Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-02-16
CHAPTER V
In Which | Hear More About the Bur-
g,ary.

III "ilISH ' T1CoI f1OlC FSOOOh AHC obi-
g'ary.
Curre was sitting on the piazza
when / reached the house. He got
up hurriedly and advanced to me.
"Where in the devil is John?' he
asked.
He apparently knew that we had
called over to Sykes, but he did not
know the reason / answered, He is
over at Sykes; Slyke was murdered
last night"
His large red face grew purple.
"MurderedY he gasped my G.,
who did itY'
| told him all l knew. He listened
with intense interest ana growing nor
rOr. When l ended by saying that
BARLEY would be back to dinner, he
shrugged his shoulders.
There goes my visit with John. l
have been after him for a long time
to come up here; and when he does,
he finds a murder right on my door
step" He paused, then added, Il
wonder who killed Slyke. l never
liked him very much, but l know of
no reason for his being murdered"
/ went to the garage and backed
out his little runabout, and started
for town. In front of the post office
l stopped the car and got out. l knew
that If the postmaster would give me
the addresses of the men who had been
at the card party, it would save me a
lot of time. Upon explaining my er-
rand, he gave me the desired infor-
nation One of the first names on
the list was that of the editor Of the
local newspaper, and it suggested an
idea to me.
Arriving at the newspaper office, l
found the man I sought just going
out to luncheon. When he learned
that / had come to ask him some
questions about Slyke, he invited me
to lunch with him.
We went to his club, and in the
small dining room found a table TO
ourselves. When | mentioned the list
of names, he told me all that he knew.
A few men, mostly old friends, met
every week or so to play poker. They
went to Sykes usually because, as
he put 1t, "Slyke had more booze than
the rest of u.s." The games were
friendly affairs and the stakes low.
When l asked him if Mr.. Lawrence
stayed after the others had gone
home he replied that he had and that
he thought Slyke himself had asked
him to remain, though he did not
know for what reason. Suddenly it
occurred to him that what he had
said might place Lawrence in an awk-
ward position.
"Jim Lawrence" he said, could
have had nothing to do with Sykes
death. Lawrence is so darned nerv-
Gus himself that he would never have
dared to fire gun. It's too bad he
stayed behind last night"
AS | wanted TO interview Lawrence
next, the editor accompanied me III
his car to point out the building where
Lawrence had his office. Here he left
me, saying that if | would call at his
office In about an hour, he would have
the DdcK lies VI the newspaper 1
wanted ready for me-"
Lawrences office was on the second
floor Of a brick building, and MS door
bore the sign Law Office" AT
desk, reading a newspaper, was a man
Of about forty-fye, with very thin
nervous face. He threw down the
paper and eyed me questioningly'
When told him that Slyke was dead
and that | had come to learn about
his interview with him, he moved un-
easily in his chair; but when | added
that we believed that Slyke had been
murdered. and that as far as we knew
he was the last person to see MN
alive. he was absolutely unneryed. !