Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-31

repeated once more as he added
these most damaging words. Il
have not seen Parker for three
weeks. He is playing a dirty trick
| on me-"
But still more damaging state
ment was made by Brinkley him
self to the Scotland Yard man as he
was on his way to the Croydon po-
lice station.
Il am a total abstainer. If any
one says that | bought stout they
will have hard time to prove it"
he said.
Now the Scotland Yard man had
not mentioned stout. He had only
informed Brinkley that he had
poisoned Mr.. and Mrs. Beck by ad-
ministering prussic acid. Certainly
that statement of the accused was
foolish remark. The Scotland
Yard man had proved to bis own
satisfaction that Brinkley brought
the bottle of stout to Parker's room,
had drink with him in the room,
then later when Parker was sent for
glass of water Brinkley poured
the prussic acid into the bottle, be-
lieving that later when Parker was
alone he would have a drink by him
self.
Now it was up to the Scotland
Yard man to prove where Br,nkley
got the oatmeal stout.
First Fowler visited a small off
license shop in Croydon whose la
bel was on the bottle and inter-
viewed the proprietor.
1T was last Saturday night" the
proprietor said, about 7:30. when a
man entered the shop and bought
a bottle of oatmeal stout"
would you recognize him if you
saw him." questioned the detective.
Il certainly would" he replied.
There was a little argument about
the payment of a Accent deposit on
the bottle. At first he refused to
pay it and went out; then he came
back again and paid the deposit on
the bottle"
Perhaps if Brinkley had not been
so mean over Accent deposit on the
bottle of stout Fowler would have
considerable difficulty in tracing
him to that shop, as it would not
have been possible for the proprie-
tor of the shop to recognize a casual
purchaser of bottle of stout.
AS it were, the owner of the shop
picked Brinkley out of 10 men as
the one who bought the bottle of
oatmeal stout on the fatal night.
Then the detective examined the
timetable to find out if there was a
train to Croydon between and
7:30, and he found one which ar
rived in Croydon at 7:20. He calcu-
lated that from the railroad station
to the liquor store where Brinkley
got the bottle of oatmeal stout was
only a few minutes walk, and he
concluded that Brinkley had arrivea
by that train.
The detective was informed by
railroad inspector who knew Brink
ley that he was On that very train.
There was no doubt about it. as the
Inspector had known Brinkley for
some time.
Thus the links in the chain of evil
dence were slowly connected, placing
Brinkley on the night of the murder
in Croydon buying bottle of stout
and going to see Reginald Parker.
On the Track.
The detectives next two steps
were to find out what was the ac-
cused mans motive and how he OBJ
tanned the prussic acid with which
the murder was committed, for DR..
Stevenson, the famous government
expert, easily proved that it was that
deadly poison WHICH had killed the
unfortunate Mr.. and Mrs. Beck.
At Maxwell Road, Fulham, the
detective got on the track to the an
swer to the one thing which puz-
zled him so-the motive. He sus-
pected something to do with a will,
from what Parker had told him, and
his inquiries brought to light a very
remarkable story. -.
The house in Maxwell Road had
belonged to an old lady named Mrs.
Blume. who had recently died, and
left the whole of her property, valued
at $4,000, to Brinkley. The daugh-
ter Of the old lady told the detective
that she was contesting the will, be-
cause her mother had never given
her the slightest idea she was going
to leave all her property to a COM
parative stranger.
"Who was the will witnessed by%
asked the detective.
"A man named Heard and man
named Parker" was the reply.
Now, Parker denied having signed
any will, but when the detective
showed him his signature on Mrs.
Blume's will he admitted at once it
was hisl
But l don't remember signing it,"
he asserted.
DO you remember signing any