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EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER PHILADELPHIA, MONDAY, JANUARY 19, 1920
f HE MIDDLE TEMPLE MURDER
A Vetective Story by J. b. Fletcher ,
1 1 it "nil
1 "e
? ii,'J
Ty.
TWtf GUMPS (hi With the Dance
..
:-
Copyright, 1020, by Tha Trlbuno Co.
Bu Sidney Smtfliij
I
wns eomo professionalism Id Spargo'a
curiosity, but thcro wo ulso a natural
dlsllko that a fcllow-belng should have
cn so unccrctnonioualy smitten out of
ho world,
Thcro was nothing very remarkable
about tho dead man's face. It was that
of a man of apparently (sixty to' slxty-
fil?',CarS i nBOi, pIaiu' cvcn homely of
(t h,c, cI?,n-shavcu, except for o
fr ngo of white whisker, trimmed, after
" oW:ftieh!oncd pattern, between the
car and the point of tho jaw. Tho only
remarkable thin? nliniit if m. h,i- u
v? 'ftlrtn. IUU Uiwi'"n - 1. --,., i. ..., . '" ".. fcMv .
this o3So ' i.o stopped longer man "" '"" iinca una seamed: tho wrin-
Innc. '."T.'i .ritii Hneket. who had klcs wero many and decn aroimrl t!i rnr.
maul
viiirl'.",f.. . nuMbi I.rdatr Co.
v ,. firran of Gray Paper
wile sparg0 lcIt th0 Walcbman
1 at 2 o'clock. The paper had
0ffico at - hothlnc
mM "recently promoted to a sub
or ?i'n to do after ho had. passed
tJitorbim. . j h ho n8 rcspon-
" .matter of fact ho could haTo
.iMc: is a matter ULmelllnC8 bcKan
W ffiter. But ho .generally hung
their cJafiiff until 2 o'clock -came. On
ibout, trP'Sg,i o morning of the 22.1 of
, 1.'"-'. .- Ill, WnrVo-. who lind 11C3 WWO inaDT nnii (fnKIl nrnmiJ !, nf.
' If the foreign news, nnd whoprs of tho lips and the angles of tho
tWi Jvillns him about u telegram
We . S iust come .through .from
'". What Ilnckct had to tea was
Dan",i?' Snargo lingered to hear alt
'"flnml to discuss6 it. Altogether
bou. 11 bejond 2:30 when he went
.Mrf h office? unconsciously puffing
out 01 "". ,'. i, rinrhpd tho
ejes; this man, you would have said to
jourself, has led a hard Hfo and wcath
creiJ storm, mental as well ns physical.
Driscoll nudged Spargo with a turn
?,fhis elbow. Ho gave him n wink.
Better como down to tho dcadhouse,"
u..,'.v.",v.eu connKenuaiiy.
""., UOIKU UUUriTU,
JK nund the high silence of St
r3',e." . n,l in TUnnmslitirr. Oil the
'P?5s. f Tiimsell sauare. Every night
d nW ,nornlnB bo-waked to and
from the Watchman office by the samo
oute-Southampton Row, Klngsway,
JTsirnnd. Fleet street. He carao to
jow several faces, especially among
Ih, police: he formed tho habit of ex
changing greetings with various ofliccrs
whom he encountered at regular points
j, he went slowly homeward, smoking
his ripe- And on this morning, ns ha
3rew near to Middle Teraplo lane, ho
taw a policeman whom h9 knew, one
DrUcoll, standing at the entrance, look
tog about him. Further away another
Miiiwman aDncarcd. sauntering. Dris
coll raised an arm and signaled ; then,
turning, be saw Spargo. He moved n
step or two toward him. Spargo baw
iicws in bis face.
"What is it?" nsked Spargo.
Driscoll jerked a thumb over his
shoulder, toward tho partly open door
of the lane. Within, Spargo saw a
man hastily donning a waistcoat and
iackct.
