' i' ,' . il"! J A w 5 ' ' , IL, VI . k j. - : " -V" J-i. W EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER-PHILAJ3ELPHIA, TUESDAY, JANUARY ;27, 1920 It jlt-i THE MIDDLE TEMPLEMURDER A Detective Story by J. S. Fletcher CcvvriaM, Itit. Fred A. Knopf. Cffinw" """' bv ' toiwer Co. SYNOPSIS ' Tfaofc Spargo, a young London Htaspeperman, reluming homo from (j work late one night, is attracted hi a couple of men peering into the dark corner of an alleyway. Invcsli .At.Vtn thoiccd a man reclining against k wtlt, ile"1' murdered, jt teemed. In Ills toclct is found the name and ad Jrcit, "Ronald Breton, Bairtstcr, King's Jleiich Walk, Temple, Lon don." Spargo, Detective Rathbury end Btcton visit the mortuary where the murdered van is lying, lircton isstrts ho does not know him. Spargo htan Breton argue his first case in court, and is introduced to his fiancee tni sister, Evelyn and Jessie Ayl uore. A. tisit is made to the hotel ulitre the dead man stopped and rtaiilcrcd as "John Marbury." He received but one visitor, a tall well dressed man. lie ordered whisky and odd and paid for it from a handful of loicreigrts, but he hadn't a penny piece 0 him when ho was found tliad. Xothing i Known of him, but that he Jim just arrived from Australia. He tisited a Mr. Cardlcstonc, of the Temple, a few doors from where he teas found dead, Spargo bends every tntrgy to discover the murderer as iII as supply his paper with the pgipj, can sve nuinwiy in itiu u-ug of clues," remarked Breton, "Do yout" (AND HEBE IT CONTINUES) SPARGO sent a spiral of scented smoke into the nlr. "I want to know an awful lot," lie said. "I'm hungering for news. I wont to know who John Marbury is1. I want to know what he did with him self between the time when he talked out of the Anglo-Orient Hotel, ulive anil -well, and the time when lie was found in Middle Temple Lane, with his skull beaten in and dead. 1 want to know where ho got that scrap of pnper. Aboic everything, Breton, I want to know what he'd got to do with jou !" He gne the young barrister a keen look, and Breton nodded. "les," he said. "I coufess that's a corker. But I think " "Well?" said Spargo. "I think ho may have been a man ttho had some legal business in hand, or in prospect, and had been recom mended to me." said Breton. Spargo smiled a little sardonicnliy. "That's good I" he said. "You had jour very first brief yesterday. Come jour fame isn't blown nbioud through ill the heights jet, my friend ! Besides don't intending clients approach Un't it strict etiauctte for them to ap proach? barristers through solicitors?" "Quite right in both jour remarks." replied Breton, good-humorcdlv. "Of tourse, I'm not known a bit, but all the same I've known several cases where a birrister has been approached in the first instance and asked to recommend a solicitor. Somebody who wanted to do me a good turn may have given this man mv address." "Possible," said Spargo. "But he wouldn't have come to consult you at midnight Breton ! the more I think of it, ths more I'm certain there's a tre mendous mystery in tills affair ! That's why I got the chief to let mo write it up as I have done here. I'm hoping that this photograph though to be sure, it's a dead face and this fac simile of tho scrap of paper will lead to somebody coming forward who can Just then one of the uniformed youths who hang about the marble -pillared vestibule of tho Watchrann office came into the room with the unmistakable look and air of one who carries news of moment. "I dare lay a sovereign to a cent that I know what this is." muttered Spargo in an aside. "Well?" he said to the boy. "What is it?" Tho uiessengci'i came up to the desk. "Mr. Spargo," he said, "thcro's a man downstairs who savs thnt he wants to see