. Who had handled
the supposed counterfeit powder? What
was the customary source from which
the police procured il? What were the
relations of the two physicians toward
each other? i turned to the other pa
pers One or two gave. further de-
tails of the character of the lodge. the
name of which was strange to me, and
something of the personalities of the
principals.
The two physicians were prominent In
the professional and social life of the
CITY Dr. Williams had settled in Au-
rovia two years before. DIR. Smith had
been born and reared there. DR.. Will
liams left widow. but no children
Dr. Smith was unmarried and made his
home with a maiden aunt.
"It all depends upon the history OF
the powder" / said to myself as
stuffed the papers into my pocket
You are right, sir. II all depends
upon the history of the powder.
i turned around half in anger at this
unlocked for interruption to my rrair
of thought. Whatever emotion 1 may
have felt was instantly lost III interest
In the face before me- 1t was a face
should have singled out among q
thousand. Clean shaver, the firmly
nodded chin showed by its slight tingt
of blue that the beard. had il been al
lowed to grow would have been black
The nose was aQuiline and of perfect
proportions. The intelligent eyes were
dark almost tn blackness. The com
plexion was swarthy. but suffused witt
the glow of health. The hair was OF
that distingue combination of colors
black shading almost to white on the
temples and over the forehead. Ar
American. evidently, but inheritins
through several generations of new
world ancestors the markings of south
. crn Europe. His height l should have
estimated at feet Carlton Clarke
really lacks three-quarters of an inch
of the mark.
You were saying that 1t all depend.
a upon The history Of the powder. and
agreed that you had estimated the cas-,
correctly" repeated my neighbor.
~ have 10 recollection of saying
anything OF the kind. although admit
! was thinking it, / replied. May
! ask how you defined my thoughts 81
readilyg"
"Oh noticed that you we're study
Ing the case from the papers. 1t tool
no second sight 10 see that you were
not satisfied with the information yoi
gained. ! am going down on the cas-
myself ard doubtless l followed YOU
chain Of ideas which I am sire cam.
ba oolu lopfca1 conclusion f,,,c