The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-02-16
OutoftheD Darkness

murder.
: When | returned to the Jail, about
an hour later. l found that BARLEY
: had gone TO Doctor Kings Office, and
| followed him there at once. 1t was
the usual physicians office, with
r cases of Instruments along the walls
? and a lat-top desk in the center Of
the room. BARLEY and the doctor
we're bending over g small pad when
| entered. n BARLEY told me that
the doctor had been drawing for him
a little map Of the roads around the
Slyke estate. The doctor looked older
than when l had seen him first, far
more tired and nervous. 1t took sew
eral years to get over shell shock,
from which he suffered. he told us, and
he had been very foolish to start to
practice again so soon after ais re-
turn from the front. He recounted a
few Of his war experiences, and they
were enough to have broken any man.
He said that, as soon as his duties in
regard to the Slyke case were over,
he was going to bake a rest. All the
time he talked to us he played with
a pencil or tapped the desk In front
of him.
We spoke of the inquest, and he
told us hat he did not need to call a
coroner's jury unless he wished. The
facts were so complex or so simple
1t was hard to say which-that a jury
would be confused by them. He adj
mitted that there was no doubt that
Slyke had been murdered. but doubt
ed If any jury would bring in a YER
dict of murder on such slight evidence
as we had. He suggested that, If 1t
were murder, some one from Saratoga
might have committed the crime. 1t
was not a bad suggestion, and to my
surprise BARLEY seemed to regard it
favorably. The doctor mentioned the
chauffeur's arrest, and said that he
had only known the man by sight. We
talked for IN hour or more, then re-
turned home.
BARLEY was in his room changing
his suit for luncheon, when a tele-
phone call came for him. When he
returned he told me that the call had
been from Mr.. Sykes lawyer. He
had 'phoned him, BARLEY said, that
among the papers In the safe was an
envelope with ten thousand dollars
in bills in 1t, and that the bank had
informed him that, on the day Of our
arrival Slyke had deposited thirteen
thousand dollars with them.
While this was interesting news, /
could not see that 1t was Of any i'm
BARLEY. He half smiled as he re-
minded me that ten thousand dollars
was a lot of money to keep in the
house, and added that 1t was strange
that Slyke should deposit thirteen and
retain another ten in his house. He
wondered If his keeping the money
had any relation to the visitor that
he was expecting. At any rate, the
man had not gotten the money, If that
had been what he was after.
Luncheon over, Currie, BARLEY and
I started for the inquest. The news
papers had evidently received a tip
that there was more in Sykes death :
than had appeared, for when we ar
we were forced to run a gaunt- :
ct Of reporters, who recognized Bart :
ey at once and crowded around him. 9
they realized that, II he were inter- y
ssted In the case. II was of more i'm Q
)ortance than they had suspected, '
md wanted to know If he did not =
AVE some Information to give them. /"
With a laugh at their insistence, he
eplied that he did not; but, when he
lad, he would see that they were the
mes to get 1t.
There were a number Of cars In o
of the house and a small crowd
f men standing about In twos and y
hrees. Just as we turned to mount y
he steps, Lawrence drove up and y
reeted us with a rather forced smile. a.
The inquest was to be held In the T"
lrge living room In which the bur- a.
had been found. Though It was "
q public hearing open to every ~
ne, there were a goodly number of
present. so
Doctor King and the other officials "
ad not yet arrived; and Black, who !,
as talking to a group of men, left ~
lem n came to greet us. He told
) that the chauffeur. Briffeur, was to m.
2 brought from the jail by Roche, -
i'd that he thought his testimony -
make a sensation. BARLEY "
to understand what he meant, '
Iough I did not. The chauffeur had
fused to talk and had answered all
lestions by saying that he would tell
he knew at the inquest. All at
mpts to find out what that might be .m 81,
ID failed. .
BARLEY asked Black II he still -
ought that the chauffeur was guilty
the murder. Black countered by
ating that he did not believe thai
yone else knew as much about the
'air as he did. 1t was his opinion
at, If the chauffeur had not killed 20.
n, he at least knew something a.
the crime. One thing the man -.
. .ha. - No+e = art
'uld ruin several regulations. Bart
w-...I