Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-04-03
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had removed his plate, then continued
chat is the logical end to work from
in solving the riddle"
DR.. Hayden nodded his agreement.
THE police are working along those
lines" he said. ITO date they have
made but negative progress, and yet"
He paused until Sikh departed with
the empty chatting dish.
What were you going to say?" de-
manded Burnham.
''Only that I stopped to see Coroner
Penfield this afternoon and found him
working in his laboratory; he was
making test Of the dead mans hair.
You noticed perhaps" he broke off to
ask Maynard who was sitting for
ward in his chair, that the mans hair
was very closely cropped"
Yes" he responded "It was so
short that it made his head ;ook bull
let shaped
THE coroner is nettled because this
case has baffled him, so he set his wits
to work." continued Hayden. He
pulled out some of the short hair from
the dead mans head with tweezers and
stepped the hair in diluted nitric
acid"
With what RESULT" Burnham al
most jerked out the question.
by tests with hydrochloric acid,
Penf1eld found that the hair had been
dyed with nitrate of silver" answered
Hayden. And I found the same re-
suit upon microscopic examination Of
few hairs"
well, what if you did find nitrate
OF silver?" Burnham demanded rough.
ly. How does, that advance the in.
quiry?"
1T established the fact that the
man had dyed his hair" explained
the physician. The inference being
he did so for purposes OF disguise"
Palmer, who had been an attentive
listener to all that was said. laughed
heartily. "Oh, come, Hayden" he ex.
claimed. That's a broad statement
know a number of men, respectable
hair for no other reason than to look
younger"
Your friends have not been found
dead under mysterious circumstances .
said Hayden dryly. In the case in
point we must consider the ulterior
motive: therefore this unidentified
dead man can be said to have dyed
his hair from a motive Of disguise
until it is proved otherwise"
"I'll admit it's a nice point con-
ceded Palmer, twisting about in his
chair. Gould you tell from the ex
animation the original color of the
mans hair?"
"Oh, bother" broke in Burnham
who cares about the color of his
hair-how did his dead body get in
my house?"
l9'Waiked there" answered Maynard,
a twinkle in his eyes belying his
serious expression. THE man couldn't
have been dead when he entered your
house"
He couldn't, eh? Well, will you tell
me where he died in my house?" Burn.
hams manner waxed truculent "I
have searched every room with Palm.
er and Detective Mitchell and we
found no trace of any one. let alone
two persons, having been there. drink
ing-what was it? Oh, yes, cherry
brandy"
EVERY room was in order" added
Palmer mo sign of confusion.
Frankly, agree with Burnham. The
man must have been taken to his
house, dead"
Maynard stared at the speaker.
DO you mean to tell me seriously
that you two men believe a dead body
was carried into Burnhams house in
broad daylight between the hours of
three and Ave in the afternoon with
out any one seeing it done?"
IT do" announced Burnham firmly.
"As to the hours, don't place too much
reliance on Evelyn's statement regard.
ing the time she found the body;
Evelyn Is very needless and a few
. h0urB mlScdlculdlloil III lIiie "oului
disturb her"
A subtle change in Burnham's tone
as he mentioned Evelyn's name
caught Maynards attention and look
ing UP quickly he saw Palmer was
watching Burnham, a curious CLINT
in his eye which Maynard found diff
cult to fathom.
Evelyn told me that she had her
watch examined and that it keeps ex.
ceilent time" stated Hayden. "of
course we are all liable TO make mis-
takes In the hour; but in this instance
Evelyn Is unshaken in her belief that
she found the body in the library at
about 4 o'clock, and that 1t was not
there when she was in the room at
half-past two"
"There would be no object in Evelyn
living as 10 the time" exclaimed Palm
or, and his heavy frown indicated his
famper was rising. II hardly think,
Burnham, you can impugn her testi'
nony."
Don't be a fool!" retorted Burn
ham hotiy. "Tbe girl is proverbially
careless; carelessness is at the bottom
81 the confusion in time"
Only Hayden's strong hand kept
pasasr IN his seat Don't excite your