somebody about that murder case that s in tno paper tnis morning, sir. Mr. Barrett said j was,to como to j-ou." "Who is the man?"' asked Spargo.. "Won't say, sir," replied the boy. "I gave liltn a form to fill up, but he said he wouldn't write anything said all he wanted was to see the man who wrote the piece in the paper." "Bring him here." commanded Spar go. He turned to Bretou when the boj had gone, and he smiled. "I knew we should have somebody hero sooner or later," he said. "That's why I hurried over my breakfast and came down at 10 o'clock. Now then, what will you bet on the chances of this chap's in formation proving valuable?'' "Nothing," replied Breton. "Ho's probably bomo crank or fnddist who's got some theory that ho wants to ven tilate." The man who was presently ushered la by the messenger seemed from pre liminary and outward appearance to justify Breton's prognostication. Ho Si2btioiuljr P.wuntryman, a tall, "Kwcly built, middle-aged man, yellow hair, bluo of eye, who was wearing his Sunday-best array of pearl-gray trou pers and black coat, and sported a neck tie in which were several distinct col ors. Oppressed with the splendor and graudeur of tho AVatchmatf building, he had removed his hard billycock hat as .L1 ?"f V10 by nna d"ed his bare head at the two young men as he step- Em,11 t0. th. thlfk piIc of lll CRrPet which made luxurious footing in Spar- u?i,w0m' !!,1 bluo TO Pncu their widest, looked round him in astonish meiit at the sumptuousness of modem iienstmpci-ofllco accommodation. ,.iV.?w d0i'0U do' 8lr?" sM Spargo, pointing a hngcr to one of the easy chalis for which the Wutehraan office is famous. "I understand that jou wish to see ine? The caller iliukrwl l.lu ,.n. i. .i .,.,! . .1... : - .; ., 'V"" " 5 !' , """" "u tll(, C"SC " tho chair, pnt his hat on the floor, picked It tin ..... u..,. I'luii-jiurru 10 naiig it on His knee and looked at Spargo innocently and sltjly. "What 1 want to see, sir," ho ob sercd in a rustic accent, "is tho gen tlciran as wrote that piece In jour newspaper about this here murcJer in Middle Temple lane." "You sec him," said Spargo. "I am that man. ' The caller smiled generously. "Indeed, sir?" lie said. "A very nice bit of reading. I'm sure. And wliat might your name be, now, sir? I can Jilunjs talk frcc-cr to a man when I know what his name Is." "Si can I." answered Spargo. "My name is Spargo Frank Spargo. What's jours?" ,"Namo of Webster, sir William Hcbster. I farm ut One Ash farm, at Gosberton, in Oakshirc. Me and my wife." continued Mr. Webster, again smiling nnd distributing his smile be tween both his hearers, "is nt picsont in London on u holiday. And verv pleasant we find it weather and all." "That's right." said Snareo. "And you wanted to see mo about this mur der. Mr. Webster?" "I did. sir. Me. I believe, knowing, as I think, something that'll do for jou to put in jour paper. You see, Mr Spargo, it come about in this fashion happen jou'll be for me to tell it in my own way." "That." answered Spargo, "is pre cisely what I desire." "Well, to bo sure. I couldn't tell it itino other." declared Mr. Webster. "You see, sir, I read jour paper tnis morning while I was waiting for my breakfast they take their breakfasts so Into in them hotels and when I'd read it and looked at the pictures, I says to my wife 'As soon as I've had my breakfast,' I siijr, 'I'm going to where they print this newspaper to tell em something.' 