Show tin R f j I nn i By ARTHUR B. B REEVE 0 e e The Th e. e E Exploits p I. I pits The Well Known Novelist and the 0 Creator of the C Craig Kennedy Stories 4 1 I a o. o of f EI Elaine ElaineA ame a if Presented in in Collaboration with the Pathe Pattie Players Player I I A D Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama and the Ed Eclectic Film Falm Company Q rt o am Q Q QA A Q M 7 l Copyright 1914 by the Star Company All 11 orel J Foreign Rights Reserved FIRST EPISODE The Clutching Hand r There must be something new in order to catch criminals nowadays The TI-e old methods are all u right right right-as as far farK faras faras K as they go But while we have been V using them criminals have kept pace f i with modern science Craig Kennedy laid down his newspaper news news- newspaper paper paper poper and filled his pipe with my tobacco to to- bacco In college we had roomed together together to to- together gether had shared everything even poverty and now that Craig TV was as a at t- t professor of chemistry In charge of q the laboratory at the university and andI 1 I had a sort o of roving commission on the staff o of th the Star we had continued our arrangement It has always seemed strange to tome tome me he went on slowly that no one k has ever endowed a professorship in criminal science in any of the large colleges I i tossed ed aside my own paper and andr r retrieved the tobacco Why should there be a chair in criminal science I replied me taU ely set settling ling back bacle in my chair Ive Iv done my turn at police poUce headquarters reporting and I can tell you s Craig Its It's no place for a college professor professor professor pro pro- fessor Crime is just is-just just crime And as asfor asfor asfor for deal dealing g. g with it the great detective detective detec detec- o- o k tive is born and bred to it College professors f for r the sociology of the thing yes thing yes for the detection of It give me me a Byrnes On q the contrary ry persisted Kennedy Kennedy Kennedy Ken Ken- nedy his cut clean-cut features betraying an ari earnestness which I Im knew w indicated s th that t he be was leading up p to som something thing of iI importance there is a distinct place for science in the detection of crime Today we ve h have ve professors of everything why everything why not professors of crime science Sti Still 1 as I shook my head dubiously he hastened to clinch his point Colleges Col Colleges ColI Col I leg leges s have have got down to solving the thea I a hard facts of life me nowadays pretty nowadays pretty i nearly all except one ope They still treat crime in the old way study its statistics statistics statis statis- tics and pore over its causes and the ther I. I r y theor theories es of h how lw It can be prevented f and punished But as for running down the criminal himself scientifically relentlessly re re- lc bah bah we haven't made S progress enough-progress to mention to-mention since since- the since the v hammer and tongs method of your r sainted Byrnes Doubtless ss you will write a brochure i on on this most interesting subject I yr f suggested and let i it go at that t 1 I No I am serious he replied de- de derS determined S gj u for some reason or other to tomake tomake Vl 1 make a convert of me I mean exactly exactly exactly ex ex- what I say I am going to apply f I science to the detection of crime the J I same sort of methods by which we rS t trace trace out the presence presence of a mysterious Zt ors ous chemical or track down a deadly ft germ And before I have gone far I Iam t k am going to enlist Walter WaIter Jameson I. I t I as an a aid d. d I think I shall need you your r In in my business kF i How How do I come in in I asked I r. a T Well f r one thing you will get a ascoop scoop a beat whatever beat whatever you call t I ft It in that newspaper jargon of yours Fortunately Walter WaIter he he pursued S the crime hunters crime hunters have gone ahead in i science faster than the criminals Its It's to be my job to catch criminals Yours it t It seems to me is to show people how r r- r they can never hope to beat the modera modern mod mod- modern ern era s scientific detective J Goas as far as you like Uke I exclaimed lt t. t convinced at t t last T A And d so it was that we formed this J strange new partnership in crime ady science ad- ad y ence once that has existed ever since Jameson heres here's a story I wish you'd f follow up remarked the managing man mant t aging editor of the Star Star to to me one ono t evening after I had turned in an as t. t s of the late afternoon f. f u. u I He He handed me a clipping from the they y b evening edition of the Star and I 1 k quickly ran my eye over the headline THE THE CLUTCHiNG tT HAND WINS VINS AGAIN I NEW YORK MYSTERIOUS MASTER MASTER MASTER MAS MAS- TER CRIMINAL PERFECTS ANOTHER COUP p City ity Police Completely Baffled i F. F S Heres this murder of Fletcher the lp retired retired banker and trust trustee e of the university university uni uni- he explained Not a clue clue clue- uni-I uni with signed except a warning letter t this mysterious clutching fist Last t. t week it was the robbery of the Hax- Hax t worth jewels and the killing of old 1 rth Again that curious sign of the hand Then there was the he dastardly dastard dastard- ly Iy attempt on Sherburne