Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-15

at that party Rice gave. He gave
me the names, but Kent was not
among them. Then l went round to
Il man named Billings, who was one
of the guests. He told me about
Kent.
Said he came to the house with
them from the golf club. He said
also that he had cane. but he
don't remember if he had 1t or not
when he came back, that is when he
left them. He told me that Kent
left them after they came from the
house and walked back toward it.
You know the detectives saw him
go in and also saw him come out
without a cane, and running"
The chief did not say anything.
Iiis heavy face did not wear even
an expression of the slightest inter-
est and he calmly continued smok
ing. / wondered il this was all
Dunn had discovered. But 1t was
not, the most startling thing came
next.
II went over to the cottage that
Kent has and when his butler came
to the door described the cane and
told him 1 had found one like it.
He said at first that it was not his
masters, that his was in the rack
in the house. ] suggested he look.
He did so and then a bit surprised
he said it was not there and that
Kent must have left it somewhere.
At this moment, Kent himself came
into the hall"
BARLEY with a griS asked, WAS
he angry?"
Dunn smiled. "You bet he was.
First thing he said was what in
He'll do you want?' l started to ask
him about the time he spent at
Rice's house and he got mad. In
fact almost started to throw me
out"
Did You say anything about the
cane?" was Bartleys question.
NO" was the reply. Il thought
better not. 1 knew there was no
doubt it was his cane, but l said
nothing to him about it."
The silence came for a while. l
could see that Bartley's eyes travel
ed once in a while to the chief and
| could tell from the chiefs man.
ner that he did not agree with his
detective. What the difference was
l could not say. 1t was Dunn that
broke the silence, a questioning tone
in his squeaky voice.
What / can't see, Mr.. BARLEY,
is why that man should wish to kill
Rice. It seems a pretty good case
against him. He was in the room,
he made some excuse after he left,
TO go back. He was seen running
from the house. Rice was killed
with cane, and Kent's cane seems
to De the one that did it. But why,
l don't see. Kent has money enough
and no quarrel with the dead man."
l could see he knew nothing about
the book, which after all was the
only motive we had, BARLEY soon
enlightened him. He told him how
the book was secured and the letter
Kent wrote. He added also that
the book was missing. The story
was a great surprise to both of the
men, but there was an incredulous
tone in the chiefs voice as The
said:-
But lord. Mr.. BARLEY, who ever
heard of any one killing a man for
book? That's foolish. the whole
worlds full of books, / can buy all
l want for two dollars"
BARLEY threw back his head and
laughed. We'll. chief, so you can.
but this book is worth about $50. :
000 | can tell you of several cases
where men have been killed for
valuable books. There is a French
case where a book collector set fra
to another mans house and killed
him. in order to make sure that a.
book of which they both had the
only copies. would -be DESTROYED.
You can't tell what a book lover
might do"
The chiefs face was study and
he asked in doubling tone. Did
YOU say that book was worth $780,
900? Why, that's absurd"
Again BARLEY laughed, answering,
..No, it's the truth, Chief
The chief shook his head. as IL he
could hardly believe the story. The
fact that book could be worth
that amount was something he
down In his heart. 4 am sure. he