THE GOODLOT MURDER.
Being a Thrilling and Typical
Chicago Detective Story.
[originally]
From the Chicago Record.
"The case is hopeless!"
So spoke the great criminal lawyer, and
as he did so he sighed deeply.
"Tell me the facts again," said his
companion, a bright-appearing youth of
9, as he took a notebook from his pocket.
"I will," said the other, dejectedly, "but
I fear it can avail nothing. We can prove
that Mrs. Goodlot has been missing since
Aug. 2. We know that she had quarreled
with her husband, and that he had threatened
her life. We can show that on the
night of Aug. 2 the defendant generated
ozonotic gas in his chemical laboratory,
and we have every reason to believe that
he put his wife into the gas tank; but to
prove it — ah, that is the difficulty!"
"What is the effect of ozonotic gas on
human tissue?" asked the youth, with a
thoughtful expression on his face.
"It converts all animal matter into gaseous
vapor. Within ten minutes alter the
body had been put into the tank there
was not a trace of solid substance left."
"I will examine the tank!"
"You!"
"Yes!"
"It is guarded constantly. They will
kill you!"
"We shall see."
He arose, and, after shaking hands with
the great criminal lawyer, passed rapidly
to a carriage in waiting. The reader may
have suspected ere this that he was none
other than Eddie Parks, the newsboy
detective!
CHAPTER II.
THE NIGHT ENCOUNTER.
"Halt!"
As this word was spoken a revolver
gleamed in the moonlight.
The watchman standing at the great
doorway of the Goodlot chemical laboratory,
strained his eyes to see what the
object might be that was approaching.
"All right. Don't be afraid," came a
gruff voice from the gloom, and a policeman
stepped into view.
"I am glad it was you!" said the watchman,
in a relieved tone Of voice. "We have
instructions to shoot and kill any strangers
found near the laboratory."
The next instant the watchman felt his
throat clasped as if in a vice. He heard
a voice at his ear: "Maintain quiet, or I
will throttle you!"
In a few seconds he was bound and
gagged.
The policeman took the keys from the
prostrate form.
"Now, my good man, stay here until I
return," he said, gleefully. With that he
threw off his disguise.
It was the newsboy detective!
CHAFTER III.
THE TOWER.
Before starting on his perilous night trip
to the chemical laboratory our hero had
studied a plan of the interior of the vast
structure, so that, even in the pitch darkness,
it required but a few moments for
him to find the tank in which the
ozonotic gas had been generated.
Taking a can-opener from his pocket, he
cut a circular opening in the tank and
crawled in.
After a few minutes he emerged with a
satisfied smile on his face.
As he approached the doorway at which
he had entered he saw four men standing
in the moonlight. The other men on guard
had discovered the bound and gagged
watchman!
They were waiting for our hero to
return!
"I will not be captured," he said, drawing
his trusty revolver.
At that moment his foot struck a bottle,
which fell and broke with a crash!
The four men came through the doorway.
Our hero turned and ran.
He knew that all the doorways were
locked. His only hope was the stairway!
The pursuers were close behind! He fled
up one flight of stairs after another!
Below he could hear the curses and ejaculations
of the enraged watchman.
Suddenly he emerged into an open tower.
He had reached the topmost point of
the great building! Over 100 feet below
him was the placid river!
The pursuers came panting at his heels!
There was no time to be lost!
With a defiant shout he leaped far out
from the tower and dived for the river!
CHAPTER IV.
ON HAND AGAIN.
At 10 o'clock the next morning James
H. Webster, the great criminal lawyer,
was seated in his office.
He had waited for hours for tidings from
our hero.
There was a knock at the door, and
Ralph Dumont, counsel for the defendant,
entered the room.
"I came to tell you that the foolhardy
youth who dared to visit the laboratory
last night is no more," said he, a smile of
triumph lighting up his malignant
features.
"Dead!" exclaimed the great lawyer,
blanching perceptibly.
"Yes — dead. He was pursued to the
tower and leaped to the river. He did not
come to the surface. So you see, Mr.
