The Washington times., 1930-01-02

The large key opens the
front door. The house is
empty. Better not switch the
lights. Use the flash you'll
find on . chair just inside the
door.
'"The key with the red string
leads from the hall to the
garage. Go there. Then follow
the directions attached to key
No. 3. You'll come upon the
whole story. Good luck!"
The three men entered the
dark, narrow hall Of a very
small cottage. The floors were
without carpet; the furniture,
which they could dimly see, was
Of the Shabbiest. At the end
of the hall. q door led down
steps to a garage.
Entered here, they read by
the flaShlight directions at
tached to key No. 3. Printed in
minute, precise letters:
This key opens a secret
board In the back wall of the
garage. To save your time, I've
marked the keystone with an
arrow. It's near the corner to
your right as you face the wall.
Open this secret door and enter
the room upon which it gives"
The garage appeared roughly
plaStered. There was no sign Of
q door, but several large cracks
streaked this back wall. One Of
these was the. break where the
door swung.
They found the keyhole. The
door went inward on dark
cavity, whose floor level was
several feet above that OF ga
rage. At first they saw only the
rough outlines OF cellar-like
space. It was about six, feet
high, ten feet wide and five
deep. In the far corner was
crude bed. This was partly ob.
scured by the table and bench
which stood in front OF It,.
They took the high step and
turned the fIaShlight fun on
the bed and the shocking
presence lying there.
The body of a man with his
throat cut from ear to ear, and
one hand with the fingers
curled, trailing the floor. The
head and neck lay in a dark
pool of blood, the eyes stared
open and two white lines like
the old, bitter scars went from
the nose to the mouth. Below
this, the blood trickled in a
thin stream into the coagulated
pool. The body was still warm.
On its chest was an en-
velope addressed:
'To the Reporters:
You can switch the light on
the table, now. But be care
full. Don't disturb the several
articles I've laid there. You are
looking at the kidnaper of
Billy Bryce. Perhaps you
recognize me. The police will.
william Bryce will. He's known
In his heart, all along, that it
was I who perpetrated this.
He didn't want to think it, He
knew that he'd never see his
grandson again-never see him
living again if it was I who
had him.
$50 he kidded himself that
i wasn't In it. But they
watched me. Every minute
since . week ago last Mon
day. I've laughed and eluded
them as they shadowed this
wretched house. Oh, yes; I've
heen at work every day!
They've got NOTHING on me.
And till doomSday they'd get
nothing on me. They searched
this house And all the while
Guy Elliott was in this room.
It's because / guessed they'd do
this that, In the end, / changed
my plans. Because of, this
change, and ONLY because Of
this, I'm now lying here.
"You see, ] thought of every
thing. anticipated every
thing. Even that you mustn't
switch the light in the front
hall and give your scoop away.
And my part of this went
along without one hitch. If I
could have done it alone, as
originally planned, Billy Bryce
would be lying here now. And
lying in exactly the condition
youssee me-nice and red across
the throat. For 10 months,
I've lived with this vision be-
fore me. I've slept, worked,
and wept with the picture in
mind. His kid choking to
death as mine choked.
III / could have put the deal
over alone all would have gone