( No. 27 )

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

Or

The Ordeals of Adele

Short Synopsis

Herbert Ashton is a retired millionaire and the intimate friend of John Hudson a chemical inventor. Hudson is at work upon an invention by means of which the sewage and all refuse of large cities will be almost instantaneously dissolved; he is assisted in his work by Stephen Dane, a brilliant young scientist, but a man of cold, calculating character. In an experiment in his laboratory Hudson dissolves in a tank bones, leather and all kinds of refuse in almost an instant.

Ashton dies suddenly and leaves Hudson as the guardian of his daughter Adele, and the administrator of his immense fortune.

Dane conceives a daring plan for defrauding Hudson of the credit for his invention and gaining control of Adele's money; he abducts Adele and has her kept a prisoner by a gang of confederates. He places in Hudson's experimenting tank a peculiar shaped jewel which Adele was accustomed to wear. The jewel is found there by the police. Suspicion attaches to Hudson. He is arrested and charged with the murder of Adele. Julian Bennett, the young lawyer who drew Ashton's will and is in love with Adele, believes Hudson innocent and suspects Dane of foul play. Adele, through a newspaper in the hands of one of her captors, learns that Hudson, her guardian is being charged with her murder. This leads to a series of episodes thru which are traced the attempts of Adele to escape, the efforts of Julian to locate and rescue her, the methods by which Adele's captors spirit her away to new hiding places when they find that Julian is close on their trail; and showing the manner in which Dane and Gaspard keep in communication by means of pocket wireless, an invention which Dane has perfected, also the ordeals of Hudson in prison and on trial and his sentence to the electric chair, leading up to the climax of Julian's rescue of Adele and their racing against time and into the prison just as Hudson is being strapped in the chair.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE

Or

The Ordeals of Adele

(No. 27)

Plot

Herbert Ashton, a retired millionaire, and John Hudson, a chemical inventor, have been intimate and confidential friends since their days together at college. Ashton has devoted himself to money making and has become very rich. Hudson has devoted his life to science and remained relatively poor.

Ashton is a widower with a beautiful daughter of nineteen or twenty, who is his only child and the sole heir to his immense fortune. Hudson has remained a bachelor, but he loves Ashton's daughter as though she were his own.

Hudson is at work on a chemical invention which, if successful will prove a universal solvent, and will greatly simplify the sewage problems of large cities, especially those that have no adequate natural drainage. It is his plan to have all the sewage and refuse of cities conducted to large chemical tanks of his invention and there entirely dissolved, leaving nothing but a clear, pure liquid as a residue. In this way he intends to do away with the pollution of rivers and harbors and lakes, to make methods and means of sanitation absolutely effective, and thus add to the general well being of humanity.

Hudson's great plan has become Ashton's main interest in life. His interest and enthusiasm are so intense that he

-2-

Circumstantial Evidence or
The Ordeals of Elaine (No. 27)

spends most of his time in Hudson's laboratory talking over
the invention and watching the experiments. Ashton has also
furnished Hudson with the greater part of the money necessary
for carrying on the experiments, building models, etc.
Ashton is accompanied by his daughter, Adele, on these visits
to Hudson's laboratory.

Hudson is assisted in his work by Stephen Dane, a brilliant young scientist. Dane is shrewd and subtile, cold and calculating. He fully comprehends the importance of Hudson's invention and he is deeply envious of the world-wide scientific fame which he sees that Hudson will gain by his discovery. However, by his ability as a scientist and his suave manners, he wins the entire sonfidence of both Hudson and Ashton. Dane also takes advantage of every opportunity that is offered to force his attention upon Adele, but she with feminine instinct divines his true nature and shrinks from him.

