Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-01-19
SYNOPSIS

l.
inal investigator, recently returned from
Secret Service work during the war. Is
asked by the governor of New York to
investigate q mysterious attempted rob-
berry of the Robert Slyke home at Circle
Lake, near Saratoga. Peculiar circum-
stances of the case interest Barley, and
he accepts.
Rogers threw me a look, as II TO
ask how BARLEY could have guessed,
then remarked, Il don't see how you
hit it off, John; but that's the very
thing that did happen. All this did
not come out until the trial When it
was introduced, 1t made a stir. Both
men claimed, in fact, that the whole
thing was a frame-up."
He paused to relight his cigar be-
fore continuing:
"The man to whom the trousers be-
longed asserted that they had been
taken from him the week after he had
been put in Jail, and that there was
no tear in them when he gave them
up. A tailor at the trial testified
that the cloth was so strong that it
could not have been torn away by
catching on anything and that it
cut out with a knife"
BARLEY threw back his head and
laughed. Rogers was thoroughly dis
pleased. II don't see the joke"
There Is no joke, Rogers Tell me
who found all this evidence? Was 1t
the police?"
Il am not sure. l think it was the
head of the local police. 1t was a day
or SO after the crime that most of it
was discovered"
l broke In to say, II presume the
men claimed the police faxed the evil
dence?"
Rogers nodded. That's just what
they did claim. In fact, their whole
defense was on that line. They were
said to have been night-fshing on
game preserve near the lake. A good
deal was made of the fact that the
incriminating evidence was not found
until some hours after the crime
even days in fact. / admit that it
looks a bit fshy. Still, you never
heard of the police taking evidence
TO the extent they claim this was
done"
We both laughed and our laughter
made the red face Of the chief turn
shade darker. We had in mind the
charges that one of the newspapers
was making at the time against his
own detectives, that they had planted
guns on some men they wished to
hold. But even at that, he was right.
The police do not fake evidence to
the extent that this story of his
seemed to hint. Bartleys next re-
mark showed that he felt as l did.
"You are right, Rogers, though the
whole thing does look queer. l take
1t the conviction made a stir"
Rogers shook his head. 'It did not
at the time; it's doing it now. The
papers thought the mems denial was
the usual thing. But later the law
yers got interested, then a reform
society, and now they are all getting
after the governor. He thinks there
might have been miscarriage OF
justice and wants you to look into the
thing. He wants you to do it at
once"
With a shrewd look, BARLEY asked,
"Then there is something new?"
We'll" answered Rogers, that de-
pends. The other night there was an
other attempt to break into Sykes
house. They say there have been sew
eral since these men went to Jail"
BARLEY said but one word but it
was expressive enough. We sat in
silence until Rogers pulled out his
watch, glanced at it, and rose to his
feet. Time / ran along. That's the
way it stands. The governor wishes
you to look into it, and says he will
consider it a personal favor if you
will do So"
BARLEY also rose, and placing his
hand on his friends shoulder, said,
Il will deal with the case at once, but
In my own way. Tell him he won't
hear from me until ! have found out
whether those two men ought to be In
prison or not"
Roger nodded, and after a second
glance at his watch hurried out. Bart
ley said, "Pelt, over in the bookcase,
in the section of the trials, you will
find a small brown book. It's some
where in the third section, under the
letter e. The title is, / think, The
Edlingham Burglary"
Wondering little why he should
want it, / went over TO the portion of
the bookcase he had indicated. In
moment ] had found the volume that
he wanted-a thin book, covered with
brown cloth, and on the title page
The Famous EdIinsham Burglary
The Innocent Persecuted