'Aye?' she says, 'Why. whnt have jou to tell, I should like to know?' just liko that, Mr. Spargo." "Mrs. Webster." Faid Spargo, "is a lady of business-like principles. And whnt hao jou to tell?" Mr. Webster looked into tho crown of Ins hat. looked out of it nnd smiled knowing! . "Weil, sir," he continued, "last night my wife, she went out to a part they call Clupham, to take her tea and supper with an old friend of hers as lives there, and us they wanted to have a bit of woman-talk, like, I didn't go. So thinks I to myself I'll go nnd see this hero House of Commons. There was a neighbor of mine as had told me that all you'd got to do was to tell the Doliccmau at the door that jou wanted to see your own member of Parliament. So when I got there I told 'cm that I wanted to see our M. P.. Mr. Stonewood jou'll have heard tell of him, no doubt; lie knows mo very well uud they passed me and I wrote out a ticket for him, and they told rac to sit down while thev found him. So I sat down In a grund soit of hnll where there were a rare lot of people going and codling and some fine pictures and Imuges to look at, and for a time I looked at them and then I began to take n bjt of notice nf the folk near at hand, waiting, you know, like mjself. And as sure as I'm a christened man, sir, the gentleman whose picture you've got in jour paper him as was murdered was sitting next to me! I knew that picture as soon as I saw it this morning." Spargo, vho had been making un meaning scribbles on a block of paper, suddenly looked nt his visitor. "What time was that?" lie asked. "It was between a quarter nnd half past i). sir," answered Mr. Webster. "It might ha' been twenty past it might ha' been twenty-five past." "Go on, if jou please," said Spargo. "Well, sir. me and this here dead gentleman talked a bit. About what a 'ong time it took to get a member to attend to you, and such -like. I made mention of the fact that I hudn't been in there before. 'Neither have I !' he says; 'I came in out of curiosity,' he says, and then he laughed, sir queer like. And it was just after that that what I'm going to tell you about hap pened." "Tell," commanded Spargo. (CONTINUKD TOMORROW) THE GUMPS Putting Out the "Welcome" Mat Copyright, 1020, by The Trlbuns Co, By Sidney Smith - iii - i n ii - r - f-r-i wkV.iaA 6u- How ARE Vou? lifP WW "V'XufcZ, .M ,,,,11 W N- Voo DON'T WMftBER ME Wi "i," B SrTf S I WUtW' tllllP TONINfer UP- SOfAF-Oil ftM MOTWCfr'S. UhiSSaKss cimurh Aiitu.c a.is ru.c OVfc M I ft.1 IV k vv JSS: 7Ht HINGES - SON IN LAW. vTffililll If BREAt) ISQOM& VO KAAK& YOU-jjrJlllOl LIKE MOTHER VV-" VOU'LU BE- YNE- CHAIRMAN OP ilHiP COO UK& THE m . CUBANS YOU If -" THE RCEPYION COfAMITYEE . I s -- V Jf& OF DEN S . 1 J XT u .tfi ' i M PETEY Fresh Air, Plus Fresh Ice By C. A. Voight DREAMLAND ADVENTURES THE GIANT OF MOV I ELAND lly DADDY (Peggy, Billy, the Giant of the Woods and their animal and bird friends come upon a mysterious, foiry-like city in the rocky hills, and tnter it to exploro it.) CHAPTER II The Woeful Man rfIC gates of the fairy-liko mysteri ous ftv Tzrnro eif imn nnA TirAr lnrf-. They were locked tight when the Giant u me woods led Peggy nnd Hilly to m, and though he rattled and shook tnem he could not open them. Bpslrif, tha ala .Dan n tpitmnaf nnrl helow the trumpet was n sign. The tign read : it ye would tho city charming know, Take ye this trumpet and blow, blow, D10W!" .,"Bgy took down the trumpet and Blew, blew, blew until she was blue m the face but not a sound did she make. . ?Ry took the trumpet from Peggy na blew, blew, blew until he was blue w the face, but not u sound did he tosio. .. '-Then tho Giant of the Woods took the tTumpet from Billy and ho blew, Wew, blew until such a ringing blast me from the horn that It filled the wy Charming and awakened a thou and echoes in the hills beyond. At aPPwently the echoes wero all It ?C ?an. for not a person stirred in Jfte fairy-iike, mysterious town. If the people were asleep they certainly were "fpine soundly. Aguia the Giant of tho Woods placed ne trumpet to his lips, nnd