the steel magnate Not a trace of the assail- assail s int mt except this same clutching fist So t L 17 1 it has gone Jameson the Jameson-the the most alarmIng alarming alarming alarm alarm- ing and Inexplicable series of murders that has lias ever happened in this coun coun- try And nothing but this uncanny hand to trace them by by byThe The editor paused a moment then exclaimed Why this this' fellow seems to take a diabolical I I might almost say pathological pleasure pathological pleasure In crimes of violence revenge revenge avarice and self- self protection Sometimes It seems as If if he delights In the pure deviltry of the thing It is weird He leaned over and spoke in a low tense tone Strangest of all the tip has just come to us that Fletcher Hax- Hax worth Sherburne and all the rest of these wealthy men were were Insured Inthe in inthe inthe the Consolidated Mutual Life Now Jameson I want you to find Taylor Dodge the president and interview him Get what you can at an cost costI ost I had naturally thought first of Kennedy Kennedy Ken Ken- nedy but there was no no time now to call him up and besides I m must st see Dodge immediately Dodge I discovered over over the telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone was not at home nor at any of the clubs to which he belonged Late though it was I concluded that he was wasat wasat wasat at his office No amount of persuasion could get me past the door and though I found out later and shall tell soon what was going on there I determined determined determined de de- de- de about nine o'clock that the best way to get at Dodge was wa to go to his house on Fifth avenue if I had to camp on his fr front nt doorstep until morning The harder I found the story to get the more I 1 wanted it ft With some misgivings about being admitted I rang the bell beU of the splendid splendid splendid did though not very modern Dodge residence An English butler with a nose that must have been his fortune open opened d the door and gravely informed me that Mr Dodge was not not at home but was expected at any moment Once in I was not going lightly to give up that advantage I bethought myself of his daughter Elaine one of the most popular debutantes of the season and nd sent in my card to her on ona ona ona a chance of interesting her and seeing her father writing on the bottom of the card Would like to interview Mr Dodge DOde e regarding Clutching Hand Summoning up what assurance I had which is sometimes considerable I followed the butler down the hall haU as ashe ashe he bore ore my card As he be opened the thedoor thedoor thedoor door of the drawing room drawing room I caught a vision vision of a slip of a girl In evening clothes Elaine Dodge was both th the and the the athlete athlete the thoroughly modern modern modern mod mod- ern type of girl girl equally equally at home with tennis and tango table talk and tea Near ear her I recognized From rom his pic pie pictures pictures tures tunes Harry Bennett the rising young corporation lawyer a mighty good- good looking fellow with an affable pleasing pleasing pleasing pleas pleas- ing way about him perhaps thirty thirty five five years old or so but already prominent and quite friendly with with Dodge Who is it Jennings Jennings' she asked A reporter report r. r Miss Dodge answered the butler glancing superciliously back at me And you know how your father dislikes to see anyone here at the house he added deferentially to her Miss Dodge I pleaded bowing as asIf asIf asif If I had known them all my life Ive been trying to find your father all aU the evening Its It's very h important She looked up at me surprised and in doubt whether to laugh or r stamp her pretty little foot in indignation at my stupendous nerve She laughed You are a very brave young man she rippled with rippled with a roguish a-roguish look at Bennetts Bennett's discomfiture over the interruption of If f the a tete a tete There was a note of seriousness in it too that made me ask quickly Why The smile flitted from her face and andIn andin andin in its place came a frank earnest expression ex which I later learned to like and respect very much My father has declared he will eat the very next reporter reporter reporter re re- re- re porter who tries to interview him here here she answered I was abo about t to J prolong long the waiting time by soth some jolly about such a stunning stunning stunning stun stun- I ning girl not having by any possibility ity such a cannibal of a parent when I the rattle ot of the changing gears of a acar acar acar car outside told of the approach of a limousine The big front door opened and Elaine flung herself In the arms of an elderly stern stern faced faced gray haired gray haired man Why dad dad dad- she cried where have i 1 you been I missed you so much at I dinner Ill Il be so glad when this terrible terrible ter ter- ter- ter business gets cleared up Teel- Teel me What Is on your mind IsIt is isit isit it that worries you jou OU now I noticed then that Dodge seC wrought up and a bit unnerved for he lie sank rather heavily into a chair brushed his face with his handkerchief and breathed heavily Elaine hovered over him solicitously repeating her question With a mighty effort he seemed to get himself together lie He rose and turned to Bennett Harry he be exclaimed