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Show THE BOX ELDER NEW8, THURSDAY, TWO almost Insane fury governable, seemed to possess the man as he stood over the prostrate footman, 8YNOP8IS. The New York police are mystified by a. aeries of murders and other crimes. The clue to the criminal is the warn. principal In letter which Is sent the victims, with a "clutching hand." The lat-- , signed eat victim of the mysterious assassin is Taylor Dodge, the Insurance presidents His daughter, Elaine, employs Craig Kennedy, the famous scientific detective,Ken-to What try to unravel the mystery. nedy accomplishes is told by his friend James, a newspaper man. By an ingen-- , lous ruse Clutching Hand smuggles Into Elaines home a flask of liquid air which she supposes to be a package of valuable papers. It blows open the safe in which it is placed, but Kennedy arrives in time to prevent the robbery. The detective-narrowlmisses detCtn in his apartment Where Clutching Hand has placed a shot, gun so that it Is fired by the electrlcali connection formed when Kennedy plaoesi his bands on a framed photograph of, Elaine. fifthIpisode The Poisoned Room! Elaine and Craig were much together during the next few days. Somehow or other. It Beemed that the chase the Clutching Hand Involved long; conferences In the Dodge library, and) even. In fact, extended to excursions! Into the notoriously crime-infesteneighborhood of Riverside drive, with: Its fashionable procession of automo-- ! biles and as far north, ln--j deed, as that desperate haunt known! as Grants tomb. But to return to the more serious' side of the affair. Kennedy and Elaine had scarcely! come out of the house and descended the steps, one afternoon, when a sinister face appeared in a basement areaway near by. It was the Clutching Hand. He wore a telephone Inspectors hat, and coat and carried a bag slung by a, strap over his shoulder. For once he had left off his mask, hut, In place of it, his face was covered by a scraggy! black beard. The disguise was effecOf go-car- tive. He saw Kennedy and Miss Dodge and slunk unobtrusively against a! railing, with his head turned away.; Laughing and chatting, they passed.) Then he turned in the other dlrec-- j tion and, going up the steps of the' Dodge house, rang the bell. Telephone inspector, he said in a loud tone as Michael, in Jennlngs,; place for the afternoon, opened the door. . He accompanied the wordB with the1 sign, and Michael admitted him. As It happened, Aunt Josephine was She was) upstairs in Elaines room. fixing flowers In a vase on the dressing table of her idolized niece. Meanwhile, Rusty, the collie, lay, half blinking, on the floor. Who la this?" she asked, as Michael led the bogus telephone inspector into the room. A man from the telephone company," he answered deferentially. Aunt Josephine, unsophisticated, allowed them to enter without a further' ' cursing. Get up! he ordered. Michael obeyed, thoroughly cowed. Take me to the cellar, now, he demanded. Michael led the way from the room without a protest, the master criminal following him closely. Down into the cellar, by a bach Way, they went. Clutching Hand still wearing his muzzle and Michael saying not a word. Suddenly Clutching Hand turned on him and seized him by the collar. Now, go upstairs, you, he muttered, shaking him until his teeth fairly chattered, and If you watch me again Ill kill you! He thrust Michael away, and the, footman, overcome by fear, hurried; upstairs. Still trembling and fearful,) Michael paused In the hallway. He put his hand on his face where the Clutching Hand bad struck him; Then he waited, muttering to himself. As he thought it over, anger took the, place of fear. He slowly turned in the direction of the cellar. Meanwhile, Clutching Hand was) standing by the electric meter. He) examined it carefully, feeling where, the wires entered and left it, and; starting to trace them ouL At last he came to a point where it seemed; suitable to make a connection for some purpose he had In mind. Quickly he took some wire from hia bag and connected It with the electric, light wires. Next, he led these wires, concealed, of course, along the cellar floor. In the direction of the furnace. The furnace was one of the old hot air heaters and he paused before It as though seeking something. Then he bent down beside it and uncovered a little tank. He thrust his hand gingerly Into it, bringing It out quickly. The tank was nearly full of water. Next from his capacious bag he took two metal poles, or electrodes, and fastened them carefully to the ends of the wires, placing them at opposite ends of the tank in the water. For several moments he watched. The water inside the tank seemed the same as before, only