The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-10-27

snvwhere to show that this plan OF
entrance had been adopted. The
work on the safe showed clearly tnat
arst-class men had been ON the trick'
and the lock had been operated Dy
knocking out the spindle In the COM
bination and working the tumpiers.
The burglar-proof compartment nad
been battered in by some system mat
I was not familiar with, and 1t was
wonder to me that the noise had not
been heard by everybody IN the
house. Il
"Mr. Temples body had been found
in the dining room adjoining the OF.
fee. and his appearance indicated
that he had been dead several hours.
He was dressed only In his nightshirt'
and there were several slight black
and blue marks on his shoulder and
back which might have come from
fall, His bed-clothes were not dis
turbed any more than a person would
ordinarily disturb them In getting out
of bed, and l could not see any rea-
son for his going down stairs with
out his clothes, or, at least barefoot
ed. A peculiar circumstance was that
he had two large revolvers IN his
room, and they were found where they
were usually kept. 1t naturally
struck me, that If he had heard
thieves working in the lower part OF
the house he would have armed him.
self, before starting out to make an
investigation. Any sane man would
have taken that precaution. More
over | could not understand how
pistol shot could have been fired in
the house without arousing the fam
lily. The safe had been cleaned out
entirely, and even papers had been
taken which were of no value or use
to any one except Mr.. Temple. l
thought a few days later that had
found a solution to many of the pecu-
liar circumstances, but in fact was
miles away from the truth.
after Mr.. Temple was buried
search was made for his will, and one
was found in his desk in his office
in this city. 1t was dated ten years
before his death, and 1t gave Robert
Temple, the Oldest boy. one-third Of
the estate, after providing for Mrs.
Temple, and the remainder of the
estate was divided equally among the
four children. Bob Temple seemed
to be the only one who was pleased
over the WILL The day after the will
was read l received word to call upon
Lawyer Trumbul, Mr.. Temples law.
yer. He informed me in the pres
ence of two Of Mr.. Temples children,
that several months before his death.
Mr.. Temple made new will in which
Bob Temple had been left q small
allowance, instead of the bulk Of the
estate. Mr.. Temples reason for do
ing this was to prevent Bob from
sQuandering the money in riotous liv.
ing and gambling, and the lawyer was
positive that the will had been kept
in Mr.. Temples safe at home. He
had seen 1t there two days before the
robbery.
with this information in my mind
it seemed to me that the person most
interested in the death Of Mr.. Temple
was his son Bob, and the more !
thought Of 1t the stronger became my
conviction that Bob had a hand in
the robbery. The way l figured l,
out was that Bob, who spent most
Of his time away from home with 9
fast set, had found out about the
making Of the will which cut him of
He put up job to get the will, ant
brought the thieves to the house ant
let them in with his keys. They wen
to work on the safe and the old maj
heard them. He called from his room
to know who was there, and Bob an
'swered. Then the old man cam,
down to see what was going on. Boil
knew that stealing the will woult
amount to nothing without the oil,
mans death. believe that 1t wa
the intention Of Bob to kill the oil,
man before he left the house. Whel
Mr.. Temple entered the room Bob
or perhaps one of the crooks, sho
him. Then the way was easy for tn
thieves, and easier for Bob to win hi
fortune. The evidence pointed 1,
this direction, and some enterprisin
reporter got hold Of some of the fact
and published story about the los
. OF the will, and some facts whic
Bob Temple would have to explain.
"Bob's family turned against hir
. bitterly. and l was on the point q
I putting him under arrest when Law
, yer Trumbul received q letter COZ
, tanning the missing will from a ne,
, son who said that he was one Of tn
crooks. The letter gave anothe
, piece OF startling Information to tn
, effect that Mr.. Temple had not bee
, shot, and the wound In his forehea
, had been made by falling against tn
, safe. To verify this the body wa
, exhumed. and the wound in the hea
, was found not to have fractured til
I skull. I found on one Of the hinge
! of the safe few spots of blood, an
, the sharp point of the hinge had III
, doubleday made the wound.
l with the shadow Of suspicion r
7 moved from Bob Temnla tooL 1t,