Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-04-27
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
CHAPTER I-John BARLEY, noted GRIM
inal investigator, recently returned from
Secret Service work during the war, Is
asked by the governor of New York to
investigate 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 robbery
were guilty. BARLEY is not Next morn
ing Slyke is found dead In bed. apparent
ly having shot himself
CHAPTER III-Miss Potter. the dead
mans sister-in-law, the village police
Doctor King, ali agree siyke killed him
Investigating, BARLEY finds evidence that
Slyke,, after card party ne had given,
was shot on the tower Of the house. un-
dressed. and placed in bed. During his
absence from the room someone removes
the revolver from Sykes hand.
CHAPTER IVA boy working In the
garage asserts he heard shot during the
really on the tower.
CHAPTER V.-Pelt starts out to inter
view the members OF the card party. He
ly wealthy broker, had offered to sell his
friends whisky. He finds evidence that
the men in 1all for attempted robbery Of
Slyke were framed"
CHAPTER VI.-Returning from visit
to Saratoga, BARLEY, Pelt ana Currte
come upon a large motor truck. without
Covered S endeavorins to ascertain the
licenses number, and fred on. The truck
gets away. The three come upon e long
s sas nd hsey sad pGs IT, IN; SSs
the vault stored with whisky, and also
the revolver which had been found "
Sykes hand. A man. seemingly well
they detain him. It In Sykes missing
chauffeur. A detective, working for the
revenue department. arrives and takes
charge OF the vault.
CHAPTER VII.-Aftsr considering al
the mysterious angles of the case. Bart
ley apparently reaches no conclusion as
to the murderer. He is satisfied that
with it. Miss Potter's arm belief in the
':ouiJa board" and aniritualism also
seems to interest him.
CHAPTER vIII.-Bartey continues his
search for evidence. and apparently Aads
some things he considers OF value. Ips
inquest opens: Doctor hnE, Va wac S sns
been she'll shocked, conducts It. A heavy
thunderstorm Ia In progre4s. Doctor
Webstsr called s'st. In sonnSta1 Sn s''sl0s'
CHAPTER IX.-The storm increases in
intensity as the inquest progresses. Lit
tie of importance is elected Briffeur, the
ia ed RefOr6
I he commences his testimony the lights
In the room are extinguished, stroke or
lightning having broken the circuit.
During the ensuing confusion the party Is
Mortified by the utterance or sudden
horrifying shrek.
the lights it ia discovered that Briffeur
has been stabbed. He had been seated
| directly In front of Doctor King. No one
in his vicinity had noticed anything un-
usual before the mans shrek. Fatally
! wounded Briffeur manages to convey the
| information that Slyke was murdered. re-
| fers to the boys" knowledge of the rob-
berry, and tries to point out the person
who had stabbed him, but dies before he
can do so. The inquest Is adjourned
| How Briffeur had been stabbed without
| any one being aware OF the movements
| of tke murderer seems unexplainable.
CHAPTER XI-On the handle OF the
| knife BARLEY finds design, apparently
drawn in observation-disclosures, which Is
| Identical with one he had found on q
magazine in Sykes house, and seems
| to attach much Importance to 1t. Miss
| Potter admits knowledge Of Sykes deals
in whisky saying she had urged him to
discontinue them, and the two had had q
slight quarrel over the matter. BARLEY
| tells Pelt he knows who killed Brireur
That was all he could tell us. That
Briffeur could have been killed with
I1n with nf
killed by some one who did not make
a sound-seemed impossible. Yet it
had been done | concluded that the
| thud he had heard was the sound Of
the knife being driven into the body,
but l could not account for the sound
of the bough. The chief might have
imagined that he heard it, or have
been confused by the movements Of the
alarmed crowd behind him.
BARLEY questioned the others. Ruth,
her face pale, trembled little as she
answered that she had heard nothing
| but the cry The district attorney re-
| piled that he had heard nothing else,
either and had not dreamed that a
crime had been committed until he saw
the figure on the floor Doctor Kings
answer was similar. The impossible
had happened. Briffeur had been mur-
dered, not only without anyone near
him hearing the murderer, but with
out his leaving any traces behind him.
AS person after person denied hav'
| ing heard a sound, Bartley's face be-
| came grave. Later, he told me he
agreed with my belief that the MUIR
| derer could not have crept up on the
| chauffeur without making at least some
| slight noise. When all had finished,
| he gave a little shrug, and a faint
smile came to his lips. l Iwould have
| given a good deal to know what had
caused it,
"Whoever struck that blow" Doctor
| Webster commented, "knew where to
| place 1t. The slightest fraction of an
inch nearer, and the chauffeur would
| have died instantly. The darkness
| probably caused the murderer to miss
! the exact spot he was aiming for-the
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