Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-12-05
TODAY'S INSTALMENT.

-
to talk and ran after him with the dog.
ToDAY'S INSTALMENT.
"onc momcnt," asked. did the
siahlc-hoy, when he ran out with the
dog. leave the door unlocked behind
hims'
Excellent. Watson, excellentr' muir
INJURED INV companion. THE import
ancc oi the point struck me so forcibly
tha' | sent a special wire To Dartmoor
Yesterday 10 clear the matter up. The
hov locked the door before he left it.
The window. | may add. was not large
enough for man 20 get through.
Hunter waited until his fellow =
rrooms had returned, when he sent
n message 20 the trainer and told
him what had occurred. Straker
Was excited at hearing the account,
although he docs not seem To have
quite realized its true significance,
II left him. however vaguely uneasy,
and Mrs Strakcr, waking at one in
the morning found that he was dressing
IN reply 90 her inquiries, he said that he
could not sleep ON account Of his anxiety
about the horses, and that he intended
to walk down 10 the stables 90 see that
an was well. She begged him 10 remain
at home. a. she could hear the rain patter-
ng against the window. but in spite of
her entrcatics he pulled on his large
macintosh and left the house.
Mrs. Strakcr awokc at seven in
the morning, 20 find that her husband
bad not returned. She dressed herself
hastily. called the maid. and set of for
thr stables. The door was open: inside
huddlcd together upon char, Hunter
Was sunk m a state Of absolute stupor,
thc lavoutc's stall was empty, and
there were no signs Of his trainer.
The two lads who slept in the
Chan-cuttinr loft above the harness
room were quickly aroused. They had
hoard nothing during the night, for they
afc both sound slecpcrs. Hunter was
obviously under the influence of som
powerful drug. and as no sense could be
rnf out ol him, he was left TO sleep II
on Whilc the two lads and the two women
rn out M search Of the ahscntccS. They
sIll had hopcs that the trainer had for
snmo reason taken out the horse for
cIr.v cXcrcisc. but on ascending the
hunll near the house. from which all the
rlghhornr moors were visible, they not
ur'v could see no signs of the missing
n'ortc. hat they perceived something
Winch warmed thcm that they were IN the
pr-cncc of q tragedy.
About quarter Of n mile from
o.. stables John Strakcr's overcOat
wi. Tapping from a furze-bush. lmme-
dH'c,V hcvoud there was a bowl
shHprd depression in the moor. and at
the huttom of tins was found the dead
lr'y ul thc unfortunate trainer. His
ltHi bad lcen shattered hv savage
l'rw from some heavy weapon, and he
vIs wounded on the thigh, where there
vu- long clean cut. mtlwcted evidently
T., some very sharp instrument. IL
rs clear however that Strake had
offended himself vigorously against
D. assailants. for IN his night hand he
hrld n small knife which was clotted
with blood up 10 the handle, while in his
be hC claspcd q red and black silk cravat
VIE was recognized 10y the maid
a. having been worn on the preced-
irc evening by the stranger who had
VISITED the stables Hunter, on recover
ng from hi~ stupor, was also quite posi-
fIve o. 90 the ownership Of the cravat
CO. was equally certain that the same
stranger had. while standing az the
md 80 deprived the stables of their
vafchman As 20 the missing horse,
tlcr were abundant proofs in the
mud which Law 50 the bottom OF the
lal hollow that he had been there
nt the time Of the struggle. But from
that morning be has disappeared, and
although large reward has been offered
nnd an the gypsics Of Dartmoor are or
che alert, no news has come OF him
FINALLY. an analysis has shown tina,
thc remains o. hls supper left by
fhc gahic-lad contain an appreciable
quantity Of powdered opium, while the
people % the house partOok OF the same
d.sh on the same night without any IL
eject.
"Thosc are the main facts Of the
case. stripped Of al siIrmise. and stated
as badly a. possible ! shall now re-
raptulate what the police have done IL
ihe matter.
Inspector Gregory, 10 whom III,
ease has been committed, Is an ex,
ircmclv competent officer. Were b,
lut gifted with imagination he might
ri.o 90 great heights in ms profession
Du h.s arrival be promptly found anC
,rrested the man upon whom suspicion
naturally rested There was little diff
Guilty IN finding him. for he inhabite,
nue Ol those villas which j have men
inned. HIS name, II appears, wa
lfTrov simpson. lie was q man O
rNcrllcut hirth and education, who ha,
sIuandercd o fortune upon the turi
anl who hvcd now by doing q httl
ullot and Eentecl book-making in th