Ashton feels that his health is failing, so he has his final will drawn by Julian Bennett, the distinguished young partner of the great firm of Carlton, Brewster and Bennett. Young Bennett is gifted with a decidedly analytical turn of mind, and has already gained distinction in ferreting out the motives involved in curious crimes. The will provides that in case of his (Ashton's) death the guardianship of Adele and the administration of her fortune shall devolve upon Hudson until the time that she (Adele) shall marry; and, in case Hudson should die before Afele marries the administration of her fortune shall devolve upon Dane. The will also provides that the sum of one million dollars be set apart for perfecting and developing

-3-

Circumstantial Evidence or

Hudson's incantation. Finally, in case of Adele's death be-
fore her marriage, one half of the entire fortune to go to t
the guardian and administrator and the other half to charity.

In consulting with Ashton about the will, Julian sees
Adele. They are drawn toward each other by a powerful mu-
tual attraction. At one of the experiments in Hudson's
laboratory a quantity of bones, hides and refuse of all kinds
is placed in the experimenting tank and the chemical solution
and electric currents turned on; the matter placed in the
tank is almost instantaneously dissolved and a pure, clear
liquid is left as a residue. Hudson and Ashton are jubilant,
Dane is speculative.

Ashton dies suddenly. Adele comes to live with Hudson,
her guardian. Dane presses his attentions upon her. She
constantly repulses him. Dane watches Hudson's invention
fast approaching perfection. He runs across a copy of Ash-
ton's will and reads it carefully. He conceives a daring
plan, being actuated by a triple motive; first, to defraud
Hudson out of the credit for his great invention; second, to
gain control of Adele's millions; third, to ultimately marry
Adele.

Adele is accustomed to drive her motor through the coun-
try. Dane meets her on a lonely road, hails her and asks
that she take him back to the city. She consents. As soon
as Dane is in the car he seizes Adele, snatches her from the

-4-

Circumstantial Evidence or
The Ordeals of Adele (No. 27)

wheel, takes control of the car and drives furiously, while
she struggles with him, to the rendezvous of Gaspard and
Mag, the confederates with whom he has previously arranged.

Adele is made a prisoner, she struggles with her cap-
tors. Mag handles her rather roughly. Dane snatches
from Adele's neck a large peculiar shaped jewel which she
always wore on a chain. The chain breaks. Dane puts the
jewel in his pocket and throws the bits of chain over into
a corner of the room in which Adele is now confined.

Dane and Gaspard leave Adele with Mag to watch over her,
and they take the car, weight it down with iron, drive it
into the river and sink it. Dane then returns to Hudson's
laboratory and steathily places the jewel in the experiment-
ing tank.

Adele is missing. The newspapers are full of it. The
police investigate. They find the jewel in the experiment-
ing tank. It is identified as belonging to Adele. Suspicion
attaches to Hudson. He is placed under arrest and charged
with Adele's murder.

Julian also investigates. He believes Hudson innocent
and believes Dane guilty of foul play.

Hudson goes to prison. Dane continues to work at per-
fecting the great invention, he, however, keeps in secret
touch with Gaspard by means of a pocket wireless, an invent-
ion which he has perfected. Julian devotes his entire time

-5-

Circumstantial Evidence or

The Ordeals of Adele (No. 27)

and energy to locating and rescuing Adele; he is actuated
by two motives, he is in love with Adele and he is working
to save Hudson from probable condemnation for her murder.
He keep close watch on Dane.

Dane goes secretly to the rendezvous to see Adele. He
still presses his attentions on her. She spurns him. He
threatens. Dane goes out for a moment leaving his overcoat
in the room where Adele is confined. She hastily searches
the pockets but finds only a newspaper. She reads with hor-
ror that her guardian is in prison charged with her murder,
with having done away with her in his laboratory. After Dane
leaves she plans to make her escape. She makes an attempt
that night, and almost succeeds in reaching Julian but is re-
captured by Gaspard and Mag.

Gaspard and Mag learn that Julian is on their scent so
they spirit Adele away in a submarine. When Julian succeeds
in locating the rendezvous the birds have flown. He finds
no clew except the few links of gold chain in the corner,
which he believes to belong to Adele.

Julian again takes up the trail. In the meantime Hud-
son's trial is proceeding on up to his conviction and sentence
for execution on a certain day and hour. Julian, after many
attempts and failures involving hair breath escapes, combating
the cunning and daring of Gaspard and the keen calculations