The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-03-16
CHAPTER xil-continued.

Evening Times, a paper to whicI
Slyke did not subscribe. had beer
handed to him by mistake. He ha,
been reading book only few day,
before. filled with murders and tn,
Ike" and he remembered the accoun
Of . robbery Ia 1t and how the evi
dence was manufactured. On his way
home he stopped at tne police station
for information. and offered to drivs
the police out TO the home OF the
men who had been arrested. IL seems
that the state police had taken them
to their own homes and allowed one
Of the men to change his coat be-
fore taking him to jail. The local
police wanted to search the coat
which had been left behind. II was
here that the chauffeur had his first
idea Of planting the evidence. He
tore the corner or the paper. ard at
the mans house managed to slip the
newspaper into the pocket OF the coat
before the police examined II. Later.
at Sykes, he threw the little torn
piece of paper on the floor so that
they could find that. too.
When he had finished. I wondered
II the boy had not been right when
he thought that the man had been
simply fooling him. But II 1t were
true. his story. taken with the dying
words Of the chauffeur. would be
enough to free the iaen In prison.
decided to take him with me to the
police station and let him tell his
story to Roche.
On our arrival In Saratoga we were
lucky enough to find both Roche and
Black together Without any com
ment on my part. had the boy repeat
his story to the two officers. They
1ictened with q good deal of interest.
Roche. Of course, had handled the rob-
berry. and knew more about 1t than
Black; but Black. knew. believed
that Briffeur was the murderer of
Slyke. and the boys story confirmed
his belief.
We debated the story for an hour.
Roche taking the view that the chauf-
and Black that the chauffeur had told
the truth and was too drunk to real
lie what he had said.
Roche clinched his argument by de-
msnding, "Why, under heaven. should
Slyke owe Briffeur q large sum of
money!"
That was we all agree !. the weak
point in the story.
MY Lord" Roche exclaimed as a
thought occurred to him. do you
realize that IL was Brifreur that found
the torn pieces Of cloth on the rose
bush, the piece that fitted into the
man't pantsT'
In astonishment | asked. 1T was?"
''It sure was. He came into the
police station few days later with II
and told us where he had discovered
II, and asked II we knew what II was.
We found later that II fitted into
hole In the pants one OF the fellows
was wearing"
~was he ever In the cell with those
menY' Black asked. with q glance at
me.
Eyes, several times. Slyke asked
that we let him 60 In and talk TO
them"
Black threw out his hands In dis
gust. my G., Roche. one would
think you kept hotel. You LET any
one 20 In and out that wanted to-"
Roche flushed. and replied angrily.
"Vell. Slyke had lots of pull here.
and don't think II did any harm to
let his chauffeur see those men,"
"None," said Black dryly. III only
gave him O chance 70 snip piece
from one of the mems trousers"
.That's foolish" Roche laughed.
"Oh. don't know" was Blacks
answer. "You cant prove he did not. |
You never saw the piece OF cloth un'
til he brought II In To you. He was
In the cell alone with them. and had |
the chance to cut out the piece OF
cloth. You can't prove that the chauf
feur's story Is not true. II fits In
better with facts than the evidence
that sent those men to jail. But. oh
boy, the easy way you run this JAIL"
Roche scowled at US, and was abouf
to ret0rt when lie was called from the
room. Black and | lighted cigars ant
smoked In silence.
"Afr. Pelt." he asked at last. what
10 you think Of my theory that Bril-
feur murdered SlykeT
] had given little thought TO the
matter, and said AS much. Black sur
Drised Inc by adding. "You know tina
Doctor King and the district attorney
think that the only verdict that car
Dc brought In In the Siyke case Is
yuicideT
Blacks remarks astonlshed me
True. realized that II was almost i'm
possible TO present convincing lega
,roof that Slyke had been murdered
,uf there was still the chauffeur
Ieath to be explained. If he ha'
'ecn killed. as BARLEY thought. BE-
nuse he knew too much about Slyke
Ieath. then II seemed TO me that
ring In verdict of suicide would l.
impossible. | told Black of this o,
ection. and he agreed with me.
Then he reiterated his belief
-. .xt.ft ri I