Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-04-14
Copyrights lszz BY Dodd, riead ond Co Inc


had been earelessly flung there by a
man preparing for bed.
After going through Sykes pockets
BARLEY said slowly, 4 have grave
doubts If he VAS even killed in this
ROOM"
He continued to examine the room,
searching the floor, looking into the
drawers Of the desk, examining the
/ walls even then he came back to the
clothing. Picking up the blue silk
shirt from the chair, he examined il
a second time before he said: ~ was
right. He was not killed in this room.
| Here is the suit he wore. You viii
notice that all his clothing is placed
| on this chair in the manner that a
man would naturally place 1t if he
was undressing for bed. But there
| is no button in the front of his shirt
| to hold his collar. and one stocking
is missing. Any man may lose col
lar button, but if he does. that button
will be dropped at the place where he
undressed No button is in this room.
1t was lost in the room in which he
! was undresSed. We find his shoes
here but only one stocking and we
naturally ask where is the other stock
! ing. Then, too, there are no blood
stains anywhere in this room. Though
his wound did not bleed much, it must
! have bled some. These are the rea-
sons why l say he was not killed in
this room. or even undressed here"
His explanation seemed reasonable
enough, vet somewhat myssjfying.
| Why had the murderer taken an this
trouble to undress SIyke, and why had
/ he done it in some other room? The
next question was just as pulling If
! Slyke had not been killed In this room,
where had the crime taken place? AS
If he had read my thoughts, Roche
suggested that as there was another
room In the tower, we might see what
could be found there
The butler, who entered at this mo-
ment, did his best not to glance at
the bed. He was holding with great
difficulty a half-grown Airedale that
growled fercely when he saw us. The
butler motioned to the doctor to come
to him. As he reached his side, Doc
tor King placed his hand upon the
dogs head and it ceased to show its
teeth and licked his fingers. For sew
eral moments he and the butler held a
low conversation, then King turned
to US to say that he had just been
called to the hospital for an operation
and would have to leave at once
Barley scrubbed something on a
piece of paper. and handing it to the
doctor said, 81 think there ought to
| be a picture taken of the body so
it can be used at the inquest"
The doctor agreed and went out, ac-
companled by the butler. AS the door
closed behind them Barley went to
lock it, but the key was missing.
After a moments hesitation he de
| cided it would do no harm to leave
it unlocked while we were gone, and
we all started for the floor above.
The room we entered was of the
same size as the one In which we had
found Slyke. Here, too, there was
little furniture-three chairs grouped
around a little table in the center of
the room, a lounge in one corner, a
small desk IN another. 1t was the
table that attracted Bartley's atten-
ton. On ii stood half-emptied
bottle Of Scotch whisky. and beside
the bottle three glasses. one Of them
holding about a spoonful Of liquor.
Near one Of the glasses was a half
smoked cigarette and a magazine, and
on the opposite side. Of the table the
stub of a cigar. BARLEY looked at
both Of them with keen interest and
finally placed hem in an envelope.
The cigarette must have been a very
hfgh-pricsd one, for the end was OF
the finest straw. The appearance Of
the table suggested that three men
had been present and that two Of
| them had been smoking. A confer
ence. perhaps, at which bottle Of
whisky had assisted. Aside from the
| table, there seemed to be nothing Of
interest in the room.
While BARLEY was still glancing at
the table, | walked over to the large
window and drew aside the heavy cur
tain that reached 10 the floor. At my
feet was a playing card that had been
concealed by its folds. CHANGING
around to see If there were any others
and finding none, ! brought the card
to BARLEY.
AS / STEPPED to bis side, saw that
he was examining the magazine. Like
many magazines, the back carried a
gaudv advertisement that covered The
entire page. THIS one had ain unusual
amount of unused white space Bart
lev painted silently 70 where someone
had idly amused himself by drawing
an # with 4 pencil q babit many
peaaie have The design was simple,
only 8 mass Of scrolls with q little
e-nre here and there and lines run
unug through them