Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-02-02

are llluhllS. II uOeS Seclu OuI VI dl
reason that anyone should pick the
top of this tower for a murder. Yet
here are the spots of blood, and there
are none anywhere else / am sure
he was not killed downstairs it must
have been here, and"
He paused and, bending over, picked
something up. At first l could not
make out what it was then l saw that
it was a gold-plated cOllar-button such
as man wears in the front of his
shirt. Roche needed only one look
TO identify it, "Slyke's!" !"
BARLEY did not speak until he had
walked entirely around the tower and
was again beside us.
"Chief," he said, eve may say there
is no doubt that Slyke was killed
up here. l do not know why such
strange place was chosen, but | do
know that he was dragged down these
stairs after his death and placed in
his bed to make his death appear to
be suicide. The odds were very much
in favor of the criminals being able
to succeed in his design, too. But he
slipped up-slipped up in the manner
in which he put the gun in the hand
and in the way in which he closed
the eyes. But why he should have
stand"
He paused for a moment, as if
thinking, then continued, "Slyke gave
a party last evening. The crime must
have been committed after the party
broke up. That was probably be
tween one and two o'clock in the
morning. One man, perhaps two,
stayed behind TO talk with Slyke. We
can't say positively that they did, but
they may have Roche thinks that
this man, or men, committed the muir
der. One man may have stayed and
then gone away before the murder or
someone else may have come later
They may have come up here to see
the view, and one of them shot him
After the crime the body, at any rate,
was taken downstairs again and un-
dressed, the nightshirt placed on it,
and 1t laid in bed. AS he wanted it
to appear like suicide the murderer
placed the gun in the dead mans fin
gers, but he either did not remember
or perhaps did not know, how the eyes
should look after sudden death. The
very things done to make US think it
was suicide prove that it could not
have possibly been one"
AS BARLEY was now ready to 60
downstairs again, we all returned to
the room below. The first thing we
saw when we entered was a brown
stocking, the mate to the one in the
room below. We had not noticed 1t
on our way to the balcony as it lay
half under the rug, and the opened
door hid it. BARLEY picked it up,
glanced at it, smiled, and was going
to say something when a voice called
to US from below.
In q second we were down the
stairs and in Sykes bedroom. The
door to the stairway was closed just
as we had left it; BARLEY opened it
to find young man with big cam
era under his arm on the landing He
gave US an inquiring glance; then
seeing Roche whom he seemed to
know, he announced, Doctor King
said you wanted me up here to take
some pictures. What shall | take
f1rstY'
BARLEY glanced at the bed and l
thought gave a slight start. The bed
clothes that had been drawn down
around Sykes waist when we were
examining the revolver in his hand,
had been replaced by BARLEY, before
we went to the floor above, in the
position in which they were when we
entered the room-that is, around
Sykes neck and half covering his
chin.
"You had better take first a picture
of the bed as it is now" BARLEY sug-
gested "Then l will pull the bed
clothes down and you can take a pic
ture Of his hand with the revolver
In IT,"
The first picture took some time,
for the young man could not seem to
find the proper place for his camera.
but at last it was done.
Now for the other one" Barley
went to the side of the bed, reached
down, and pulled back the bedclothes
AS he drew them down he paused and
cry escaped him.
Look !"
AS my eyes fell on the hand of the
dead man l, too, started. When we
had gone upstairs the revolver was
clasped in Sykes still fingers. Now
they were empty. Someone had re-
moved the gun!