South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-18
N'il17r1phS Of -
MJonquelleX
by MELVILLE DKVISSON pOST
1900 NEA Service Inc
THE MAN WITH sTEEE FINGERS
Hcaln Hcrl. Indav

- 1900 NEA SeTOl
THE MAN WITH sTEEE FINGERS
BEGIN Here Today
N. JONQCELLE. greatest or French
detectives faced the man with
steel fingers
LORD VALLEYS. the powerful.
haif-SlaF. haif-EngIish. nobleman
VINO performed so brilliantly on
the plano and no had recently
succeeded 20 the wealth and title
or his murdered uncle.
LORD WINTON.
: Three lives had stood between
Valleys and The title But both OF
Lord Winton's sons were killed In
the war ana his granddaughter, the
only heir an American. was barred
from the position by English law.
Lord Valleys tells ". Jonquene
that HE uncle was stabbed 20 death
while Valleys was Wis ting him VAL
legs says he was down i'm the wine
cellar at the time OF the Staying
but that circums auual evidence
caused ,he English authorities TO
Charge him with murder.
Go ON With the story.
CHAPTER III
Lord Valley got up.
It was 10 be expected monsieur,
that the English court under these
circumstance would try me for the
murt ,r II Lord Winton I had both
the motive and the opportunity TO
accomplish it. and the circumstances
To my surprise. this manservant.
Staley came forward 20 establish the
fact that the wine-cellar was little
less than straw-rick. and this
metropolitan police officer appeared
90 say that ne had seen the hanson
leaving Lord Winton's door shortly
before the fire was discovered. These
facts indicated the truth Of my
statement
"A further fact brought out by
my legal advisers established with
mathematical accuracy the fact that
J had not dealt Lord Winton the
blow that elected him out of life.
The wound which had caused his
death had been made with the small
blade Of a knife.
knife with a small blade. a blade of
about the width of the wound. No
evidence Of blood was found on this
knife. that it had been carefully
washed They thought traces OF
moisture remained on it, The case
seemed convincing. ] myself realized
fits gravity. and but for one fact a
conviction might have followed
The autopsy showed that the
wound which had caused the death
OF Lord Winton was seven inches
deep. The handle of the knife with
which Il had been accomplished had
rot entered the wound The wound
was no longer than the width Of the
small knife-blade at its exterior
point"
Lord Valleys suddenly extended
his hand. like one who puts down
something that is finished.
"And was therefore acquitted
You know. monsieur. what the
English law-cOurts say: "A man may
lie. but circumstances cannot may
have lied. and Lord Winton's man
servant and the Metropolitan police
who saw the hanson drive away on
shat night; but the science of mathe-
MATES could not lie. 4 wound seven
inches deep could not be made with
knife blade four inches long. And
tne case ended"
He went over 10 a table. got a
tortoise-sheH box delicately inlaid
with silver, opened il and presented
81 to Monsieur Jonqueue.
"Yod Will have a cigaret, mon
sieur?" he said.
Monsieur Jonqueue took the Gig
sret. and Lord Valleys went back
TO the chair.
Then suddenly, as out of some in
citing memory, the mans voice
changed
"A moment ago. monsieur. when
I mentioned the arrival of the visitor
at Lord Winton's house. and the
doubt o. the English court Of that
TACT YOU said il was true How dc
sou know that it was true. If l may
he permitted TO inquire ."
The Project of Police balanced the
cigaret a moment in his fingers be
fore he replied.
Il know your statement about the
hanson IS true. monsieur, because
] know who it was that came "a
Lord winton on that night. And
monsieur. il is on behalf of this
uerson that I have come 20 you to-
day"
Lord Valleys was astonished, but
le did not move. and his expression
aid not change
You amaze me" he said Upon
what mission from this mysterious
person could YOU come TO me2"
Upon the same mission. replied
the Prefect OF Police with which
that person went ON the eatal niSh'
TO Lord Winton's house I'm Coveni
Garden. Lord Winton promised @
co certain thing for this. as YOU
cali it. mysterious person. lie died