on each electrode there appeared bubbles, on one bubbles of oxygen, on the other of hydrogen. The water was decomposing under the current by electrolysis. Another moment he surveyed his work to see that he had left no loose ends. Then he quietly let himself out of the house. The next morning Rusty, who had been Elaines constant companion since the trouble had begun, awakened his mistress by licking her hand as it hung limply over the side of her bed. She awakened with a start and put her hand to her head. She felt ill. Poor old fellow," she murmured, half dazedly. Rusty moved away again, wagging his tail listlessly. The collie, too, felt FEBRUARY 4, Well. added Craig, "you see, MiDoctor Hayward had arrived and chael has become infuriated by the had Just finished taking the patients pulse and temperature as our cab treatment he received from the Clutching Hand. I believe he enffed him In pulled up. the face yesterday. Anyway, he saya Elaine was quite ill Indeed. "Oh! Im so glad to see you," she he has determined to get even and bebreathed with an air of relief as Ken- tray him." I did not like the looks of the nedy advanced. Why what is the matter T asked thing, and said so. "Craig, I objected vehemently, "dont go to meet him. Craig anxiously. It Is a trap. Doctor Hayward shook his head duKennedy had evidently considered biously, hut Kennedy did not notice him, for, as he approached Elaine, she my objection already. It may be a trap, he replied slowdrew from the covers where she had concealed it a letter and handed it to ly, "but Elaine Is dying and weve got to see this thing through. him. As he spoke, he took an automatiq Craig took it and read: from a drawer of a cabinet and thrust To"You are sick this morning. morrow you will be worse. The next it Into his pocket Then he went to day you will die unless you discharge another drawer and took out several sections of thin tubing, which seemed Craig Kennedy." At the signature of the Clutching to be made to fasten together as a Hand he frowned, then, noticing Doc- fishing pole is fastened, but were now tor Hayward, turned to him and re- separate, as if ready for traveling. Then he went out. 1 followed, still peated his question, What is the matter? arguing. If you go, I go, I capitulated. Doctor Hayward continued shaking his head. I cannot diagnose her "Thats all there is to it. Following the directions that Misymptoms, he shrugged. There seemed to be a faint odor, al- chael had given over the telephone, most as If of garlic, In the room. It Craig led me Into one of the toughest was unmistakable and Craig looked parts of the lower West side. "Heres the place, he announced, about him curiously, but said nothing. As he sniffed, he moved Impatiently stopping across the street from a and his foot touched Rusty, under the dingy Raines law hotel. bed. Rusty whined and moved back "Pretty tough," I objected. Are you lazily. Craig bent over and looked sure? at hhn. Quite, replied Kennedy, consulting Whats the matter with Rusty? he his notebook again. asked. Is he sick, too? Reluctantly 1 followed and we enWhy, yes, answered Elaine, fol- tered the place. 1 want a room," asked Craig as lowing Craig with her deep eyek we were accosted by the proprietor, down reached and Craig gently pulled the collie out Into the room. comfortably clad in a loud checked Rusty crouched down close to the suit and striped shirt sleeves. I had 1 floor. His nose was hot and dry and one here once before think. feverish. He wag plainly 111 How long has Rusty been In the I began to correct Fifty room? asked Craig. Kennedy trod hard on my toes. All night, answered Elaine. "I he repeated. Yes, The proprietor called a stout negro wouldnt think of being without him now. all comporter, waiter and bined in one, who led us upstairs. May I take Rnsty along with me? "Forty-nine- , Craig asked finally. sab, he pointed out, Elaine hesitated. "Surely, she said as Kennedy dropped a dime Into hlq at length, "only be gentle with him." ready palm. "Of course, he said simply. "I The negro left us, and as Craig thought that I might be able to dis- started to enter, I objected. "But, cover the trouble from studying him. not Craig, It was We stayed only a few minutes This is the wrong room. I know it, he replied. I had it longer, for Kennedy seemed to realize the necessity of doing something Im- written In the book. But I want forty-nin- e now. Just follow me, Walter. mediately, and even Doctor Hayward was fighting in the dark. Nervously I followed him Into the Back In the laboratory, Kennedy set room. to work immediately, brushing everyDont you understand? he went is probably just thing else aside. He began by draw- - on. "Room forty-nin- fifty-nin- e, p forty-nin- e. forty-nin- e - i discu Oh! Be careful! crle lous for him. I will, he called bac As he flashed his pocli about, his gaze fell on meter. He paused be astral spite of the fact that it It was running, daylight, "Oh, thats all right, he answered casually. "If I dont scratch myself, 1 puckered. They are using no curi am safe enough. I could swallow the stuff and It wouldnt hurt me unless ent in the house, he rum I had an abrasion of the Ups or some the meter is running. He continued to examim Internal cut Kennedy continued to examine thq Then he began to follow dart until suddenly I heard a low ex- wires along. At last he clamation of surprise from him. In- place where they had beej side the hollow quill was a thin sheet with and tapped by other The work of the Clutc of tissue paper, tightly rolled. He he muttered. drew it out and read: "To know me Is Death. Eagerly he followed th the furnace and around ti "Kennedy Take Warning. Underneath was the inevitable There they led right in water tank. Kennedy yai Clutching Hand sign. We Jumped to our feet Kennedy out. As he did so he p rushed to the window and slammed it thing with them. Two electrodes the vil shut, while I seized the key from Michaels pocket opened the door.and there, he exclaimed, holdi called for help. triumphantly for me to see! I replied, dubi A moment before, on the roof of a building across the street, one might what does it all mean? have seen a bent, skulking figure, Why, dont you see? Un i His face was copper colored and on fluence of the electric curre his head was a thick thatch of mat- ter was decomposed and ga ted hair. He looked like a South gen and hydrogen. The fre American Indian. In a very dilapidated passed up the furnace pipe blning with the arsenic in suit of cast-ofAmerican clothes. He had slipped out through a door- paper formed the deadly ars way leading to a flight of steps from hydrogen. He cast the whole impro the roof to the hallway of the trolysis apparatus on the and, like one of his native venomous serpents, worked his way down dashed up the cellar steps. Ive found it! he cried the stairs again. into Elaines room. Its in ( My outcry brought a veritable bata deadly gas arseniurett 4 talion of aid. The hotel proprietor, the negro waiter and several others He tore open the windows dashed upstairs, followed shortly by Have her moved, he a portly policeman. he Then ha Aunt Josephine. Craig took the policeman into his uum cleaner go over ever; confidence, showing him the dart and wall,, carpet and upholstery. explaining about the poison. The offStanding beside her, he I poplei icer stared blankly. ly explained his discovery, 1 must get away, too, hurried on paper has been loaded di Officer, I will leave you to Craig. probably parts take charge here. You can depend on arsenic, Schwelnfurth green, which me for the Inquest. senlte of copper. Every nill .. t The officer nodded. are here you are breathing at fy nf Come on, Walter, whispered ted hydrogen. This Clutchli Craig, eager to get away, then adding Is a diabolical genius. Thin :)Jea tt the one word, Elaine! wall F the paper! poisoned I followed hastily, not slow to unword. No a one said derstand his fear for her. reached down and took Nor were Craigs fears groundless. Hand messages Ei In spite of all that could be done for Clutching T shall want received. her, Elaine was still in bed, much these notes, more, too, he si weaker now than before. them up to the wall at More than that, the Clutching Hand ing of the bed as he flashed hi had not neglected the opportunity, lens at them. You see, Elali either. he able to get something fro Suddenly, just before our return, a ing the ink, the paper, the h stone had come hurtling through the ing window, without warning of any kind, Suddenly both leaped bac and had landed on Elaines bed. cry. Below, as we learned soma time aftTheir face had been seve: erwards, a car had drawn up hastily apart Something bad whizzed and the crook whom the them and literally Impaled Clutching Hand had used to rid him- notes. oa the mU. self of the informer, Limp Red, had Down lbs sstreet, on the leaped out and hastily hurled the carriage house, back of a a tone through the window, as quickmight have been seen the un1 ly leaping hack Into the car and nre of the shabby South Amf whisking away. dlan crouching behind a chi; Around the stone was wrapped a gazing Intently at the Dodge piece of paper on which was the omAs Craig had thrown open inous warning, signed as usual by the window and turned to Elaine t Hand: had crouched closer to the ch: Michael la dead. Then with an uncanny d Tomorrow, you. tlon, he slowly raised the hi; Then Kennedy. his lips. ' "Stop before It is too late." I forward, followed Elaine had sunk