Omaha daily bee., 1915-01-03


was large room. In the center stood big flat
topped desk of heavy mahogany. 1t was brilliantly
lighted.
At one end of the desk was a telephone. Taylor
Dodge was lying the floor at that end of the
desk-perfectly rigid-hs face distorted CHASTITY
figure. A pet dog ran over, shifted franticaly at
his masters legs and suddenly began to howl dis
mally.
Dodge was dead
"Help!" shouted Jennings.
Others of the servants came rushing in. There
was for moment, the greatest excitement and con-
fusion.
Father, shrieked woman's voice. heart
broken. Father Oh-my God-he-he is dead"
1t was Elaine Dodge
With mighty effort, the heroic girl seemed to
pull herself together.
From the one-sided, excited conversation Of the
butler over the telephone, gathered that Bennett
had been in the process Of disrobing in his own
apartment uptown, and would be right down.
Together, Kennedy Elaine and myself lifted
Dodge to sofa and Elane's aunt, Josephine. with
whom she lived, appeared the scene trying to
quiet the sobbing girl
Kennedy and 7. withdrew little way and he
looked about curiously.
What was it?" whispered. WAS il natural,
an accident, or-or murder" The word seemed to
stick in my throat. If 1t murder, what the
motive? Could 1t have been to get the evidence
which Dodge had that would ineriminate the master
criminal?. ~
Kennedy moved over quietly and examined
the body Of Dodge. When he his face had a
peculiar look.
"Terrible!" he whispered to me. Apparently
he had been working at his accustomed place at
the desk when the telephone rang. He rose ana
crossed over to 1t. See! That brought his feet on
this register let into the floor AS he took the tee
phone receiver down flash OF light must have
shot from IT his ear. 1t shows the characteristics
electric burnt"
The motive?" queried.
Evidently his pockets had been gone through.
though none of the valuables were missing. Things
In the desk show, that hasty search had been
made"
Just then the door opened and Bennett burst
AS he stood over the body, gazing down at IL.
depressing the emotions of strong man, he turned
to Elaine and in low voice exclaimed: The
clutching Hand did this. shall consecrate my
life to bring this man to justice"
He spoke tensely, and Elaine. looking up into
his face as II impIorlRs his help in her hour Of
need. unable to speak, merely grasped his hand.
Kennedy. who in the meantime had stood apart
from the rest Of us. was examining the telephone
carefully.
"A clever crook" i heard him mutter between
bis teeth. "He must have worn gloves Not finger
print-at least here
Perhaps can do no better than to reconstruus
the crime as Kennedy later pieced these startling
events together
Long after I had left and even after Bennett
left, Dodge continued working in his library, fog
he was known as a prodigious worker
Had he taken the trouble. however. to pause
end peer out into the moonlight that flooded the
back OF his house, he might have seen the figures
CT two stealthy crooks crouching in the half shad-
cws of one OF the cellar windows crook at least
masked.
The masked crook held in his hands carefully
the ends Of two wires attached to an electric feed
and sending his pal TO keep watch outside. he en-
terer the cellar Of the Dodge house through a win
dow, whose pane they had carefully removed. Az.
he came through the windows he dragged the wires
with him. and after moments accommodating, a
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