Webster, that your trump card has failed.
You can never convict Anthony Goodlot."
"Don't be too sure of that," came a quiet
voice from behind.
"Perdition!" exclaimed Ralph Dumont.
Eddie Parks, the boy detective, was
standing in the doorway!
CHAPTER V.
THE TOOTH.
As soon as James H. Webster saw our
hero alive and well he rushed toward him
with open arms.
Ralph Dumont hurried from the room,
muttering curses.
"He seemed surprised to see me," said
our hero, laughing merrily.
"You are indeed a brave youth," said
the great lawyer, gazing at our hero in
admiration. "But tell me, have you
secured any evidence?"
"I have," replied our hero, modestly,
and taking a small paper from his pocket
he unrolled it and showed a false tooth.
"This is a porcelain tooth and was not
affected by the gas," said he. "After
finding this tooth I inquired the name of Mrs.
Goodlot's dentist."
"Aha," said the great lawyer.
"I looked up the address in the directory,
and upon going to the address I
learned that the dentist died three years
ago."
"Curse the luck," exclaimed James H.
Webster. "The fates are against us. Is
there no one who can identify this tooth?"
"There is a way," said our hero. "Leave
it to me. Now let us deposit the tooth in
a place of safety."
As they passed out of the building there
was a terrific explosion and James H.
Webster's office was completely wrecked.
CHAPTER VI.
THE TRIAL.
The Goodlot murder trial was in progress.
The prosecution was about to close its
side of the case.
There had been no direct testimony to
show that Anthony Goodlot had murdered
his wife.
The attorneys for the defense were jubilant.
Ralph Dumont smiled sneeringly at
James H. Webster.
"Edward Parks!"
At the call of this name there was a
sensation, for the fame of the newsboy
detective had spread far and wide.
Our hero modestly stepped to the witness chair and faced the hushed
assemblage.
After the usual preliminaries James H.
Webster handed him a small box containing
the porcelain tooth.
"Do you recognize the article in that
box," was asked.
"I do," replied our hero.
"What is it?"
"It is a false tooth made of porcelain."
"State whether or not you ever saw this
tooth before."
"I found this tooth in the gas tank in
the Goodlot factory on the night of Sept.
23."
Our hero briefly related the circumstances
under which he had found the
tooth.
"Do you know what person, if any, had
ever used that tooth?" asked the lawyer.
"I know that the person who used that
tooth and the person who chewed the
gum contained in this box are one and
the same." With these words our hero
drew a paper box from his pocket.
"What does the box contain?" asked
James H. Webster.
"It contains 423 pieces of chewed gum,
each showing the imprint of human
teeth."
"You may state where you found that
gum."
"At the residence of Anthony Goodlot,
stuck along the under edges of chairs,
tables, shelves, piano, piano stool, mantels,
desks, what-nots, folding beds, railings,
bannisters, sofas and bookcases. I found
twenty-two portions of chewed gum stuck
on the columns of the front veranda, and
I found fourteen on various chandeliers
and brackets. I found three on one closet
door and two on the caster in the
pantry."
"Have you attempted to tit the porcelain
tooth, which you found in the gas tank,
into any of the imprints or indentations
on or in these 423 pieces of chewed gum."
"I have."
"Tell the court what if anything, you
have learned."
"The porcelain tooth fits into the deepest
mark on every one of the 423 pieces."
Ralph Dumont arose to cross-examine
the witness.
He trembled violently and his face was
purple with rage.
When he attempted to speak he gave
vent to incoherent sounds and fell to the
floor in an apoplectic fit!
CHAPTER VII.
JUSTICE.
As soon as our hero had finished his
testimony the prosecution called other
witnesses to prove that Mrs. Goodlot had a
false tooth and that she was the only one
around the house who chewed gum.
Little remains to be told.
Our hero was again recognized as the
greatest detective of the age.
The defense could not shatter his testimony
in regard to the tooth.
Without leaving their seats, the jurors
brought in a verdict of "justifiable
homicide."
(THE END)