"He sajs," answered Driscoll. "him.
there tbo porter that there's a man
King in one of them entries down the
lane, ana no minus he s dead, liike
w, lie thinks he's murdered."
spargo ccnoed tne word.
"But what makes him think that?"
ho asled, peeping with curioitv beyond
Itoseoll's burly form. "WiiyV"
"tie tays tncre's blood about him,"
aaswerod Driscoll. He turned and
jlanced at the oncoming constable, and
then turned again to Spargo. "You're
t newspaper man, sir?" he suggested.
"I am," replied Spargo.
"lou'd better walk down with us."
taid Driscoll, with a grin. "There'll
tc something to write pieces in tho
"iper about. At least, there may be."
Spaigo made no answer.
lie continued to look down tbo lane.
vondenng what secret it held, until
Ihc other policeman came up. At the
fame moment the porter, now fully
(lotlicd, came out.
"Come rn!" bo said shortly. "I'll
thowjou."
UrUcoII murmured a word or two
l; I ho newly arrived constable, and
linn turned to the porter.
"How camo jou to lind him, then?"
lit ."cited.
Ihc poller jerked his head at the
ito'iv wliK'h they nere leaving.
"Nieartl that door slam," ho replied,
irritably, as if the fact which be men
li"iiU caused iiim offense. "I know I
ili'l! So I got up to look around. Then
-will, I taw that!"
lie raised a hand, pointing down tho
rtn 'I ia K.n . .ii
iuc uuLu uiun louowcu nis out
lane,
Stretched tineer. And Snnrcn H,n t,.,,.
a man'b foot, booted, gray-socked, pro-
" " entry on tne lett hand.
Making out there, just as you see
it now, said the porter. "I ain't
to'icbed it. And bo "
He paused nnd mnrtn n crimnno te
lit the memory of some unpleasant thing.
Unscoll nodded comurehendlnpli-.
And so jou went alone and looked?"
lie SUffffPStlwr T,ich o .. i..
in no it belonged to, as it might be."
UUjt iu sec wnnt tlicre iwas to
. aCffprl tlin Tinrlni. TI.U T .
there was blood. And then well, I
",, ,"l tI,e Iane t0 tcl1 onc of you
"I5et thing jou could hno done,"
w;d Druepll. "Well, now then -"
..iu iimc procession came to a halt
2i ent,r'; . Thc cr,tr-v 'ns n cold
?,? J?rm-al ,""ns o itsclf 5 I10t no
face to liu dead m, having glazed white
" ur us wans and concrete for its
iiwuntr: eoinethinir nhn,,t it., n.. ..
mi e in that gray mornius air suggested
,t'.i B0 tho ",,Pa of a mortuary. And
the man whose foot projected over
be step was , load ho had no doubt;
'"'limpness of his pose certified to it.
1 Or a mnmonf nnnn .nf tl.n ....
mcd or biioki. Tt,n ,. n m:.
!';'.(0-n-.t'1.0Ui'Iy Muck their thumbs in
twt-L .i "1"1 lna(Ie )'Itty wi' their
ffi:. ( Porter nibbed his chin
t?ufrifMlS,,'!rs') "nicmbcred nt
on. il '? ,n?'inS und of this ne
S'.tl . h'at"U 1,ut Ilis 1,ttnt3s in his
Md i.w ld besAn ,t0 ingle his oney
fhouri,7.kcsi Each mQU ha1 his own
t Inn3, "3 llc ,contcmplated tho piece
JUiuiuan wreckage which lay before
Dr'i'i'nil'11 no,,i!'e'" suddenly observed
a nu, l110tlce tbat hcs lyiuK there in
W t"ii!'sal"0c ns if-ns 'f he'd
a-inJU,Vtlerc" Sort oi Propped up
Cjile" ' at f'rSt' nd Uad slid
MlhaJfaSItak,ins in a11 the detaiN
f iJ hfeis,,ional ye" IIe sa t his
fareno.b,0(ly,o a i' nnn ; the
'a acjln.' l",n,C(1 a,,vay frora him. crushed
iS' V11' Klaze of the wall, but
of 5.C(1,th.e' man, to bo elderly because
" ia, Jl!Vir ,an,'1 itening wliisker;
Mil ",f c'otil,(,1 in, t'00'!. well-made
'. Rray rhcek cloth-tweed-and
1,, i .,',ff T. ?00,,i J"0' t00' w"s the
lrr LV'k'h ,l1pctoil from thc
n imr i ''."."H eo limply. One leg
'liVu '"."'W Vm,or.the body; the
t ',!,, ls "1,n't,;h'd htraight out across
thioUl; the trunks as twisted ta
ra t ih;fiV!litl ?,n?e ot thu
rdul i 'Jf a,ml t,, shoulder to
C ' ;h '' (1,a(1 B,l,nk were rriiRhed
.WinJi".0,,?1?.""'' 'tnins of blood.
