Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-30

Julian Chalmers was supposed TO
have died last week. have proof
'hat some one took his razor from
him, cut his throat with It. and then
slipped it back into his hand as he
lay dead; but they didn't take Into
consideration the fact that the marks
of both his hands in blood were upon
the side of the bathtub."
You can provo that?"
Two reliable witnesses. More
over. I'm convinced that his mother.
Mrs. Richard Lorne. was also muir
dcrcd not n month before"
Mrs. Lornc died Of blood poison
ing"
Yes. BY poison with which. She
was deliberately If indirectly in
fectcd."
odell gave his chief "a detailed dc.
scription Of the case as he had
learned it from the physicians ana
demonstrated once more his discovery
OF tho substitution of the needle: and
the captains skeptical manner
changed
Good work. OdeN," he exclaimed.
Your proof is more conclusive in the
instance OF young Chalmers death
than in his mothers: hut 1t is circum-
stantlal enough in that alone to war
rant a thorough Investigation. I'll
see the chief medical examiner to-
night, and arrange for an autopsy at
once. Well have to keep a soft pedal
on the press. though, and 20 slow on
this inside job stun until We have
the dope. The Meades are an inhucn-
tisl old family and l.ornc has big
YOU get an Interview with each OF
them"
.'All except the youngest daughter
and Lorne himself: but l saw them
both for a moment. Any ncws Of
that butlc:. Peters,
Not yet. hut I'm having his sisters
house Watched. What VAS. tina, YOU
handed me over tho phone this morn
ing about two attempts having been
made upon the lives OF two members
OF the family within the last twenty
four hours"
The detective told his story from
the inquiries which he and Tither-
edge had made at the carpenters shop
concerning the mysterious telephone
message to the conclusion Of his In
tcrview with Randall Chalmers and
tho discovery in the parrots cage
and after he had finished the captain
sat for while in silence.
Well let's say that YOU have cs-
tabiishcd proof OF the murder OF
Julian Chalmers and the attempted
murder of his brother and o! Richard
Lornc." he remarked at last. You
have also strong circumstantial evi-
dcnce OF the murder OF Mrs. Lornc;
and it II points 10 an inside job.
think for the time being Ne can drop
Miss Meade and the two young ladies
out OF IL; that leaves I.ornc himself.
tho two Chalmers boys and the four
servants. What do YOU make OF ;hat
cripplc?'
''iie has aonormally long arms and
hands like talous. and his attitude
toward his family shows that he is
lacking in moral sense 20 certain
degree. provided this auttcr cailous-
ness of his isn't pose. admit ne
has mo guessing" Odell replied
frankly Hes only kid. yet he
talks like an old man: and his brain
is keen If il is warped Now. these
Two attempted crimes, like tho two
already accomplished show remark
| able ingenuity coupled with a care
!esSness in execution in each case that
would seem to mark them as tho con-
| on ff IN r. u
20 say the least: and the hacked pic
stairs would both have required
strength OF no mean order. The hint
that maid Cier,la tried TO give me. too.
about insanity sticks in my mind.
Who could she have meant but tina;
| boy:
There is the sawdust also. When
! 7 first examined the stairs | saw that
! 4; had all been carefully removed eX-
ccpt a few fccks, and I started on a
Sill hunt 10 find out what had been
/ done with IL. discovered tho ashes.
MS you know. in Gene Chalmers fire.
place. hut I wasn't satisfied. wood
ashes smudGc. hut paper ashes form
| iuSt nuff: and tho CRATE was clean.
| That's why set Taylor tho task OF
/ examining tho fircplaccs in the other
rooms, hut he found no trace"
NIX.
GIFTS evident that whoever wanted
l TO get rid OF them had to do II
in hurry and for some reason
| couldn't or didn't dare use CRATE
| There is none in the hunchback's
room. but there was that metal tray
| in the bottom OF the parrots cage
which could be and undoubtedly was
used TO burn the sawdust on.
| ".rhe proceeding was so hurried
! however. that the sawdust was not
entirely burned The tray wasn't
cleaned. and it was returned to the
cage so hot that 1t blistcred the par
rots feet. Then the ashes of the
sawdust were dumped in Genes
CRATE"
Exactly. To throw suspicion
upon him" the captain commented
so that's the case against the
hunchback as far as it Eoes?"
| I'm not 80 sure" Odcll demurred
thoughtfulIy. You've heard OF wha,
these criminologist sharks on the
other side call the elementary and
secondary mind, haven't you, cap
tain?"
His supcrior rruntcd