The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1923-04-20

left the stand. Though her testimony
had thrown no light on what had
taken place, felt more strongly than
ever that she could have done so had
she wished. / glanced at BARLEY, and
the queer smile he gave me limited
that he, too, thought as did.
The next witness was a Doctor
Webster. l knew that a second ply
stefan had been called in on the morn
ing of the crime but had not met him.
Doctor Kings position was peculiar
one, as he was not only the physician
who had first seen the body, but also
the coroner. In order to have the
testimony of a second medical man,
he had sent Doctor Webster to ex-
anime the body and testify as to its
condition. AS the doctor took the seat
near the coroner, examined him
closely. He was a man of at least
sixty, rather stout, with beaming,
kindly face, and white beard that
gave him the appearance of a prac-
In response to questions, he told
how Doctor King had requested him
to go. to the house and examine the
body, because, as coroner, King him
self could not testify at the inquest.
In terms more scientific than plain,
he described how Slyke met his death,
a death which, he said, must have
been instantaneous, as the bullet had
lodged in the brain.
doctor, do you think the wound
could have been self-inflicted?" came
the question.
The doctor paused, then answered
thoughtfully, "That is very hard to
answer. So far as the wound itself
is concerned, it could have been self
inflicted. But other things that were
brought to my attention cause me
to believe that it could not haye been
so inflicted"
The room stiffened into attention.
1t was the first hint they had had
that Slyke might have been murdered.
Explain your answer. What do
you mean by other things were
brought to your attention."
The doctor replied slowly. 'The
facts / will mention were brought to
my attention by Mr.. John BARLEY, the
famous criminal investigator, whom
1 found at the house when / arrived"
At the mention of Bartley's name a
little murmur of surprise went over
the room. Half way down the room
the reporters, for the first time, were
writing hurriedly, and in minute a
telegraph boy went out with mass
of kilograms. Within an hour the fact
that BARLEY was working on the case
would be in all the newspaper offices
in New York.
The doctor continued: "Mr. BARLEY
aided me in making my examination
of the body The wound was, as
have said one that man could have
easily inflicted upon himself. but such
wound causes death within few
seconds after it is made. I thought
at first sight that it was suicide, but
Mr.. BARLEY pointed out that the
hands of the dead man, one of which
held the revolver, were under the bed
clothes and that they were pulled up
smoothly around his neck. 1t would
have been impossible for Mr. Slyka
himself to have done that. | mean
he could not have killed himself and
then placed his arms under the
clothes, after first pulling them up
around his chin. He would not have
had time before he died, had he fired
the shot. As Mr.. BARLEY pointed out
and as should have thought OF for
myself-in cases of violent death the
eyes are open. Mr.. Sykes eyes. were
almost closed. How they were closed
after death, Miss Potter has just told
u.s."
Again there came murmur of as
constituent. The Doctors statement
had been entirely unexpected by most
of the audience. For the first time
it was suggested that, instead of
Sykes having killed himself, he had
been murdered. All awaited eagerly
further developments.
'Then you would say that Mr. Slyke
was murderedP' came the question.
The doctors answer was q long
time in coming.
II hardly know what to say. What
Mr.. BARLEY pointed out to me causes
me to believe that Mr.. Slyke was
killed. OF course, there is posi-
bility that the wound might have been
self-inficted, and someone else ar
ranged the bedclothes around his neck
after he was dead"
He paused again, then continued
'aThat might have been done, but the
chances are that he did not kill him.
self. cannot positively state, how.
ever, whether 1t was suicide or muir.
der"
His hesitation started long argu.
ment between him, the coroner, and
the district attorney. If Slyke had
killed himself, then someone else must
have pulled up the bedclothes and ar.