1 kit , , " ..l"K",s ''.""' ut of his
'tn. . bit nt tnem.
ir,:iTir.i.W&
"If 'lt I ii '. uuillO out 01
fonshfd! oU,cr Policeman
ti,'i1!et.l7 wt tin- insnector horn" i,
, :-'1 "Ani II, .l-.x- . .. ". '
t W i,", "". "ocior am dha nmm.
!--; ucnu uin't he?"
1 Jj'teallv05" I? "I!0, '&' h0 rcmark
IS il',.lii,','"AmIStiff' t0- w".
iaitolJ'fiV,''1',1 ' lcctor nr.
I'?' Mor." ' tl,B '"""I-amhiilaucc
R'imovM I'yi'men rniuc with it;
W'ml ,C1, ,,?;1LfLtla!"'f"nce1tu
Srl'JIiK i .&,'ho.l'olU"i- nrrituged
IQ II
1l
-'T wondering
itSa'A'ft Ka.WHl'nt. Low LA r.,. .X
i.,""V IVMt u. l. ' t -".- r."vj.J
fftttr. .,,.1 .:"?'. "
the? time who
ESTS
VuiIP1",..! . .rrMtness. and tho first SO on. Hcln to wrltn thnt nWo ,"n fV,
ir,D'au.,i.;n,tn dawn was breaking I pupcr. eh?"
V 01 l"K "", .1 1.1-1, ..ilnnoft nf Rf Hlml-i-n l,n.!lt.J TT. t , , . , ....
i Ifli "v""cu' "c nnn nan a sun;
.?, i? !wor,k.', nnd untii his encounter
with Driscoll ho had cherished warm an
ticlpation of the meal which would be
I8'? ?".t for bim nt his rooms, and of the
bed into uhich ho would subsequently
tumble. Besides a telephone messago
would send a man from tho Watchman
to tho mortuary. This sort of thing
was not m his lino now, now
You'll bn for trntUnc nn H.mr,
big play-cards out with something about
n. mystery on it," suggested Driscoll.
"lou never know what He3 nt the bot
tom o' these affairs, no moro you don't."
xnat last observation decided Spargo;
moreover, the old Instinct for getting
news began to assert itself.
"All right," bo said. "I'll go along
with you."
And relighting his pipo he followed
the little corteec throtich thr streets.
Btill deserted nnd quiet, and as ho walked
Denina no rctiectea on tno unobtrusive
fashion in which murder could stnlk
about. Here was the work of murder,
no doubt, and it was being quietly car-
rieu aiong a principal Liondon thorough
fare, without fuss or noise, by officials
to whom the dealing with it wns all a
matter of routine. Surely
My oniuion." Raid a rnirfi nt
Spargo's elbow, "my opinion is that it
was uono elsewhere. rot there! tie
was nut there. That's what I ear."
Spargo turned and saw that the porter
was at nis side, lie, too, was accom
panying the body.
