The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-02-02


The remark was 30 unexpected that
Sykes face grew red and he STAN
mered, "But-well-anyway they were
proven guilty"
"But you yourself said that you
could not identify them"
"That may be so, but there were
others that did recognize them. ever
though could not" Slyke answered.
BARLEY changed his tactics. When
he sets out to win person, there are
few that can resist him; and in a mo-
ment or two even Slyke thawed under
his smile.
Il can understand" BARLEY re-
marked, show bored you must be with
the whole affair, but, as you probably
know, Mr.. Slyke. there Is growing
feeling that those men In prison are
innocent. SS'se. AZ to DO Is to find
OUT whether there Is .ay ground for
such feeling. know that you will
be the very first person to wish them
pardoned IL they are innocent. Can
come over tomorrow morning and
have a talk with you about the burg
larry? Ny wide experience may help
me to see things that the others have
overlooked. The governor asked me
to look into the matter, you know"
Slyke did not seem over-pleased at
this suggestion, and muttered that he
was going fishing in the morning. He
finally agreed that his step-daughter
Ruth could give BARLEY whatever in
formation he wanted. Seeing that SO
far as he was concerned, the conversa-
ton was over we took our leave.
AS we re-entered the woods, Bart
ley remarked with laugh, HE was
not what you might call keen to see
us. That burglary for some reason
seems to be sore subject with him."
When we arrived at the house, Cur
rie excused himself to see about some
matters on the estate, and we went
up to our rooms.
Currie had said that If we came
down to dinner in evening dress he
would throw us out; so still in white
fiannels, We joined him in the dining
room. He was talking with young
man of about thirty-five. whom he In
troduced as Doctor King. He was
likable sort of chap, with clean-shaven
face, tanned red by outdoor life, and
dark blue eyes with twinkle in them.
Upon his coat was the little insignia
that showed he had seen service.
Currie had promised US a good din
ner, and we We're not disappointed.
The doctor showed himself to be as
well read as BARLEY, who is interested
in anything that is book. AS the
dinner progressed, we found that the
doctor and Barley found many con-
genial topic.
Their discussion finally settled down
upon the two schools of psycho-analy-
sis. From the first, this talk bored
Currie: and every once in a while he
would throw me an appealing glance.
At last the conversation turned to
crime, and Currie suddenly asked
BARLEY If it had ever been discovered
who Jack the Ripper was. What made
him ask the question / do not know.
BARLEY replied that though no name
had ever been given out, Scotland
Yard had come to the conclusion that
the crimes had been committed either
by crazy Polish Jew. or more prob
ably by doctor. A well-known doc
tor had been on the border line of in.
sanity at the time the Whitechapel
murders had occurred; and when he
dropped out Of sight the murders
ceased. The English detectives were
almost positive that he was the muir
derer, but they could not prove it.
"No more. than they were able to
prove" Currie interrupted, that those
men they sent to jail ever broke into
Sykes house."
The doctor remarked, II was called
in as the family physician by Slyke,
on the night of the burglary. He told
me, at the time, that he had not rec0g-.
nized either Of the men,"
BARLEY did not speak, but sat
watching the glowing tip of his cigar
cite. knew he was waiting for the.
doctor to say more.
Both the men that were arrested"
the doctor continued, "had worked at
one time or another for Slyke. You
would have thought that, if they had
been the ones who broke into his
house, he would have recognized
them. But he told me positively that