Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-28
WHO'S WHO I'M THE STORY

Frank Rice, millionaire, VINO was
found murdered on the eve Of his
was a heavy cane belonging TO
James Kent, a man with an ungoV'
ernable temper and an UNSUCCESSFUL RI
val for Rice'S most recent purchase
valuable book worth $4,000. TINS
book is missing, as we'll as one OF the
wedding presents-a box containing
$4,000 in gold pieces.
Faith, Rice's daughter, admits the
jealousy of her cousin.
Donald Maxson. who is reported
drowned but who is found hiding on ar
island near by with one OF the stoler
gold pieces in his possession, and Is
questioned by
John BARLEY, crime detector and
is assisted by Dunn, town detective
Dunn's chief, who has received ar
unsigned letter confessing to the MUIR
der Of Rice.
Miss Long, Rice's secretary. and
Hall and Wells, two detectives who
were in the house at the time OF the
murder as guardians of the wedding
presents.
Peit Bartley's friend, is the nara
vestigates the supposedly deserted
house where the murder was com
nlitted, has a tussle in the dark with
an unknown man and is left Devil
dered, with traces of ashes on ms
0 An Unexpeeted Visitor
I had a very late breakfast the
1ext naG.nssa. ~ fact heirS the last
orI il. t,s9 hnrH1 raooN, A. wa'ted
for my order. I Glanced through: Use
morning papers. Blazoned in great
headlines across the first page was
the story OF Maxson's escapade.
The stories told of his attempt to
have it appear that he had been
drowned and how BARLEY had dis
covered him. The Young mans
story was played up in length and
l could see that the papers had
grave doubt if he had told the truth.
Throwing the papers aside for my
breakfast. l smiled as I wondered
what the young man would think
when he saw how they had featured
him.
Breakfast over I went to the room.
I had expected to find BARLEY there,
instead there was note saying
that he was in town and would see
me at lunch. For while l read the
rest of the papers and then decided
to go down to the bathing beach for
a swim.
The beach was fairly crowded
when l got there. Little children
were playing in the sand building
sand forts or digging great holes.
The raft sixty feet in the water was
crowded with Young people, while
others were simply summing them
selves on the sand.
| fooled around in the water for
perhaps twenty minutes. then came
out throwing myself down on the
sand to dry in the sun. For while
I watched a ship that seemed to be
simply staying near the Long
Island shore miles away. l smiled
at nv fancy of how, in the days
lnog past, the pirates crept into the
sound. smiling again as / thought of
our modern "hootch ships" that were
doing the same thing. Suddenly l
came to attention as my name was
called.
CHANGING up I saw Hall. one of the
detectives that was in the house the
night Rice was killed. I had only
spoken to him twice and had sup
posed he had gone back to Provi-
dence. But after he dropped on the
sand by my side, 1 discovered that
he was working on another case
which had kept him at the Hill.
Naturally enough our conversation
drifted back to the night of the
crime and he retold the story which
l ALREADY had heard. There was
nothing new in his recital. We both
expressed our wonder as to who
could have committed the murder.
In the end. we both agreed that in
so much as the murderer simply
had to close the door behind him,
which would lock because Of the
spring, he must have come down in
the elevator.
This caused Hall to say that the
murder must have been committed
before IL because the elevator did
not run all night. Then we came
to the conclusion that the evidence
seemed to fix the crime on either
Kent or Maxson.
After talking back and forth for a
while. Hall rose and left me. l
watched his heavy figure go down
the beach. He had a strange walk,
more of a SLOUGH than anything else,
with one shoulder standing high
above the other. As / watched him
/ wondered how many detectives
had the misfortune to have their
clients killed while thev were pre-
sumed to be looking after them.
It was after / when I got back to
my room. having had dinner down
bv the shore. l did not expect to
see BARLEY when entered the
room. and he was not there. But
about ten minutes after / got in the
door opened and he entered.
Something must have pleased him,
for he was in a rare humor. He
smiled at me. stopping by my chair