"Oh !" Baid Sparge. "You think "
"I think be wan struck down clse
whero and carried there," said the
porter. "In somebody's chambers, may
bo. I'vo known of some queer games in
our bit of. London! Well bo never
came in at my lodge last night I'll
stand to that. And who is be, I should
like to know? From what I see of
him, not the sort to be about our place."
"That's what we shall hrar pres
ently." said Spargo. "They're going to
search him."
But Snarco was nresentlv madn aware
that thc searchers had found nothing.
juiu ikjuuu surgeon saiu mat me ueau
man had, without doubt, been struck
down from behind by n terrible blow
which had fractured the skull nnd
caused death almost instantaneously. In
Driscoll's opinion, tho murder had been
committed for the sake of plunder. For
there was nothing whatever on the body.
It was reasonable to sunnose that n man
who is well dressed would possess u"
watch and chain, and hao money in
his pockets, nnd possibly rings ou his
lingers. But there wns nothing valuable
to be found ; in fact, there was nothing
nt all to bo found that could lend to
identification no letters, no papers,
nothing. It was lilain that whoever had
struck the dead man down had subse
quently stripped him of whatever was
on him. The only clue to possible
identity lay in the fact that a soft cap
of gray cloth a'ppeared to have been
newly purchased at a fashionable shop
iii the West End.
Spargo went home; there seemed to
be nothing to stop for. He ate his food
and he went to bed. on'v fo do noor
things in the way of sleeping. He was
not tne sort to ue impressed by horrors
but he recognized nt last that the morn'
ing's event had destrojed his chance of
rest; be accordingly rose, took a cold
bath, drank u cup of coffee, and went
put. He was not sure of nuy particular
idea when lie strolled away from
Bloomsbury, but it did not surprise him
when, half nu hour later ho found that
he bad walked down to the police sta
tion neur which thc unknown man's
body lay in tho mortuary. And there
he met Driscoll, just going olt duty,
Driscoll grinned at sight of him.
"You're in luck." lie said. " 'Tiwm'i
five minutes since they found a bit of
gray writing paper crumpled up in the
linni tllfln.L nlblnnn, n.!.tl 1 1. ,. .1
twv uiun a nuioaUHl liULtWtL It 11UU
slipped into a crack. Come in ami you'll
see it."
Spuigo went into thc inspector's of
fice. In another minute he found him
self staring at tho sctap of paper. There
was nothing on it but an address,
scrawled in pencil Itonald Breton,
Banister, King's Bench Walk, Temple.
London.
His First Brief
SPABGO looked up at the inspector
witli a quick jerk of his 1iead. "I
know this man," lie said.
The inspector showed new interest.
"What. Mr. Breton?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm ou the Watchman, you
know, subeditor. I took an article from
him the other day article on 'Ideal
Sites for Campers -Out.' He came to the
office about it. So this was in the dead
man's pocket?"
"Found ,in a hole in his pocket, I
understand : I wasn't present myself.
It's not much, but it may afford some
clue to ideutity."
Spargo picked up thc scrap of gray
paper and looked closely nt it. It seemed
to him to be thc sort of paper that is
found in "hotels and in clubs : it lind been
torn roughly frora the sheet.
"What," he usked 'meditntiu'ly,
"what will you do about getting this
man identified?"
The inspector shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh. usual thing, I suppose, Theie'll
be publicity, you know. I suppose jou'll
be doing a specinl account yourself, fur
your paper, eh? Then there'll bo the
others. And we shall put out tho usual
notice. Somebody will come forward to
identify sure to. And "
A man came into tho office a stolid -faced,
quictz-mannered, soberly tittired
person, who might have been n lespcctu
blo tradesman out for a stioll, and who
gave the inspector a sidelong nod as he
upproached his desk, at the same time
extending his baud towurd tho scrap of
paper which Spargo had just laid down.
"I'll go along to King's Bench Walk
and sec Mr. Breton," he observed, look
iuir at bis watch. "It's just about ten
I daresay he'll be there now."
