Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-01-02
Published by special Advancement with The
Chicago Tribune Syndicate.

Published by special advancement with Tht
Chicago Tribune Syndicate.
TIE GOT it over the phone, as pei
promise, about a half hour later
And. as Ben hung up and turned
TO me, his face was a study.
Doc Hardy says that Sylvester kicked
off from a dose of hydrocyanic acid
1t means almost instant death. How
in the devil did Sylvester get a dose
of h~ydrocyanic acid? If he gave it to
himself. what was the idea? His mind
was on business. He had M eaSon tI
commit suicide"
"Well-he evidently did"
Ben lit a cigaret and considered a
moment or so. Either the judge told
the truth about SilveSter's errand, and
is innocent. or he lied and killed the
man. The commonwealth will say that
he knew what Sylvester was coming to
talk about and deliberately poisoned
him in some way. That leaves him
just as bad off as before"
You know as we'll as I do that Sill
vester came there to talk about spring
ing Coston from the asylum. There
was no crooked business about the
election"
Ben shrugged. And you know that
1t isn't what we know that counts.
It's what the machine charges. Finley's
yarn about what Sylvester told him
will be impossible to disprove. 1t will
smear the judge worse than lampblack
Let me call Doc Hardy and see if he
found a bottle or container in Sill
vester's clothes"
Doc Hardy reported that he had not.
Ben hung the receiver up and said
briskly, Lets go to the Office and see
what we can find there"
Miss Jones was working late. She
assured Ben that no one had entered
the judges Office. Followed thirty
minutes of intense sleuthing. We pried
into every nook and corner of the Of
flee. There was not the slightest evil
dence of poison.
We were about through when the
door opened and Reginald Stanton en-
tered.
Have you found any evidence that
Will free the judge?" he asked anxious
ly.
Not a thing" Ben answered briefly.
I'm going to drop around and take
his cigars to him." Stanton said. He
said over the phone a little while ago
that he'd like to have them. They're
in the top drawer Of the desk" He
moved toward that spot, and then
stopped as Ben spoke firmly.
III have to ask you to buy some
new cigars. Nothing can be taken out
OF the room now"
Stanton's ford face flushed a little.
Il don't see what harm there is in
taking the judges cigars to him." he
SAID With asperlty. God knows he
should have that much comfort, any
way"
Right Ben agreed. He deserves
all the comfort he can have. Buy him
a whole box"
Stanton left, muttering something
about he senseleSS red tape Of the po-
lice department.
When he was gone Ben stood in
thoughtful silence for some time. Final
ly he went to the desk and picked
up the dead cigar that Sylvester had
in his mouth when he died. We've
looked everywhere else but at the thing
Sylvester had in his mouth when he
died."
That's one of the judges own cigars.
He was smoking one himself" l said.
Ben looked closely at the stump. 1t
had burned about halfway down before
gOin govt. Silvester'S teeth had not
cheWed the end a great deal.
The judge gave Sylvester a cigar,
and Sylvester died right after" Ben
said. Now the judge sends for his
cigars"
Sylvester asked him for one"
That's the judges story. But it
looks funny that he should send for his
cigars now. Let's see what they look
like" Ben went around to the drawer
and got the box.
The cigars were Of fine quality,
wrapped in heavy foil. The top layer
was gone and one out Of the second
Sylvester evidently got this one"
Ben said, tapping the vacant space in
the second layer.
What of it? The judge was smok-
ing n from the same box"
Il don't know what of it." Ben ad-
mitted. I've just got a bunch, that's
He picked up the stub end of
Silvester's cigar and carefully pulled
the tobacco open.
There wasn't much to see. Just to-
bacco, moist at the end where the
saliva had soaked in. Ben shifted at
it, but smelled nothing but tobacco.
With a slightly disappointed air he
laid the stub on the desk and took
one of the foil-wrapped cigars from
the box. He stripped the foil off and
once again looked disappointed. The
cigar was no different from ten million
other cigars. The leaf wrapper curled
smoothly and tightly over the end
meant for the smokers mouth.
For rent-one hunch," 1 chuckled.
Looks that way Ben muttered.
However, in his thorough way he fol-
lowed his bunch through to the end.
His fingers carefully shredded open the
end OF this cigar also.
For a moment he stared. Then
CALI, Q