Evening star., 1921-08-14
F the many problems upon
which Malcolm Sage was en-
gagged during the early days
of the MalQalm Sage Bureau


that concerning the death Of Prof.
James McMurray. the eminent phys
iologist. was perhaps the most extraor-
dinary. 1t was possessed of several
remarkable features; for one thing.
the murderer had disappeared. leaving
no clue; for another, the body when
found seemed to have undergone
strange change, many Of the profess
sor's sixty-five years appearing TO
have dropped from him in death as
leaves from an autumn tree.
1t was one of those strange crimes
for which there is no apparent ex-
plantation. consequently the strongest
weapon the Investigator has. that OF
motive, was absent. AS far as could
be gathered, the dead professor had
not an enemy in the world. He was
semi-recluse, with nothing about MN
to tempt burglary; yet he had been
brutally done to death in his own
laboratory. and the murderer had
made good his escape without !eaF-
ing anything likely to prove helptui
to the police.
One day as Gladys Norman. like
"panting time" toiled after her work
in vain. striving to tap herself up to
date with an accumulation OF corre-
spondence, two men passed through
her room. They formed striking
contrast. Sir John Dene. short. thick-
set. alert. with the stamp OF the
West End upon all he wore; Sir Jas
per Chambers. tall, gaunt and dingy.
with forehead like the bulging
caves of an Elizabethan house, and
the lower portion of his face a riot
of short grizzly gray hair that-seemed
straint. His neck appeared intent on
thrusting itself as far as possible
out of the shabby frock coat that
hung despairingly from his narrow
shoulders.
.Mornin.' Mr. Sage" cried Sir John
Dene This IS Sir Jasper Cham
bers" Sir John Dene turned to his
companion You'll be able to place
him.
"I've brought Sir Jasper along
said Sir John Dene:: You've heard
McMurray. He didn't want to come;
but I told him you'd be tickled to
death. and that you'd get it all fig
ured out for him in two wags OF a
chipmunk's tall
The McMurray murder was the SEN
sation of the hour. -Four days pre-
viously Prof James McMurray of Cor
ling, in Essex. had been found dead
in his laboratory. his head fearfuily
battered in by some blunt instru.
ment.
- -
Eight days later. when the butler
IL took the professors luncheon
down to the laboratory. he noticed
that the breakfast tray had not been
removed from the shelf just inside
the wicket.
At dinner time the butler was greatly
surprised to find that both breakfast
and luncheon had remained as he had
left them: still, remembering how
definite and insistent the professor
turbed, the butler had. after consult
ing with the housekeeper, decided to
do nothing for the moment. and con-
tented himself with ringing several
times the electric bell that was the
signal of another meal.
An hour later he went once more
to the wicket, only to discover that
nothing had been touched. Hurrying
back to the house, iYjth al speed; he
had conferred with Nrs: Graham and
Sergt. Crudden of the Essex County
Constabulary Immediately bicycled over
to "the Hollows,' Prof. McMurray's
residence, and after hearing the but
ler's story he had decided to force the
door.
To the officers surprise, the door
yielded readily. having apparently
been previously forced. Entering the
laboratory, he was Mortified to dis
cover the body of the professor ly-
literally smashed by terrible blow
that had obviously been delivered
from behind.
The police had made no statement:
but there were some extra ordinary
rumors current in the neighborhood.
One was to the effect that it was not
Prof. McMurray's body that had been.
discovered, but that OF a much younger
man who bore striking resemblance to
him.
'.You have seen the accounts of my
friends terrible end?' inquired Sir
Jasper, as he took the box of matches
Malcolm Sage handed him and pro-
ceeded to light his pipe. He was
about to enter upon series of ex-
periments with a serum he had dis
covered, his object being to lengthen
human life"
"You were the last to see him alive.
I understand" Malcolm Sage picked
up his fountain pen and began an
elaborate simple design OF serpent
upon the blotting pad.
Eight days before he was found
i dined with him." said Sir Jasper,
his voice a little unsteady;
What happened?" Malcolm Sage
inquired without looking up.
tinued asI,seH Sir JASPER a1 From then until
half past we talked upon things of
general interest, after which we
dined. Later he told me he was about
to enter upon a final series of expert
ments. the result of which would. in
all probability, either be fatal to
himself, or mean the lengthening OF
human life"
"Did he seem quite normal?" in
0uired Malcolm Sage, adding a pair
of formidable fangs to his reptile.
"He was calm and confident Al
parting he told me I should be the
frst to know the result
He was confident OF the success oi
his experimental"
and you were to be the first to be
told of the result of the experiments?
"Those were his last words to me-:
rCan you remember his actual words?
Yes; ! remember & them; MI ne ii replied pa;d
well, Chambers, YOU will be the first to
know the result
tDo you think the professor had been
l. successful. in his experiments"
T cannot say" Again Sir Jasper
shook his head slowly and deliberately.
"Did you see the body?"
81 did,"
'Is there any truth in the rumors that
he looked much younger?
change. a startling change" was the
'ep.Et There was an article in last months
the Present Century by Sir Kelper
Jeyons entitled The Dangers Of Longev-
ity.' Did you read it?" inquired Malcolm
Sage.
.It called attention to the danger of