Ive got the Clutching Hand nand The two men stared at each other ather Yes continued Dodge Ive found round out how bow to trace it ft and tomorrow 1 I Iam am going to set the alarms of the city rest exposing exposing 1 at by v r f k t. t 1 G Mi a Just then Dodge caught sight of of me For the he moment I thought perhaps he was going to fulfill his threat Who the devil why devil why didn't you tell teU me a reporter was here Jennings Jennings' he Indignantly y pointing toward the door Argument entreaty were of no avail There was nothing to do but go At least I J reflected ed I had the greater great great- er part of the all aU story all except the one big hig thing however the however the name nm of ot the criminal But Dodge would know him bim tomorrow I hurried back to the Star to write my story in time to catch the last morning edition l J Meanwhile if I may anticipate my story I must tell of what we later learned had happened to Dodge so completely to upset hi him Ever since the Consolidated Mutual had been hit by bV the murders he had had many lines out in the hope of enmeshing enmeshing enmeshing enmesh enmesh- ing the perpetrator That night as I 1 found out the next day he had at last heard of a clue One of the company's detectives had brought In a red head redheaded red head headed ed lame partly paralyzed crook who enjoyed the expressive ve of Limpy Red Limpy Red fled was a gunman of some renown evil faced evil faced and having nothing much to lose desperate desperate des des- Whoever the master criminal of the clutching hand might have been he had seen f f to employ had not taken the precaution of getting rid of him soon enough nough when when he was through Therefore Limpy had a grievance grievance and now descended under pressure to the low level of snitching to Dodge in his office No governor the trembling wretch had said as he handed over a a grimy envelope I aint never never seen his face face but but here is directions how to find his hangout As Limpy ambled articled out he turned to Dodge quivering at the enormity of or his 4 F asp f Cd Dont Let On H How w You Found Out unpardonable sin In gangland For Gods God's sake governor he implored dont let on how you found out outi And yet Lampy Limpy Red RM had scarcely deft left with his promise promise not to tell when Dodge happening to turn over some some papers came up upon ri an envelope left lefton lefton lefton on his own desk bearing that mysterious ous clutching hand He tore it open and read in amazement amazement amazement amaze amaze- ment Destroy Limpy Reds Red's instructions within the next hour bout Dodge gazed about In wonder This was getting on his liis nerves He determined determined determined de de- de- de to go home and rest rest Outside the house houseas as he left his Ills car ar pasted over the monogram on the he door he had found another note with the same same weird mark and the single ingle word Remember In spite of ot the pleading pleadings of young Bennett Dennett Dodge Dodge refused to take tak warn warn- ing In the safe in his beautifully fitted library he deposited Limpy's document document document doc doc- in an envelope containing all the correspondence thai had l led d up to the final step in the discovery discover It was late in the evening when I returned to our apartment and not finding Kennedy there knew that I would discover him at the laboratory Crai Crag I cried a as I burst in on him him- Ive rot pot a a case cise for 5 you greater cu greater c t than any Q ever eyer cr before Kennedy looked d up calmly from the ruck o of scientific instruments th that t eur- eur I rounded him him test test tubes tines beakers carefully labeled bottles Indeed Inde he lie rem remarked coolly going going going go go- I ing back to his work Yes Yes est f r cried It It is a scientific criminal who seems to leave no clues Kennedy lo looped looked J ed up gravely Every criminal leaves leave b a trace he said quiet ly Iy It it hasn't been found then it must be bec because use no one has ever looked for for- forit it in the right way way Still gazing at me keenly he added added- Yes 1 already knew there was such sucha sucha a man at large I h have ve been called inon in inon inon on that Fletcher case case he he was a trustee trustee trustee trus- trus trus trus- tee of t the e university you yoU I know w 0 r J W j 4 t.- t. h w All right I exclaimed a little I nettled that he should have anticipated me even so much in the case But you haven't heard the latest What Is It he asked with provokIng provoking provoking ing calmness out has Taylor Dodge I blurted the clue Tomorrow he will tracK trac c down the man Kennedy fairly jumped as I repeated repeat repeat- ed the news How How flow long has he known he demanded demanded de do- eagerly Perhaps three or four hours I haz haz- Kennedy gazed at me fixedly Then Taylor Dodge is dead he ho exclaimed throwing off hi his acid stained acid stained l laboratory jac jacket et and hurrying into his street clothes Impossible I ejaculated Kennedy attention to the objection ob ob- ob- ob Come Walter he urged We must hurry before the trail gets cold There was seas something positively Uncanny uncanny uncanny un un- canny about Kennedys Kennedy's assi assurance asS ance I doubted doubted yet jet I t fearer It was wen well p past ts t |