hack Into her pil- tor jumped Aunt Joseph Hayward, lows, paler than ever from this sec- Marie. Kennedy had a pecul ond shock. as he palled out from the waij It was Just then that Kennedy and gun dart similar in every way I arrived and were admitted. which had killed MlchaeL res Oh, Mr. Kennedy," cried. Elaine, "Craig!" gasped Elaine, naif white handing him the note. and laying her soft, "Miss am In undisguised fear for Craig took it and read. Dodge, he said, as he held the note you must give np this chase out to me, yon are suffering from I Clutching Hand!" poisoning but I dont know yet "Give up the chase for the In how it Is being administered." ing Hand? he repeated he He gazed about keenly. Meanwhile, Never! Not until either I had taken the crumpled note from dead! . him and was reading 1L Somehow, I There was both fear and aa had leaned against the wall. As I mingled in her look, f . turned, Craig happened to glance at down and patted her dainty i 1 handled it tene-men- t T I : Walter, he whispered! cellar with me f it fit vpi-fuzz- A poisoned blowgun dart such as Is used by the South American Indians on the upper Orinoco, he said slowly. He examined it carefully . "What is the poison?" I asked. "Curari, he replied simply. "It acts on the respiratory muscles, paralyzing them and causing asphyxiation. The dart seemed to have been made of a quill with a very sharp point hollow, and containing the deadly poison Kennedy Discovers the S In the sharpened end. Poieoned Room "Look out! I cautioned, as he e, bell-ho- him exclaim, i np against? He fairly leaped at nic s him examining my shoul had been leaning on the thing on the paper had left a mark on my shou ;. looked puzzled from me.t.t Arsenic! he cried. He whipped out a pocket looked at the paper. paper Is fairly loaf eorresi powdered, he reported. iercial Kennedy paced the roj. ill Pr ly, pausing by the regist seemed to strike him. ifortf stricken. forty-nin- . question. Quickly, like a good workman,; Clutching Hand went to the telephone Instrument and by dint of keeping his finger on the hook and his back to, iilL Aunt Josephine succeeded in conveyWhy, Miss Elaine what ees ze ing the illusion that he was examining mattalr? You are so pale!" exclaimed the maid, Marie, as she entered the No sooner was the door shut than room a moment later with the mornthe Clutching Hand hastily opened his! ings mall on a salver. bag and from It drew a small powder I dont feel well, Marie, she respraying outfit, such as I have seen plied, trying with her slender white usedt for spraying bug powder. He: hand to brush the cobwebs from her then took cut a sort of muzzle with brain. 1 I wish youd tell Aunt Joan elastic band on it and slipped it sephine to telephone Doctor Hayover his head so that the muzzle pro- ward. tected his nose and mouth. answered mademoiselle," "Yes, He seemed to work a sort of pump- Marie. ing attachment and from the nozzle of Languidly Elaine took the letters the spraying instrument blew out a; one by one off the salver. cloud of powder which he directed at Finally she selected one and slowhe wall. ly tore It open. It had no superscripIn the hallway,! tion, but It at once arrested her at' Meanwhile, Michael, a guard to see that no one bothered; tention and transfixed her with ter-for- . the Clutching Hand at his work, was; overcome by curiosity to see what bis: V read: 'master was doing. He opened the! You are sick this morning. To--; door a little bit and gazed stealthily' morrow you will be worse. The next !j day you will die unless you discharge through thi crack into the room. Clutching Hand was now spraying Craig Kennedy. the rug close to the dressing table of. It was signed with the mystic tradeElaine and was standing near the mlr-- : mark of the fearsome Clutching ' tor. He stooped down to examine the Handt . Elaine drew back into the pillows, rug. Then, as he raised his head, he happened to look Into the mirror. In; horror stricken. It. he could see the full reflection of ; Quickly she called to Marie. "Go Michael behind him, gazing into the! get Aunt Josephine right away! room. And Marie almost flew down the The scoundrel!" muttered Clutch-- : halL Elaine seized the telephone and! Ing Hand, with repressed fnry at the called Kennedys number. i discovery. He rose quickly and shut off the) Kennedy, In his stained laboratory spraying instrument, stuffing It Into apron, was at work before his table,, the bag. He took a step or two toward while I was watching him with Interthe door. Michael drew back, fear- est, when the telephone rang. Without a word he answered the! fully, pretending now to be on guard.) Clutching Hand opened the door call, and I could see a look of perand, still wearing the muzzle, beck- turbation