The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-26
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS Circle Jim" Borden, named from a red birthmark on his hand, has served ms third prison term. One in each Bor- den generation, always a criminal has
 borne the Red Circle mark. Jim and his son Ted are the only known living of the Bordens. Max Lamar, detective, IS detailed to keep an eye on Jim. June
 lraVls and her mother meet Jim as he IS released. Jim and Ted are killed. Next day Lamar sees the Red Circle on a Womans hand outside a curtained lautomobile. June, marked with the Red Circle, robs Grant, loan shark. Mary, tunes nurse, discovers her theft and tells her she is Circle Jims" daughter, though Mrs. Travis does not know. Mary tricks Lamar. Lamar visits Smiling Sam," Jim's old crime partner. Sent to Surfton by Smiling Sam Alma La Sale robs the guests at a ball. Mary points her out to Lamar, who follows her back to town, captures her with the jewels and goes after Smiling Sam. On the cage or cliff pursuer and pursued en- gage in deadly combat. Gordon, a fugitive, rescues Lamar, and June in 1 turn saves Gordon from arrest. Smiling Sam sees the Red Circle on June's nnnd tells her he knows her secret and fol- lows her to her city home. She helps Gordon to get away, after recovering for him the securities receipt which in criminates him by tricking Farwell and l Lamar.
 | Miss Travis!" he said, hurriedly, "I caught glimpse of man I'm almost sure was Sam Eagan." | "Really?" asked June, her heart beat | ing fast. "How interesting! Where abouts?"
 Tn that topmost window of your house. I 't1en nf ftn ' ! What nonsense!" she laughed, nerv- orsly. How could he possiby-?''
 T must go and look for him." insisted Lamar That is, if you'll let me. He probably remembered your goodness to him in other days, and sneaked in here to try to persuade you to help him. Let me go in, please. He mustn't get away | from us again." l June. too confused to make any protest, 1 led the way into the house. She was sick with terror. In the library door way they met Mrs. Travis. She came forward cordially, to greet Lamar. The l crime specialist cut short her salutations by saying, brusquely: Mrs. Travis, I have reason to think ! criminal is hiding in this house. 'Smil- ing Sam Eagan, the crook l told you | about, down at Surfton. May I search for him?"
 Why certainly" assented the startled
 
 , mistaken Mir. Lamar! I cant believe" Max had already started up the stairs. June dreading to go with him) yet threading far more to remain in suspense, followed. Mary, who had been crossing Il as Lamar entered, hur- ried after her.
 .... e-., the next floor was mere ly perfunctory. y He's no. down here!" declared the crime specialist at last, in growing irn- patience I'm going to try the attic How do I get to it?''
 i-e s,,.nu.ng close to the doorway, as ne spoke, the doorway leading to the attic stairs. And his strong voice carried every word to the fugitive above. At the sound, Eagan started to his feet, knife in hand This attic was no place to be cornered like rat in a trap. If he could get downstairs, a knife-thrust in Lamars body might leave the way free for him to escape to the street. Yes. and that same knife-thrust might silence Lamar forever. If so, he had no fear ot the households women blabbing as to who had done the murder. They would not dare. e Knife in fist, Eagan tiptoed down the stairs. With his free hand he opened the door little way, and peeped out into the upper hall
 Lamar had just moved from that very door, and was standing with his back to him, only a few feet away, looking about for the entrance to the attic stairs.
 But June saw the door open She saw the broad, hideous face the tght-gripped knife. She saw Sam crouch for spring. She saw hlm, knife raised. launch himself at the unsuspecting Lamar
 Then, as the man stabbed, June awoke from her daze of mortified inaction With a scream sine seized Lamar, and by main force hurled him to one side and half way around
 The knife-thrust missed it's mark by the fraction Of an inch. Lamar. whiring, caught sight of his foe. As Eagans arm went back to stab again, Max grappled him.
 Back and forth across the hal the two men swayed and lurched in their fierce wrestle. The shoulder of one of the two clcse-locked bodies struck against the attic door, slamming it shut. Chairs were overturned, and the hallway became a bedlam of noise and fury.
 Sam managed to wrench his knife hand free He lunged murderously at Lamars throat Max was toe late to guard the Llow. But he shifted his 1.-the body to one side The blade flashed past it and was buried half to the hilt, in the wood of the door.
 Sam now turned his full attention to the task of crushing his opponent with his bare hands
 Max merely defended himself au best he could At last he was able to draw his pistol
 But, as he did so Sam seized the crime specialists right wrist with both his own huge hands and exerting all his brute strength and weight, twisted Max's hand outward and upward. No human power could withstand that pressure, so suddenly and skillfully ex- erted, The pistol leaped from Lamar's opened fingers and fell to the floor. Mrs. Travis, at first sound of the battle, darted into the nearest room, snatched up telephone and summoned police head quarters.
 It took her some moments to get the connection, because police headquarters Central" was just then listening to patrolmans thrilling account of the way Attorney Charles Gordon had come to the chief of police, a little while before, and given himself up to justice-laughing as he did so.
 But presently Mrs. Travis was switched from headquarters to the precinct station phone And in less than a minute two policemen were on their way to the Travis house.
 Meantime the fight in the hall had cached new and more vital stage-a , skirmish for possession of the fallen pis- tol.