again n nyshty blast screamed through the stilly ir and came roaring back from the eChlUtfl In U 1.111. T)..i. ILL. At it. t, ----- w mo uuia. jufc mia iimo me .1 "'caused one thing to fctir and this tflW"? was 'ho sign beside tho 'gate. 1 U DObbed llhnitf In tl, u.tn nn.l fl,,l1 flopped over, showing another message printed on' the back. This metsage read : If ye can blow such a mighty blow e can smash the gates, I'd have ye know." thf'ifF "ttl ibis message nloudnnd trSS,.1n ?, '"Woods laid aside tho wuapet, and put ,hla shouMe? to the gates. lie gavo a strong heave, and the gates burst open. Into tho City Charm ing marched Peggy, Billy. Halky Sam, Billy Goat, Johnny Bull, nnd the birds. They found the place still more mys terious as they walked through the silent streets. Thcro were pretty houses set amid neat lawns and gardens, but not a person wns within them. There wero churcnes nut no preacner or people. There were factories but no workers. There were business streets but no mer chants or shoppers. There were amuse ment parks, but no merry-makers. There wero forts and cannon, but no soldiers. Altogether it was a aueer. creepy sort of a city, and Peggy and Hilly wondered what could have hap pened to all the folks who had dwelt therein. Finally as thcy.camo to a corner there came a groaning. The Giant stretched his long neck and looked around the corner. In a moment be pulled his head back and bent over to whisper to Peggy and Billy. "It is a man," he said, "and be seems to De niicu witn woe." Peggy and Billy slyly poked their beads around tno corner, and they, too, saw the woeful man. He was sitting in the middle of the street, bis Oriental robe partly covering his head, and ho was rocking back nnd forth on his heels as no groaned most bitterly. "Ah mo! Ah mc!" wailed tho woe. ful man. "Here is our charming movie city an mint, and an tnings prepared to make the most thrilling photoplay In all tho world, when alas, alack, my players are taken sick with tho measles and 1 navo no actors to make mv wnn. uenui movie. Billy's eyes suddenly cleamed with excitement as ne turned to l'cggy. "lie Is a moving picture mnker." whispered Billy. "And he can't make nis picturo because no Has no actors to pose tor it. "Poor man I Wo will be movlo actors and make bis picture for him," ex claimed Ptggy. And she darted forward to comiori tno woeiui man, fTomorrow will ha told how they become movie actors and learn abt ' the Giant of Ae HovhsJ f-?eTe dea, Woo've Beew -" f 1 WW ' Vr- " svttiug Roowt Tfte house all. -v u- ?&$ CSfo$ - ' wW So soon-? J DAV NOO'tLCETSlCVi VJHV f . $ f f - a W4 COQDUESS, 1 Sou'TOUTAkeWUc-XT'tc I ( J ) .irN H1 ( 3 1 UTTUBVAMJlL 1 ' ' " " "" ' I I. - III I. II - 'Em -: The Young Lady Across the Way WHEN THE NEIGHBORHOOD JACK DEMPSEY TACKLED THE NEIGHBORHOOD CARPENTIER -:- -:- -:- By FONTAINE FOX "CAP" STUBBSYou Just Can't Account for Ui Edioina llmIUWin I "DONT FIGHT OUT HERE! 7H fl 1 I JjmmWil yuh 0ooss!coMEovKm M JAtrr- -r-J(? -. . , sWj - ' 4L1 ' 1 - ' " V with teacher'. fC1' HY BARN 1'J.K CHARGE A Vft A. ' tG --:- ": rJ NICKLE A0MI5SION ANCUAKANrfi: ?J C-Slr? R , ' x ACH UV YUHA DIME. ". . miLJ mftk 4 says this is an age of combination I R . IV-V. ' 'JtM 4k X WJpiR ' I though sonic of the girls still like " fi f .JS O W IS TO ViOE.lMtf the separate garments. rl'm lO "jK S?i ep?" 1 SOMEBODY'S STENOGNewt, . . : ' I ) 1 "" Copyrlcht. 1020. by Public Jger Co. By HpyiDQTd goodaiight: tfiRLs.'F-' t- i 'just look UrTs t w-r ic ,t? Dc e i m imct , j- K Sf WM A'MmrJw -m-: tY . - isjkwsem -jr?- i a v w r y ,v-x yw m s- a I ' i j un mi & w- -. ' .-,. ss - v .... - ' & ' y a 7. A A ." :; ' -S&L 'A TH ' ,' ro' a M- J f BW i ' l) -.1 ':-. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers