The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-03-08

as he answered, at may be foolish,
but it's murder. True. be has the
gun In his hand; and that makes II
look something like suicide. l agree ;
but that's just what someone wanted
US to think"
This statement seemed to make
Roche angry. His face flushed and
he sneered. "Oh. come now, how do
| you expect to prove thatT
BARLEY did not answer but simply
pointed to the gun. think we all
looked at II rather foolishly, as IL
we expected TO find In II. by some
miracle. a clue TO his statement
AS we did not speak, he replied,
Roche. you think that the fact he is
found dead with the gun in his hand.
proves that he committed suicide. But
to me. that gun and the way II is held,
proves murder. Not only murder. but
that the gun was placed in his hand
after death. Look at the way the
hand grasps the revolver. 1t is not
effort 1t can be removed. The testl-
mony OF all medlcO-legalists is that In
cases OF suicide or OF accidents. the
attitudes and acts OF the person
whose life is suddenly ended are con-
tinued for some seconds after DEATH"
Roche was listening attentlvely. but
Bartley's last words were a little over
his head. Percelving that he did not
understand. BARLEY explained at
greater length:
what l mean by that is simply
this: In cases of suicide or where a
man shoots himself by accident and
dies suddenly, the hand clutches the
weapon SO tightly that after death II
Is almost Impossible to loosen his
grip. There Is a muscular spasm that
follows death which causes the hand
to grip the weapon even more tightly
than in life. Most medlcolegal books
agree that weapon so held Is the
best evidence Of suicide"
Roche was not willing to accept this
That's fine theory" he |
sneered. Just the sort OF a thing
you city detectives dig up. You have
got to have more than that to make
me think he was murdered"
BARLEY gave a little shrug of his
shoulders. as II bored by the whole
thing. AS you wish l had an idea
you might want more evidence than
hat" He paused, ard we waited
'reathlessly for his next words.
Look at his eyes. They are tightly
'losed. 1t Is a recognized fact by ali
medical men that, when death comes
~ violence. the eyes OF the victim
ire wide open and staring. On the
ther hand. in cases where death
ONES slowly. they may be half shut.
n neither instance are they ever fully
losed- When we find case where
he eyes are tightly closed, we know f.
hat someone has closed them, and
hat IL was done after the man was
cad.
Here we find the eyes closed. II
e committed suicide. they would be
pen. III he had been murdered, they
fould be open also. Though the fact
hey are closed does not help US to
ecide between murder and suicide. II
Ces point to the fact that someone
as been In the room and closed them
fter he died. May we not suppose
hat the same person that placed the
un In his hand to make his death
ppear TO be suicide. was also the one
Tho closed his eyes. not knowing that
hey should have remained open, no ,
iatter how he died7' :
He paused. as II waiting for some .
ne to speak. then as no one did, he
Dntinued:
But that is not all. Roche. You
lould use your common sense. Here
Slyke. dead. with both hands by :
Is sides. and the bedclothes up t
round his neck and over his chin.
ou don't expect me to believe that
, could have shot himself. pulled the :
othes around his neck. and then :
aeed his arms by his sides. He did :
u have time enough for that; he ?
ed Instantly. without even strug- :.
e. A second after the shot was fred. (
is world was over as far as he was q
ncerned. IL was someone else who
ranged those things. Someone who =
shed his death to appear to be sui 7,
ie. and In trying to do that rather n
erdid the whole thing. No, do
Z think there Is the slightest doubt -
the world but that he was muir. G
red" o
Roche had long since lost his con.
ent air. He said nothing. though, =
en- when BARLEY had finished. The -
ctor. too. had listened with interest. =
was not altogether sure that he -
loliy agreed with Bartley's reason 4,
But. II Slyke was murdered the =
ctor asked. why should an this
.uhle have been taken to make II =
4 like snicidey- ~
BARLEY, Who was bending over the -
! examining the body. ala not an. -.
~