Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-07


sneered: "a detective: where from?
This is a job for the police. not
detective agency"
BARLEY turned to him. but before
he could speak the other police Of
f1cer stepped over to the chief and
whispered something in his ear.
What 1t was 1 could only guess, but
the look on the chiefs face turned
to one of interest. He turned and,
half apologizing. said:
"Mr. BARLEY, Dunn says that you
are very well-known New York
detective. Excuse that crack l got
off about a detective agency. Are
You in on this case"
BARLEY smiled and told him how
we had been called in. Then in a
few words he informed him of what
the butler had told us. The eyes of
the chief grew larger and larger as
the tale went on. When BARLEY
finished the chief introduced us to
the other two men.
The one was the coroner, whom
, found out later was a broken down
lawyer, with little practice. The
other was the only detective they
rad on the force of the town and
his name was Dunn.
asked BARLEY if we had seen the
dead man and the room in which the
crime had been committed He
shook his head, saying we had Just
arrived at the house and that first
we wished to hear from the butler
what had taken place. The chief
seemed a little ill at ease. It NAV
have been the fact that he was in
the home of one of the richest men
OF the Hill or it may have been that
he was not accustomed to dealing
with serious crimes. Be that as it
may, he stood silent for a moment.
ms eyes wandering round the room.
1t was Bartley's rule to allow the
local police to take the first steps,
they, after all, having an official
standing which he did not have
But seeing the chief did not seem
to know what to do, he suggested
that we go to the scene of the crime.
rms was agreed to and we all fol-
lowed the butler out into the great
living room. 1t was a room that
stretched almost across the house.
with two great f1replaces that were
on opposite sides of the room.
upon the walls hung many paint
ings, mostly pictures of the sea. and
1t needed only glance to see that
they were valuable. But we did not
pause to look at the room, but fol-
lowed the butler to one end of II
mere we stopped, while the butler
him. oie
At first glance one wouId not
have said that there was a door he
lore us, as the mahogany wall seem.
ca TO have no break in it. Still.
mere was a little silver handle on
tne woodwork. which the butler
grasped as he pushed back a slid
ing door. Then I saw the iron
srlllWork Of the elevator. which was
standing ready for us to enter II
was one of those self-operating ele-
Vators. First, you pushed the bur
ton anc, when the elevator came
oown to your floor, then you were
ape TO open the door and enter
me inner door of the elevator itself
wv hao 10 close, or else the ma
tered, there being room for Az
me butler closed the wooden door
ana, pushing the button that was
rise. oesan TO
II only seemed second before #
came to a stop, and the doors uare
thrown open, and we came ont int
little hall. just a few feet wide
evloentiy a place from which to an
Ter 'ne large room. Before 1,s wa.
q nah-open door, the panejs oS
wnlcn were broken through littIa
ABOVE the lock. Silently, thinkins
OF what we might find within I've
entered, BARLEY taking the lead
Inc room was a mammotb ono
covering almost all of the ton A..
OF the house. Bookcases flied 81
most every part of the walls az
cept at the large Windows Pr
Ing 'ne length of the room were
Ian, ay grass covered cases, four feet
nag, through which could see the
t tppnection OF old manuscripts and
ene fourteenth and fifteenth century
nL s EDITIONS: This was the room in
winch Rice housed his library, Thn
bookcases, and the glass-coyered
cases containing that wonderful coli
lection or first editions which be
owned. Along the sides of the
Waiis, however, were three Inns
tapies, many feet in length. rlitfars
ing with cut-glass. silver. bores
and linen. These evidently were fhs
wedding presents, which must have
been very valuable.
think / had been a little afraid
tnat we might come upon the dead
man. But there was nothing in this
room to show that anything was
out OF the way. Only the long fine
OF books, the cases through which
one got glimpse of the parchments
and the long tables filled with