"I'm going mere, too, rcmarhed
Spargo, but as if speaking to himself.
"Yes, I'll go there."
Tho newcomer glanced nt Spargo, uutl
then nt tho inspector. Tho inspector
nodded at Spargo.
(CONTlKUi:DTOJIOnilOW)
Tlw continuation of "Tho Daugh.
ter of Two Worlds" will bo found
elsewhere in this Issue,
ll-IMIWM I nil I " '
H
b NiCaHr - iYs THU VNHrrE CAT
THB ROBBER ON TH&OUD ftOUt
&KADPPn acmu Amis itur i c. OlkA
HAVrollo OOE CSPAOMY To SPRA.DA
FEED FIV ONUt FOR KlNCjS
N'T " FUNNN TO NAA.TCH
THE OANt&PtS? EVER 60DV
riAMMMd blEfcP.fePNYL.y- YWERE'SYHE
itREAMEfc- TNfcN YHG WJCft RUSSIAN DANCEfe
TUPM YMfc. PPMQVJ VJHO HINKi V.
RoUINto VTONe CrATHERS MOMoSS-
HE VTAV S I NON& PLACf -4-1- 'fc ' if"c
LOOK AY YWAY WRESYUNGr MATCH -
OMJ UOOUA.Y PAPA AND MAMA-EVeRWIMe
PAPA YURN5 AROUND 'MC UMi wi return
FOOY N YM AIR. LIKE ArWOUD SPAVIW&O
H0R.5E SEC TrVAT Brtqr viVif TNCCt -HESCt0TAO
PLAtE ON A CROWDED FUJOft
NWrYM YHO&e F-EET
HIS- WAS To STAND SID6WAY& QN
YWS CUR.&STONe WHEN WC'S WAlYINfcr
FOR A SYREEY CAR- Yo KEEP YN& WACrON&
OFF HSP-ET
rU
VMHAT WAVE WE HERE?
GET VQURSELF A CAUCW
YWiX K A MARfclEDCOUPlE
ALL WC7HY- YHEWRE NOT
L.VINC TO EACH 'oYHEfc
YHEVRE TEU.INC YHE
TRUTH ABOOT YhER
DANUNta -YNtirRE
WAY OUYOF
&TEP
- Y-HE-tR FEET CAN'T
t BVEM (jETAtOHI
V.
I ARE VOO ( NICE- OP VOO ANDY I
?u":"r.- IBtT.. V.r' iprrs ASM.UCH VNORHL AbiTi-ooK;
. rrWT won 1 1 "". 1 1-uwwo x .:.- r. ..- .... ..3 i
r TrlbiijVOANCER. J v wjhx oorHT nbhvm. 1 v OFFHISF-EET
iw" .ANtY?y r47S -H-K -- V 7T7Z77Z V step-- I
AND OANCC -Sfm && , T" Y r Y-MEtR FEET CAN'T I
1 - ' '
PETEY The Landldrd Almost Got His Just Deserts -:- -:- -:- -;- V C. A. Voight
SisYblvia has fe ( omeTw.ucoocmTeA 17m1 r P6 J j 3,PI"T ' 1 Vi WW
AtflEMW4CAUE mMMV B3)0UeT0B4COtS. IfCoiMCToK V -IOK l"7 KEEP OUlT I WfffWf
t "nTT WiOH.Tuz. ) The OMFoBTowAYe i J3cau.Nou A L VlKc' Vv V T s M IU ('W TTMtt V
I S Poor guv U5 MEVJ uewtete. JPLCEWCC - in ' -? 1 r " M V N?
Ar i
,
' 'J T
M-
..m
i.
m
ISkV
The Young Lady Across the Way
Tlw Toonervillc Trolley That Meets All the Trains -:- By Fontaine Fox I "rAp" "-""?-.r'- Health Improved -: :- fly Edtoitm Wk
'WJIifll I J,ifIonT -y -u. , fogHRfid ASKBSY fe(S !:
I iMwHWi fiNO IT 'RIGHT f ro acMoouiX I Jf he.-dovt you SFji Vf2l - 19
4fAT0- AWAY it's j.tABJ.6 f J , X- gagfr V.ei .!'.
A&&d? IttSJ V Ml) " ()"0) F"" 'VjS II ,ffi (ANDTWAPTERfV007) I FEEL -BETTER NOw) t'WA
MM P &v i jW i--u ' vV ? H.ij -ft tor wore! jf VeIcMOOL'.T !.1ai
Lit, dW&$2& skipper Duo pP0 A rir sPfe-L "JPjl? " m
' !2-A 'S&ZyiJ HAUF DOJ.J.AR IN THE H"S &SPH WmYW Pk HH
, " STRAW WHICH IS ABOUT frJk lOL U ' Hftf- &H
s TWO FEET DEEP ON THa CAR TviA HS To9" 9 HRfej a "Um
S FJ-ooT? MO THE CAK WAS HED ksS$ W&L ' V' HWB. 3 fj $J1
: i "i ziJ ii
The young lady across tho way
says half-soled shoes always look
bad, but they have a way now of re
placing tho cntiro tolur system so
neatly that it looks like new.
SOMEBODY'S STENOGShe Does Today's Strip All by Hersself
ComrH-M in0 hr TnWf(. TArr Cfc.
By Hayward
n
THERE! VLL I (SOT IMTO PRIA1T
AMYHOW AAJbl PROBABLV SAVED
THE CHIEFS OOB
roR HIM TOO !
MOT THAT I'LL
Set any Credit
..
l 6boDAllHTTHECilEF W
I nn Dcc'? UAC Crtuc-n.,,, ... . ,. ' I - t -ilk' - X CAAIT STAkir i-T- tL
" Rll&v! VUpvf flnT .-?!. EWE AMD I HAVE. To PPau 0 "THE S H 5p T & f 7
- r r . .. 1 XlU'CiPI c "TXrxAtvl i-"-" C . I h y
)0 uo Jufc.lHI46 Tf' i i-i iwa-i . ... i i--- i r jj S-- :-J s V . W$
- TODAY: I r - m- '(f LZ7- .
( -( in s v-s-
J ! I A-E-HAYWARb- C) Zj t ' j
I
DOROTHY DARN IT Modesty Is Not Her Middle Name
GEE SOAPY. YOU
LOOK LIKE You
WA'b PROMISED
SOMETHING AMD
THEN HAD TO
GIVE IT BACK
r
kav - i .,-, f - i -- ,
VI
--jr
AW THERE L
AIN'T MOUSE
TELLItJ YOU
THE CAUSE
OP MY
SAO MESS
Y
VMY"SOAPY'HERQoY
HOW CAUYOO TALK
THAT WAY? WHEN
You wa5 Sick. who
WA'a IT.YHAT HELPED
YOU EAT THE FRUIT I
PEOPLE BROUGHT
I CANT DEHy
IT, YOU DID,
BUT YOORE
NOT
INTERESTED
IN DREAMS
l , ,- '
xr
ttT
Ml
Y A
i'
U'20. by th Hell .Sjml.cate.
By Cha8. McManua
YES I Arl . didn't I
DREAM THAT IWA'S
A TELEPHONE, GIRL.
A 5H0OTIW
GALLERY?
'.
-- "vr "ht
L ( -ro-., . n i I
HARE rrSlT LAST" WHAI uiu
f NIGHT! r3 1 5AV9
IN A 5H0OTIW r- DREAEDTHAT ' ?
I GALLERY? p-5 I TALKED TO
L-r L. !LA -K -riilSr' . k &! i
.. fc. 'v-" " -V. PWiH " 1 Z ' ' 11 " " " A. I 'J ' 1
'MmiM -in- -iTiT'iTfi inffrri" U , . V
VlJ
4
;
55
lf
SiM-Sf-
,,e -