The Washington herald., 1919-02-05
Whispering Wires sz henry z LEVERAGE 4 G.
Who Killed Montgomery Stockbridgea
Copyright 1918 BY Monst Yard Company. New York;

This is hair trigger"
The trouble-msn smiled twisted.
a'an smile as he turned his head to-
ward the trsnsmitter and said
huskily:
Hello! Hello! You big copper!
Shout on! See how loud you can
curse me! That's H. Thst-is-it!'
Drew heard Delaney's voice rise IN
Indignation. The taunt had spurred
him TO greater effort The metallic
this pistol is made OF and how Il il
made. venture to say that IL IS
simple"
Delaney awoke from his stupor and
lifted a rug which he tossed over the
body Of Cuthbert Morphy. He wiped
his hands with a fnite motion. He
wheeled and slouched lAnkily across
the polished floor. He returned with
the lineman's kit.
Pliers" said Drew, as the big op-
systive removed the straps and reach
ed his hand inside Il saw a pair
there when we had IL open before {"
the detective added, unscrexring the
rubber cap OF The receiver and IIftins
the thin metal diaphragm from the
face Of two tiny magnets which were
wound with fine silk wire.
Regulation magnets" Whispered
Nichols, leaning over the detectives
shoulder. They're regulation except
there's a hole drilled down between
them. There must be a barrel all
the way through the receiver"
Well see. Got those pliers, De-
The operative passed up /, pair.
All" chuckled the detective. un-
screwing the binding posts and lift
ing of a hard-rUbber cap. Al see
( here"
Delaney rose and peered over the
captains shoulder straps. The two
men watched DreV's nimbIe finrers
trace out the mechanism OF the eIec-
trio pistol
It's simple," declared the detec-
tive. It's very simple and ingenious
IN construction. It's a crovninE won
der 10 me that some one hasn't used
this sort OF device 10 carry out a
wholesale slsughtering. Suppose they
never thought Of it."
Drew glanced at the silent mound
under the Persian rug. The wrong
road" he whispered tersely. He
took the wrong road. lie was a me
chanical and electrical genius He
was patent expert"
Delaney worked his brows VI and
down. Shall ! call Miss Stock
BRIDGE he asked.
"Tll do it," Nichols said. turning
and hurrying through the portieres
He returned with Loris leaning upon
his arm. She held a tiny. limp Isc-
handkerchief between her trembling
fingers
There's no danger" said Drew.
Come here. Miss Stockbridge." he
added Il want to show you what
was all ready for YOU
The detective raised the hard
rubber receiver. Here we have the
diaphragm" he said. pointing. It's
a round plate of soft iron. It's Sc
cured to the rubber by an insulated
ring. 1t is the part you press up TO
your ear when you listen at a teIe-
phone. There's a small hole punched
in this one. The same sized hole OK
tends down through the center core.
or magnet This hole isn't rined Ir
couldn't well be rifled save with
special machinery That's why the
bullet found in Mr.. Stockbridse's
brain was without longitudinal scor-
ings. II was fired from a smooth
bored pistol"
That's what you thought" blurtci
Delaney with LOYALTY.
Il was at sea" said Drew. Now "
he continued. we have a live car
tr1dEc at the opposite end OF this
core from the diaphragm. See it,
Loris leaned over the little table.
Right here" The detective point-
ed. That is a twenty-five cartridge
with cupronickle bullet See the
cap? See how it is held from coninS
back by those tiny screws about the
RIM
Loris nodded and gathered up he-
stray wing hair
Now" continued Drew Nov,
this cartridge was exploded BY tire
action OF the human voice. Here's a
tiny spiral OF very slender platinum
wire. II must be No 90 at least.
That's very fine. This spiral is in
series with the winding about the
magnets The same current pull
sated by the human voice which sctu-
ates the receiver diaphragm. also
passed through this spiral Now"
Drew paused Now" he added with
rising voice, here is a tiny charred
piece OF match head. guess. It was
set in the coil. II flared when the
wire became hot The heat was SUM-
cient TO ignite the cap. See it,"
Il see it, exclaimed Nichols.
The action is simple continued
-lNNs - pAlSdNlOu OF lue current
Which was formed by the action OF
the vibrating transmitter diaphragm.
also pUlsated the fine wire before il
went TO the receiver magnets. The
louder the voice into the transmitter
the more CUTrent-meaSured in frac-
tons OF amperes-pasSed through the
spiral. II became sufficiently hot TO
flare the piece OF match head or
whatever Cuthbert placed there. This
flare was communicated TO the per
CuSsIor cap. "r illuminate or mcr-
/ curry at the base OF the car1ridcc
This exploded the powder charge.
which in turn projected the cupron-
ickle bullet forward through the tube
or the bore Of the receiver and our
through the thin, metal diaphragm.
and"
What's that asked the operstiv.
Out through the hole in the dia-
nhragm,' continued Drew, and riIht
into your ear or my ear, Delsney,T
Not into mine" exclaimed the or
erative. 'Ill never telephone as long
as live, chief!".
Wen all be careful" said Nichols
turning toward Loris
Drew gathered together the differ
ent parts of the telephone receiver.
Evidence against Morphy," he said
dryly. as he dropped them into the
side pocket Of his coat They are
our Exhibit A IL he ever finishes that
twenty years in the cooler"
Loris reached out her hand You
saved my life" she said. You saved
it Mr. Drew"