Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-04-06
SYNOPSIS

Secret Service work during the war, is
asked by the governor Of New York to
investigate a 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.
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
home. Slyke apparently resents Bartley's
coming, saying he is satisfied the TWO
men in prison for the attempted ropoery
ns syte s Is taand dsaa m bed
V having shot himself.
CHAPTER III.-Miss Potter. the dead
man mans sister-in-law, the & village &c v.RSa Police
Doctor King, all agree Slyke killed him
self, but BARLEY insists he was murdered
Investigating, Barley finds evidence mat
was shot on the tower Of the house. un-
dressed, and placed In bed During hls
absence from the room someone removes
the revolver from Sykes hand.
CHAPTER IVA boy working Ia the
garage asserts he heard q shot during the
night, apparently I'm the air." OF course
really on the tower.
CHAPTER v.-Pelt starts out to inter
view the membe Of the card party. He
finds to his surprise that slyke, apparent
y wealthy 6roksr, had orsrsd , 70 sen .h.s nE
the men in jail for attempted robbery OF
Slyks were framed"
70 cHApTaR fsSs s@s o. v;..
come upon q large motor tTuok, without
lights and off the road. They are dis
covered endeavorins to ascertain tns
gets away. The three come upon long
disused burial vault Apparently Tie look
is new. and BARLEY picks # They nnd
the vault stored with Whisky. ana sAso
Sykes hand. man. sesmingly weH
acquainted with the place, arrives, ana
they detain him. i IL slykss piss!ns M !nsg
revenue department arrives ana TAKES
charge Of the vault.
CHAPTER vT.-Aftsr oonsidsrinx all
ley apparently reaches no conclusion as
to the murderer. He Ia satisfied that
deals in whisky had Something to DO
%sh dS,a it. bosrd Mss aaa Dssn ass
seems to interest him.
CHAPTER VIII.-Bartley continues his
sea1eh see things fSI he eonsdsru 81 vSs
inquest opens. Doctor King, who In the
coroner, q war veteran. ana who had
been shell-shocked, conducts It A peavy
Webster, called in consultation, tsstsdes
he believes Slyke was murdsrsd
When questioned as to her own do
ings ON the night Of his death, she
could tell us nothing of value. There
had been a card party, but she had
gone to bed about ten o'clock and had
not even heard the men 60 out Dur
ing the night she had heard no sound.
AS this was all she had to tell she
left the stand. Though her testimony
had thrown no light on what had
taken place, I felt more strongly than
ever that she could have done SO had
she wished. I glanced at BARLEY, and
the queer smile he gave me hinted
that he, too, thought as I did.
The next witness was Doctor
Webster. I knew that second ply
sician had been called In on the morn
ing of the crime, but had not met him
Doctor Kings position was a peculiar
one, as he was not only the physician
who had first seen the body, but also
the coroner In order to have the
testimony of a second medical man,
he had sent Doctor Webster to ex-
anime the body and testify as to its
condition. AS the doctor took the seat
near the coroner, examined him
closely. He was a man of at least
sixty, rather stout, with a beaming,
kindly face, and white beard that
gave him the appearance Of a prac-
utionsr Of the old school
In response to questions, he told
how Doctor King had requested him
to 20 to the house and examine the
body, because, as coroner, King him
self could not testify at the inquest.
In terms more scientific than plain,
he described how Slyke met his death.
a death which, he said, must have
been instantaneous, as the bullet had
lodged In the brain.
Doctor, do you think the wound
could have been self-infictedY' came
the question.
The doctor paused, then answered
thoughtfuly, "That is very hard to
answer. So far as the wound itself
Is concerned, 1t could have been self
inflicted. But other things that were
brought to my attention cause me
to believe that 1t could not have been
80 inflicted"
The room stiffened into attention.
It was the first hint they had had
that Slyke might have been murdered.
Explain your answer. What do
you mean by other things were
brought to your attention'Y'
The doctor replied slowly, "The
facts I will mention we're brought to
my attention by Mr.. John BARLEY, the
famous criminal investigator, whom
I found at the house when arrived"
At the mention Of Bartley's name q
little murmur of surprise went over
the room. Half way down the room
the reporters. for the first time, were
writing hurriedly. and In q minute Q