cross his face. I knew It Michael could was from Elaine, bat could tell nothoned to MlchaeL scarcely control his fears. But he) ing about the nature of the message. An Instant later he almost tore off obeyed, entering Elaines room after the Clutching Hand, who locked the: the apron and threw on his hat and coat I followed him as he dashed door. Were you watching me? demand-- : out of the laboratory. This Is terrible terrible," he muted the master criminal, with rage. Michael, trembling all over, shook tered, as he hurried across the campus bis bead. For a moment Clutching of the university to a taxicab stand. A faw minutes later, when we arHand looked him over disdainfully, rived at the Dodge mansion, we found at the clumsy lie. Then he brutally struck Michael la Aunt Josephine and Marie doing all him down. Aa an- - they could . under the circumstance face, knocked. The footsteps ceased. Then the door opened slowly and I could f see a cold blue automatic. reassured Michael, all right, Its Craig calmly. "All right, Walter," he added to me. The gun dropped back Into the footmans pocket We entered and Michael again locked the door. Not a word had been spoken by him so far. Next Michael moved to the center of the room and, as I realized later, brought himself in direct line with the open window. He seemed to be overcome with fear at his betrayal and stood there breathing heavily. "Professor Kennedy, he began, 1 have been so mistreated that I have made up my mind to tell you all 1 know about this Clutching" Suddenly he drew a sharp breath and both his hands clutched at his own breast He did not stagger and fall In the ordinary manner, but seemed to bend at the knees and waist and literally crumple down on his face. We ran to him. Craig turned him over gently on his back and examined him. He called. No answer. Michael was almost pulseless. Quickly Craig tore off his collar and bared his breast, for the man seemed to be struggling for breath. As he did so he drew from Michaels throat a dart small, sharp-pointe- d Whats that?" I ejaculated, horror Craig Reached Down and Gently Pulled the Collie Into the Room. tng off a little of Rustys blood In a tube, very carefully. Here, Walter, he said, pointing to the little incision he had made, "will you take care ot him? Quickly Craig made one test after the earns as except perhaps the pictures and furniture, only it is fifty-nin- .on e, the floor below. He gated about keenly- - Then he (took a few steps to the window and .threw It open. As he stood there he (took the parte of the rods he had been carrying and fitted them together until he had a pole some eight or ten feet long. At one end was a curious arrangement that seemed to contain lenses and a mirror.. At the other as nearly aa I end. Was an Another. As he did so I sniffed. There was an unmistakable odor of garlic in the air which made me think of what I had already noticed In Elaines room. Arsenluretted hydrogen, he answered, still engaged in verifying his tests. This is the Marsh test for could make out ' arsenic. "What Is that?" I asked as he com' Arsenic! I repeated, in horror. pleted his work. I had scarcely recovered from the : That? That is an instrument surprise ot Kennedys startling reve- something on the order of a miniature lation when the telephone rang again.' periscope." Craig replied, still at ' Kennedy seized the receiver, thinking work.-I watched him, fascinated at hia reevidently that the message might be sourcefulness. He stealthily thrust from or about Elaine. But from the look on his face and the mirror end of the periscope out from his manner, I could gather that, of the window and up toward the coralthough it was not from Elaine her- responding window upstairs. Then he self, It was about something that in- gazed eagerly through the ; "Welter look! he exclaimed to terested him greatly. ' '' I .me. Good! I heard him say finally. shall keep the appointment abso- ' I did. There, sure enough, was Michael, pacing up and down the room. , lutely." ; As I looked at him nervously walk-,ln- g What was it? I asked, eagerly. to and fro; I could not help adIt was Elaines footman, Michael," As I su he replied, thoughtfully. mitting that things looked safe enough pec ted, he says that he is a confeder) ;and all right to me. Kennedy folded ate of the Clutching Hand, and if we 'the perisoope up and we left our will protect him he will tell us the room, , mounting the remaining flight of stairs. trouble with Elaine." In fifty-nin- e we could hear the I considered a moment "Hows aeaeured stepe ef the footman. Craig that?" I queried. eye-piec- e, . - eye-piec- - evil-face- d 2QC ; ar-sen- lo Tor heavens sake, Walter." 1 heard encouragingly. fry yic cONTOnncB1 |