Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-04-20
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 a mysterious attempted rob-
bery Of the Robert Slyke home at Circle
| Lake, near Saratoga. Peculiar circum-
stances Of the case interest BARLEY. and
he accepts.
, CHAPTER H.-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 Siyke is found dead In bed, apparent
ly having shot himself.
CHAPTER III.-Miss Potter, the dead
mans sister-in-law. the village police
Chief, Roche. and the family physician.
SELF, but BARLEY insists he was murdered
Investigating, BARLEY finds evidence that
Slyke after card party he had given,
dressed. and placed in bed During his
absence from the room someone removes
the revolver from Sykes hand.
garage asserts he heard shot during the
night, apparently ''in the air." Of course
really on the tower.
v,cH CHAPTER #. ymPsIt I starts out t2 intsT.
finds to his surprise that Slyke, apparent
ly wealthy broker, had offered to sell his
friends whisky. He ands evidence that
the, she men In 3ail for attempted robbery Of
CHAPTER vI-Returning from q visit
to Saratoga. BARLEY. Pelt and Curris
hts and or ass hs ross S0r TSsk w'hs @
covered endeavoring to ascertain the
license number. and fred on. The truck
gets away; The three come upon long
is new. and BARLEY picks It. They and
the vault stored with whisky, and also
the revolver which had been found In
slykss hand a,t IN man seemingly vel
they detain him. It Ia Sykes missing
chauffeur. detective, working for the
revenue department.. arrives and takes
charge Of the vault
CHAPTER VII.-Aftsr considering all
the mysterious angles Of the case. Bart
ley apparently reaches no conclusion as
to the murderer. He la satisfied that
with it. Miss Potters arm belief In the
"ouiJa board" and spiritualiam also
seems to interest him.
CHAPTER vuI-Bartley continues his
search for evidence. and apparently hnds
some things he considers OF value. The
inquest opens. Doctor King, who Ia the
coroner, a war veteran, and who had
been shell-shocked. conducts it. A heavy
thunderstorm 10 In progress. Doctor
Webster, called In consultation testidss
he believes Slyke was murdered.
CHAPTER IX.-The storm increases in
intensity as the inquest progresses. Lit
tie of Importance is ELECTED Briffeur, the
chauffeur, is called to the stand. Before
he commences his testimony the lights
In the room are extinguished, a stroke of
lightning having broken the circuit.
During the ensuing confusion the party is
Mortified by the utterance of q sudden
horrifying shrek.
He turned to Doctor King. "If I
were you, Doctor, l would take the
name of every one that was in the
room this afternoon. You might tell
the reporters, Roche, that we will
talk to them later"
AS both King and the district attor-
ney nodded, Roche hurried from the
room, but returned a moment later
Again we stood hesitating, no one
seeming to know just what to do next,
waiting for BARLEY to take the lead.
Seeing that we were depending on
him, he walked to the desk where
King had sat, and called US around
him.
Silently he turned the knife over
and over In his hand, then gave 1t to
each Of us in turn to examine. 1t
was a curious kind of d knife, looking
as if it had had hard usage. The
handle was of wood, rather heavy,
and the blade, some four inches long,
came to a fine, sharp point AS the
blade did not close, 1t was an aWk-
ward weapon to carry around, and
wondered where the murderer had
hidden it. The more l looked at it,
the more l wondered what 1t had been
used for 1t was not hunting knife,
although it somewhat resembled one,
Of that l was sure. 1t fact, 1t was
unlike any knife that had ever seen.
We all looked at 1t silently; and,
when the last to handle it had placed
it back on the desk, BARLEY picked
1t up for a second time.
"This is the weapon that killed
Briffeur. You wonder why l allowed
you to touch it instead Of keeping 1t
for finger prints. You will find no
finger prints; for whoever used 1t had
sense enough to have his hand Gov
ered."
Suddenly l remembered that he had
said the same thing about the MUIR
derer of Slyke. There had been no
finger prints found In the rooms or
on the revolver. / wondered If there
could be any connection between the
two deaths.
ut is, of course, significant" Bart
ley continued, his voice grave, 'that
this man was killed as he was about
to testify. 1t looks very much as If
someone In the room feared that he
might tell who killed Slyke and to
prevent it, took great chance and
killed him in room full of people,"
Doctor King, in a rather excited
voice broke in to say, But, Mr.. Bart
ley, no one could have known that
the lights would go out.