Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-01-02
By
I. I. Flynn

the door with ponderous watchfulness
Well said the mayor explosiyely'
Ben ignored him. Il brought YOU all
here TO go over what happened TODAY y
Reginald Stanton shrugged. "That
has been gone over once"
Another time won't hurt" said Ren
and proceeded to narrate m~ethodicallv
everymove that had been made from
the time he and I entered the Office
to the point where the dead BODY of
Sylvester was carried out. He spoke
OF the evidence against the Judge. in
GLIDING the charges that Oscar Finley
had made and the judges denials of
them. But he said nothing abou
hydrocyanic acid or cigars.
We're here to help justice" said
Ben. suppose you all light up these
excellent cigars of mine and be patient
for a few more minutes" AS Ben spoke
he drew q handful of foil wrapped
cigars from his inside coat pocket and
offered n to Reginald Stanton, who
was nearest.
anything to oblige," Stanton said
with heavy humOr, taking it. The Judge
followed suit with his manacled hands.
III light 1t for you in q minute, Judge"
Ben said kindly, stepping on to Chief
Black. who took one The mayor ac-
copied one, and Oscar Finley after
him. Ben had enough for Doc Hardy
and me, and eve tossed one to the
patrOlman at the door. Then he went
back to the judge and held a match
to his cigar until it was burning.
All the cigars were BURNING and the
blue curls Of smoke made the gather
ing seem a trif1e more amicable.
The mayor removed his cigar from
his mouth and inspected it with a Slight
frown. This has a rather queer taste"
he said sourly.
Ben grinned at him. II don't know
why it should. It's a fine brand. Too
good for my purse, to tell the truth. I
helped myself to a handful from the
box in the judges top desk drawer this
afternoon"
What"
We all stared at Reginald Stanton as
the MAI uttered that hoarse cry. His
chair clattered over backward as he
staggered up.
THE judges box?" he screamed,
holding his smoking cigar up before
his eyes. And then suddenly he caught
at his throat. and staggered, and
dropped back heavily on top Of the
overturned chair.
Doc Hardy and Ben we're at his side
Immediately. Doc Hardy worked over
the limp body for a few minutes while
the rest of us crowded around in
amazement, and then glanced up at us.
This mar is dead" he declared
slowly.
Ben told us gravely, Reginald Stan
ton tried to murder his partner, Judge
Lewis. Henry Sylvester was the victim
instead"
Stanton tried to kill me?" Judge
Lewis queried in a startled tone.
YES. What was the trouble between
you two, judge?"
The judge seemed taken aback. II
was moi aware any one knew of it.
Since you ask, we were on the verge
OF d~lssolving partnership. Stanton
was too-too interested in Caroline. l
warned him he could not marry her.
One word led to another, and we
agreed to sever relations. But l can't
DCliCVC lie tllcQ W Kill Iue.
He did. The cigars you ostensibly
received from the mayor were sent by
Stanton. The entire second layer in
the box had been treated with HYDRO
cyanic acid, and the heavy foil wrap
pers held enough of it in the tobacco
to cause death. You smoked the harm
less top layer. Sylvester came along
Just IN time to get the first bad one
out OF the second layer. The book
end that gashed Silvester's temple as
he died was a bit Of hard luck for
you.
stanton was poWled over when he
saw what happened, but lay low and
let matters take their W course. Os-
car Finley seized the opportune moment
to play politics and discredit you, not
caring much whether you really killed
Sylvester or not. Things looked pretty
doubtful for you, even after we found
that Sylvester died from a poisoned
cigar"
His honor the mayor was holding his
cigar between his fingers as though
afraid it was roing to bite him. You
said these cigars came from the judges
box!" he burst out. Il thought it
tasted wrong! Did you give us poisoned
cigars? Did you kill this man deliber-
ately?"
Ben did not answer directly. There
had to be a motive behind the killing"
he said coolly. 1.-THE mar who sent
the cigars had to know the judges
private brand we'll. I noticed the Judge
and Stanton were not on such friendly
terms. Stanton came back to this Office
and tried to get possession of the box
of cigars this afternoon, saying the
Judge had sent him for them. That
looked like the judge was trying to
get them out of the way. I began to
wonder if Stanton might not be guilty.
II went to the judges cell again, and
as we talked he mentioned how
thoughtful Stanton had been in Offer
ing to go to the office and get his
cigars. 1t was Stanton's idea, and he
lied about it, saying the judge sent
him.
"That was enough. 1 asked every
man here who had an interest in the
matter, including his honor the mayor,
whose name had been signed to the
card that came with the cigars. Doc
Hardy, myself, the chief, and Curly
King from the Star were the only
ones in the room who had been told
that the judges box held poisoned
cigars. I gave you cigars Of the same