The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-05-24
CHAPTER TX
The Cry In the Dart.

, Every ona was eager to see him, ar
|. be became at once the center of d
, eyes.
Doctor King did not trouble Bartls
with questions. but allowed him to te
his story In his own way. He recoun
ed our arrival at the house and our e,
animation Of the body. As he told q
his reasons for thinking that slyke ha
been murdered, the room became yer
still. He described our search 10
clues In the tower rooms. and what h,
had found on the balcony. Slowly tn,
audience realized that siyke had no
been killed In any Of the rooms Of tn.
house. but ON . tower sixty feet In ths
air.
He pictured In short, concise words
how the body had been carried
down two flights of stairs. undressed
and put into bed. A gasp went around
the room at his words. and l could
ses from the faces Of the listeners
that they could scarcely believe the
story he was telling them. The sensa-
fion was Increased when he spoke OF
the removal OF the revolver from the
dead mans hand while we were In the
upper room Of the tower. This was,
without doubt. so far the most dra-
matte moment Of the inquest.
While BARLEY had been giving his
testimony. the storm had come nearer.
A thunderstorm Is never cheerful
thing at the best, and this one was
making every one very uneasy. At
each clap OF thunder, someone would
give start and glance nervously
around.
The next witness. the photographer.
was only on the stand short time. He
told OF taking the pictures OF the room
In which the body lay and OF the body
Itself. and stated that he had seen no
revolver In the dead mans hand.
The testimony Of the following wit
ness was also brief. The boy who
worked around the garage. although
very much frightened. stuck TO his
story that he was getting into bed
when he heard u shot, and that II |
sounded as II II were up In the air. |
The time. he thought. was somewhere
between two and three In the morn
Ing.
When he had returned to his seat |
the step-daughter took his place. Her
youthful face flushed under the many
eyes that were turned upon her. and
she never looked up. Her story was
the one that she had told to BARLEY
and she added nothing new to II. In
answer TO question as TO whether
The had glanced at her step-father's
ioor when she passed Il the night Of
he murder. she replied that she had
md that II was closed. Catching the
district attorneys eye az this point,
hartley motloned him to his side and
hey whispered together for a moment.
he district attorney then asked the
fri II she had seen the dog when she
anne In. Rather surprised at the
uestlon, she answered that the dog
ad met her ut the front door. smelled
I her dress. and followed her to the
'airway before going back to his rug.
Then she left the stand. her testi-
ony had not added anything to what
. already knew.
I realized suddenly that we knew
, more about the crime than we had
hen the inquest began. Though -
as sure In my own mind that Slyke !.
ID been murdered had grave doubts :
II could be proved satisfactorily to I,
hers. The almost entire absence OF
ues made II seem more mysterious :,
an II had az hrst, II that were pos n,
bic. Even the next witness. Mr.. Law ~
nee. added nothing 10 our knowledge. ~
. said that. nj the close Of the party. \,
r. Slyke had asked him 10 stay be- ~
nd. for what he did not know at the y,
ne. After the others had left. Mr.. 7,
yks had taken him up 20 his room In i,
. tower. and had asked hlm II he =,
'uid like 10 buy a little whisky. as he =,
q more than he needed. "a,
There was q Ripple Of laughter M
4 unexpected statement. Though Il In,
Is tho FIRST time that whisky had
"a introduced into the case. I doubt m
anyone regarded It's mention as I'm
rfant. The laughter made Lawrence m,
rr nervous thdn ever. ana he talked Nj
ter and more lndistinctly. He had
yed cnly few moments. he said. or
ugh Slyks had urged him to remain 81,
ger A moment after he had been Sc,
cased from the stand. remembered mi
4 he had not mentioned the fact wa
4 siyke had told him he was expect. a
another visitor. whether Law. no,
~ had forgotten II or dld not wish hu,
volunteer the information. could Pc
decide. II seensd to me to be va
' Important peint for BIN 10 have N
ltted. an
he butler. whs came next. took bis I
I to the accompaniment OF one OF inf
worst ciaps of thunder that we ror
yet bad. clap that seemed al we
q In the room. Then burst OF pre
! swept against the windows An vii
saxh his testimony the thunder -au
le II almost impossible to hear him. /
he had TO repeat many o. hts tax
emenss He appeared to be a Mis-
~.