Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-05-18
SYNOPSIS

CHAPTER I-John BARLEY, noted GRIM
tnal investigator, recently returned from
Secret Service work during the war, is
asked by the governor of New York to
berry of the Robert Slyke home at Circle
Lake, near Saratoga Peculiar circum-
stances OF the case interest BARLEY, and
he accepts.
CHAPTER II.-With his friend Pelt,
BARLEY goes to Circle Lake, the pair
becoming the guests OF Bob Currie, an
old friend. The three visit the Slyke
coming, saying he is satisfied the two
men in prison for the attempted robbery
were guilty. BARLEY is not, Next morn
ing Slyke is found dead In bed, apparent
ly having shot himself.
CHAPTER III.-Miss Potter, the dead
mans sister-in-law, the village police
chief, Roche. and the family physician,
self, but BARLEY insists he was murdered
Investigating, Barley finds evidence that
6lyke, after card party he had given.
was shot on the tower Of the house, un-
absence from the room someone removes
the revolver from Sykes hand
CHAPTER IVA boy working in the
garage asserts he heard q shot during the
night, apparently "in the air." Of course
really on the tower.
CHAPTER v.-Pslt starts out to inter-
finds to his surprise that slyke. apparent
ly wealthy broker, had offered to sell his
friends whisky. He nnds evidence that
s1sxa the men in ,ail 70. r. attempted robbery Of
CHAPTER VI.-Returning from q visit
to Saratoga, BARLEY, Pelt and Curris
come upon a large motor truck, WITHOUT
covered endeavoring TO ascertain the
license number, and fred on. The truck
gets away. The three come upon long
disussd burial nd vault sas iSos
the va Vault It's stored 9itH whisky. and also |
the revolver which had been found Ia
Sykes hand. man, seemingly well
Sey astsn Ttn h thf p.1s syss svss :s as
chauffeur. A detective, working for the
revenue department. arrives and takes
charge Of the vault
CHAPTER vI1.--Aftsr considering al
the mysterious angles Of the case. Bart
ley apparently reaches no conclusion 90
to the murderer He 10 satisfied that
Wft6S With it. Miss Potters xrm Sslist IN IA tSs S
'.ouiJa board" and apirttualism also
seems to interest him.
CHAPTER vuI-Bartlsy continues his
search for evidence, and apparently hpds
some things he considers Of value. TIE
inquest opens. Doctor King. who u the
coroner, war veteran, ana wh9 had
thunderstorm is In progresS. Doctor
Webster, called In consultauon tAst3dss
he believes Slyks was murdered
CHAPTER IX.-The storm increases In
intensity as the inquest progresses. Lit
tie of importance is elected Briffeur, the
chauffeur, is called to the stand: Before
he commences his testimony the lights
In the room are extinguished, a stroke of
lightning having broken the circuit
During the ensuing confusion the party 10
Mortified by the uttsrance Of q sudden
horrifying shrek.
CHAPTER X.-With the restora ton of
the lights 1t is discovered that Briffeur
has been stabbed. He had been seated
directly in front Of Doctor King: No one
usual before the mans shrek. Fatally
wounded, Briffeur manages to convey the
information that Slyke was murdered, re-
berry, and tries to point out the person
who had stabbed him, but dies before he
can do so. The inquest is adjourned.
How Briffeur had been stabbed without
any one being aware Of the movements
of the murderer seems unexplainable.
CHAPTER XI.-On the handle Of the
knife BARLEY finds design, apparently
drawn IN WHICH ~
Identical with one he had found ON q
magazine in Sykes house, and seems
to attach much Importance to It, Miss
Potter admits knowledge Of Sykes deals
in whisky, saying she had urged him to
discontinue them, and the two had had q
slight quarrel over the matter BARLEY
tells Pslt he knows who killed Briffsur.
the garage reveals the fact that Briffeur,
in his cups, had told him he had framed"
the case against the two men convicted
of the attempted robbery Of the Slyke
house. and that he and another man he
did not name were the two who had
broken into the house. The reason he
gave was that Slyke lowed him lot OF
money and he meant to get It,. The boy
dition Briffeur was merely talking wildly,
and paid little attention to his statement
For some mysterious purpose BARLEY in
structs Pelt to procure five school states
He does so and they take them with them
to the Slyke home.
hartley has arranged for a spiritualistic
seance, Miss Potter being firm in the be-
lief that she would receive message
from Slyke. The States of course, are
to be used for the conveyance Of the
message.
He paused then continued: You
know 1t is believed by thousands that
messages from the spirit world are
written on states by unseen hands.
The test of the genuineness of such
messages is the absence of an oppor.
tunity for fraud on the part of the
medium, and the fact that it is in the
handwriting of the person who is be.
lieved to be sending them. If these
tests are met, we can then assume
that the message was not the work
OF the medium, but comes from out
side sources. l have a number of
states here, and am going to try to
secure a message on them. | am not
sure If | can do 1t, however"
Currie interrupted to say. But.
John, if the lights are turned out, how
are we to know that you did not write
those messages yourself?
Without smile on his face Bartley
replied: Il did not intend to turn out
the light. l am going to do what few
mediums ever attempt to do: that is,
to see If we can secure message ON