Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-05-11


why Under Heaven Should SIyke
Owe Brffeur Large Sum of
Money!"
and | don't think it did any harm to
let his chauffeur see those men"
None" said Black dryly. 1T only
gave him a chance to snip a piece
from one of the mems trousers"
That's foolish" Roche laughed.
"Oh, I don't know" was Black s
answer. "You can't prove he did not.
You never saw the piece Of cloth un-
til he brought it in to you. He was
in the cell alone with them, and had
the chance to cut out the piece of
cloth. You can't prove that the chauf-
feurs story is not true. 1t fits in
better with facts than the evidence
that sent those men to jail. But, oh
boy, the easy way you run this Jail ~
Roche scowbed at US, and was about
to retort when he was called from the
room. Black and lighted cigars and
smoked in silence.
Mr.. Pelt," he asked at last, what
DO you think of my theory that Brif-
feur murdered Slyke%
| had given little thought to the
matter, and said as much. Black sur
prised me by adding, you know that
Doctor King and the district attorney
think that the only verdict that can
be brought in in the Slyke case is
suicideY
Blacks remarks astonished me.
True | realized that 1t was almost i'm
possible to present convincing legal
proof that Slyke had been murdered.
but there was still the chauffeur s
death to be explained. If he had
been killed, as BARLEY thought, be-
cause he knew too much about Sykes
death, then it seemed to me that to
bring in verdict Of suicide would be
impossible. 1 told Black of this OBJ
lection, and he agreed with me.
Then he reiterated his belief in
Briffeur's guilt. According to him,
the story the chauffeur told the boy
fitted in we'll with his own theory
True, there was little to base it on,
so far as evidence went; but, assum-
ing that Slyke and the chauffeur had
quarreled about money, his strongest
bit of evidence was Briffeur's coming
to the vault where the missing re-
volver was hidden. No one else, so
far as we knew, had quarreled with
Slyke, or had any reason for wanting
to kill him. Black explained the
chauffeurs death by saying Miss Pot
ter had killed him. I told him this
last disproved his first theory, that
whoever had killed the chauffeur had
done SO because he knew too much
about Sykes death.
/ found that it was nearly four
o'clock, and as / had had no luncheon
decided to get something to eat be
fore Bartley's train came in. Just as
reached the door Black called after
me, "Say, Peh, what does your chief
want us all over for, to Sykes to-
nightY'
This was the first time that l had
heard we were expected to go there;
and, seeing my astOnishment, he
added that BARLEY had sent word for
Roche and himself to be at Sykes
promptly at eight O'clock l was
forced to admit that l did not know
as much about it as he did.
l went to little tea room on the
main street, and had almost finished
name. and reporter from the Rec
ord, whom l knew, rose and Joined
me. He mentioned the Slyke case and
said that everyone was waiting for
BARLEY to "spring something" He
that there was little
enough information to be gotten about
it. All he had been able to do had
been to interview the men that had
been at Sykes home the night of his
death. One of them told him, how
ever, that three or four times during
the evening Slyke had tried to reach
someone on the 'phone-just who, he
did not know.
| had now barely time to reach the
station before Bartley's train pulled
N, and I bade him hurried farewell.
AS BARLEY and l drove down the
main street of Saratoga, he said, by
he way, Pelt, stop at store and get
ne five States"
Five whatY' | asked.
He, grinned give states. The kind
lsed years ago in school. l want
hem all the same size"
He threw back his head and
aughed. "They are usual lily used to
write on, Pelt, but you win find out
onight what / want them for"
l stopped at little stationery
tore and aaa In o. with