Evening star., 1918-05-26
The Riddle of the 5:28


cylinder. Just as ! supposed" he
added. turning to Narkom. "One
chamber has been fouled by a shot
and one cartridge has been exploded.
That Sour smell tells its own story.
Mr.. Narkom. This revolver was dis
charged two or three days ago. The
ASSASSIN had everything prepared for
this little event: but he was FOOL
for all his cleverness. for you will OBJ
the revolver in the dead hand. to
make It appear a case Of suicide. he
laid 1t down just as he himself took 1t
from his pocket, with the butt toward
the victims body and tho muzzle
pointing outward between the thumb
the cylinder. instead of the top of the
trigger. touching the ball OF the
thumb. 1t Is q clear case OF murder.
Mr.. Narkom."
but. sir" interposed the station
master. overhearing this assertion:
blank bewilderment. III somebody
killed him. where has that somebody
gone? This train has made no stop
until now since 1t started from Lon
don bridge; so. even II the party was
in it at the start, how In the worlo
Maybe he chucked hisself out of
the window. guv'ner." suggested
Webb, "or maybe he slipped out and
hung on to the footboard until the
train slowed down and then dropped
of just before 1t come into the station
here" ~
doors were locked and both windows
closed when we discovered the BODY.
You saw that as plainly as l.
"Lummy. sir. SO did; The Then n where
cosla sta1en he sate1 s,raes in cleek
turning from examining the body. get
your men to examine all tickets, both
in the train and out of 1t, and II
there's one that's not clipped as 1t
passed the barrier at London bridge
look out for it and detain the holder.
iii take the gate here and examine
all local tickets. Meantime wire all
up the road to every station from here
to London bridge and find out II any
other siEnalman than the one at
Forest Hill noticed this dark com.
partment when the train went past
Immediately. But every ticket, save.
of course, the season ones-and the
holders of these were in every case
found to be properly
Clipped; and, in the end, every signal
box from New Cross on wired back :,.
"All compartments lighted wheh tram
passed here"
"That narrows the search. Mr.. Mar
kom." said Cleek when he heard this.
THE lights were put out somewhere
between Honor Oak Park and FOREST
Hill, and it was between Honor oak
Park and Anerley the murderer mate te
his escape. Inspector. ne turned 10
the officer in command of the local
notice. do me a favor. Put your men
in charge of this carriage and let the
train proceed. Norwood Junction Is
the next station. I believe. ana
there's a side track there. .,lia Have ,.nS .ns
over it until Mr. NaYkom and ar
rive"
"Yes. Have the station master at
the junction equip hand car with
and send IT here az e1-
peditiously as possible. II anybody
or ANYTHING has left this train be-
tween this point and Honor Oak Park,
Mr.. Narkom, this thin coating OF snow
viii betray the fact beyond question
of a doubt"
Twenty minutes later the handcar
put in an appeara@nee. nee manHvT ,ha tuncfion ~
and. word having been wired up the
line to hold back all trains Tor q
period of half an hour in the interests
Of Scotland Yard. cleek and NarEom
boarded the vehicle ana went wniza'nt
iisht sweeping the patch from left to
right and slaring brilliantly on the
surface Of the fallen snow.
Pour lines of tracks CLEANED steer
bright against its spotless levei-the
two outer ones being those employed
by the local trains going to and fro
between London and the suburbs, the
two inner ones belonging to the main
line, but not one footstep tndented
the thin surface of that broad ex-
aon.n ~ .reu frou, ono end Of the
journey to the other:
"The murderer. whoever he is or
wherever he went. never SGT foot
upon SO much as one inch OF this
ground, that's certain" said Narkom.
car and return. You feel satisfied OF
that, do you not. my dear fellow?"
Thoroughly. Mr.. Narkom: there
can't be two opinions upon that point
But, at the same time. he did leave
the train; otherwise we should have
found him in it."
"Granted. But the question is, When
did he get in and how did he get out?
We know from the evidence Of the
passengers that the train never
dom bridge station and Aaerley; that
all compartments were altght UP to
the time it passed Honor Oak Park:
that nobody aboard Of 1t heard
sound of q pistol shot; that the assas-
elh cOulQ not nave SIopS dioHk tHo
footboard and got into some other
compartment. for all were SO densely
crowded that half q dozen people
were standing in each. 30 he could
not have entered without somebody
making room for him to open the
pened. no such thing could happen
without q dozen or more people being
aware OF 1t. 30 the idea Of con-
federate may be dismissed without q
thought. The unmarked surface Of
was thrown out or fell out between
the two points where the tragedy
must have occurred. Both windows
were shut and both doors of the COM
partment locked when the train made
gone. My dear chap. are you sure
are you really sure-that 1t isn't
case Of suicide. after allY'
Gleek gave his shoulders lurch and
smiled indulgentiy.
position Of the revolver in the dead
mans hand ought. as pointed out to
you. to settle that question. even II
there were no other discrepancies. In the
natural order Of things man who had
Just put a bullet into his own brain
would. II he were sitting erect. as Lord
Stavornell was. drop the revolver in the
spasmodic opening and shutting Of the
hands In the Anal convulsion; but. II
he retained any sort Of q hold upon
it. be sure his forehngsr would be In
the loop Of the trigger. He wouldn't be
holding the weapon backward. SO to
speak. with the cylinder against the ball
Of his thumb and the hammer against
the base Of the middle finger. II he
had held 1t that way he simply couldn't
have shot himself II he had tried. Then.
II you didn't remark 1t. there was no
scorch Of powder upon the face. for
another thing: and. for third. the bull