Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-19
ru,s STARTS THE STORY

ossS !nutes yy later is found dead at the foot
~ saint Wryha,s stair. The theory
- that he fell. but Is objected TO as
S,rpcr. a stonemdson, insisted that ne
scd seen a mans hand. Rdnstord has
mayy purchase ao,oers for The dead
mars funeral A banker offers a re-
,CGrd for Information; Bruce fnds az
ppnwnssfo,d had acted as best man at
tbc marriage Of John brake aud Mary
Bewerv Gossip Is rDe IN connection
9Th Ranstord ,sd ard the I'd dead az mpn:
couid thro,r light on the Brake murder,
Is found dead under q tree, With his
dinner pail and an ola ~ oohte pc
side him. Detectives snrnnse Rans,
iGof he prescribed for Colitshuto and
lis ,oifc The, night before aud Rdnsford
i ,sSs ien alone 10Th colt'ha'o's TIN
bottle. - =
1,RYCE. who had been listening attenr
d lively, looked steadily at the in
spector .5'L
you're suspectIng Ransford already?"
he said.
Mitchington shook his head.
WHATS It look 1ike?" he answered
almost appealingly. II put 1t to you,
row--what does 1t look like7 Here's this
man been poisoned, without doubt
Tn certain of II. And--there were those
rumors--t's idle to deny that they GEN.
tered in Rapsford. And this morning
Ransford had the chance"
That's arguing that Ransford pur-
nosely carried O dose Of poison to put
INTO Collishaw's tin bottle" said Bryce.
half sneeringly. mot very probable. you
know, Mitchington."
Mtchlngton spread out his hands.
| 10 ha
nav. there's no denying the suspicious
look of IT, If were only certain that
those rumors about what Collishaw
hinted he could say had got to Rams
whats being done about that post
mortem?" asked Bryce.
"Doctor Coates and Doctor Everest
are going to do 1t this ,L afternoon" re, re;
10 them at once, as soon as I told him."
They'll probably have to call in an
expert from London said Bryce. How
ever, you can't do anything definite. you
say anything of this to anybody I'll
drop in at your place later and hear II
Coates can say anything really certain"
Mtchington went away. and Bryce
dering, speculating and scheming. II
Ransford had really got rid of this man
who knew something-why, then, 1t was
certainly Ransford who killed Braden.
At 5 o'clock. Mitchington drew him aside
Coates says there's no doubt about
t." he whispered. Poisoned Hydro
cyanic acid !"
Mtchington stepped aside into a
private room. motioning Bryce to follow
him He carefully closed the door, and
looking significantly at his companion,
repeated his last words, with a shake
Poisoned without the very least
IN whtQnarpd 'HvdrNNvnnIC
acld-whch, ] understand. is the same
thing as what's commonly called prussic
acid. They say they hadn't the least
difficulty in finding that out!-so there
That's what Coates has told you, Of
course?" asked Bryce. After the
autopsy?"
Both Of 'em told me-Coates. and
Everest. who helped him" replied Mitch fitch
the very start. And-I say"
"Well?" said Bryce.
TT wasn't In that tin bottle, anyway"
remarked Mitchington, who was evil
IDENTIFY greatly weighted with mystery.
mo of course 1t, wasn't affirmed
Bryce Good Heavens, mani know
that"
How do you know" asked Mitch
ington.
that bottle into my hand when 7 first
found Collishaw and tasted the stun, "
answered Bryce readily Gold tea:-
with too much sugar In IT, There was
no II C. n. in that-besldes, wherever
Il is, there's always a smell-stronger or
fainter-of bitter almonds. There was
none about that bottle"
Yet you were very anxious that we
shoulI take care of that bottle?" OBJ
served Mitchington.
OF course because | suspected the
use OF some much rarer poison than
that" retorted Bryce. Pooh It's a
clumsy way Of poisoning anybody =
quick though 1t is.'
Mitchington. "Thatll be the medical
evidence at the inquest, anyway. That s
now now It was done. And the question
Who did it?" interrupted Bryce.
Precisely, Well-lll say this mucn at
once Mitchington. Whoever did II was
either big bungler-or damned clever .
That's what say"
ington.
Plain enough-my meaning" replied
isryee, smiling. ITO finish anybody with
mat stun Is easy enough-but no poison
10 more easily detected It's an
Inateursh way Of poisoning anybody
unless unless you can do It In such a fashion
taat no suspicion can attach you to. And
n lnis case it's here-whoever admin
Hstered that poison to Collishaw must
nave been certain--absolutely certain
mind you that 1t was impossible for
any one to find out that he'd done So
Therefore, say what I said-tne man
must De damned clever. Otherwise, he'd
ye iouEd out pretty quick And all
i,,1 inat puzzles me is-how was 1t admin
How much would kill ANYBODY
peIE quick?' asked Mitchington.
ir,,now nov much? One drop would cause
..TIsoeuntaneous death! 20 answered Bryce
then ,SSuse paralysis of the heart. there and