4 ' "" ' ' - .,, 9 "7 . ..' ,
f
10 B
TUB OMAHA SUNDAY !F.E: JANUARY 31. 1M5.
i i
A Detective Novel and a Motion Picture Drama
Presented by The Omaha Bee in Collaboration with tCie Famous Pathe
Players and the Eclectic Film Co.
Miss Pearl White,
Arnold Daly and "Craig Kennedy"
The Famous Scientific Detective of Fiction.
THPTrS Tl
I 1 Jk II I tT fJ II 4
Written by Arthur B. Reeve
The "Well-Known Novelist and the Creator of the MCraitf Kennedy" Stories
Dramatized into a Photo-Play by Charles Goddard
Author of "The Perils of Pauline"
Cast of Leading Character! in the Motion Picture Reproduction by the Famous Pathe Players
ELAINE DODGE. ...... . Miss Pearl White
CRAIG KENNEDY ....... Mr. Arnold Daly
HARRY BENNETT ...... Mr. Sheldon Lewis
Everything you read here today you can'
sea in the fascinating Pathe Motion Fie
tores at the Motion Picture Theaters this
week. Next Sunday another chapter of
"The Exploits of Elaine" and new Pathe
reels.
Vvnopala of Trriont Chaptara.
Tha New York police are myatlfl,! by a. aarlea of
tmirdar and othr crimea. Th. r-rlnclpal olua to th
criminal la th warning letter wMcli in ant th. vie.
lima, aijrne with a "011111:11111 hand." Tha latcat vlc:tlm
f th mvatertntia anaaaaln la Taylor IttxtK. th in
fturanc preallnt. iila datirhter, Klalna, emplnya Trails
X.nnedy, the famoun arlnntlflo detective, to try to un
ravel the mystery. Wliat Kennady accomplishes-la tohl
by hla friend Jamrnon, a newapajier man.
Ry an Inaenloua rua Clutchlne: Hand am untie Into
Klalne'a konia a fluak of llquM air which aha ampoaa
to be a package of vnlunMe paprra. It hlnwa oren the
eafe In which It la placed, hut Kennedy arrtvea In time
to prevent the robbery. The detective narrowly tnlaa.it
death In hla apartment when Clutching; J land hita placed
a ahotrun ao that It la fired by fie electrical connec
tion formed when Kennedy place hla hands on a framed
t hotofraph of Klalna.
CHAPTER V.
The Poisoned Room
(Copyright, 1915, by th 8Ur Company. All
I Foreign Rights Reserved.)
ELAINE and Craig were, much together dur
ing th next few days. Somehow or other,
It teemed that the chase of the Clutching
Hand Involved long conferences In the
Dodge library, and even, In fact, extended
to excursions Into the notoriously crime-Infested
neighborhood of Riverside Drive, with Its fashion
able procession of automobile and go-carts as
far north, indeed, as that desperate haunt known
as Grant's Tomb.
More than that, these delvlngs Into the under
world Involved Kennedy la the necessity of wear
log a frock coat and silk hat In the afternoon, and
I foTt that he was selecting his neckwear with a
care that bad been utterly foreign to htm during all
the yean previous that X had known him.
It all looked Very suspicious, to me.
But to return to th more eerloua aide of th ,
affair.
Kennedy and Elaine had scarcely come out of
th house and descended the steps, one afternoon,
when a sinister face appeared in a basement area
way nearby. ' 1 ' ,
The figure was crouched over, with his hack
. pimped, tn almost as if deformed, and his left band
had an unmistakable twist.
It wa the Clutching Hand.
He wore a telephone Inspector's hat and coat
and carried a bag slung by a strap over his shoul
der. For once he had left off his mask, but, In
place of it, his face was covered by a scraggly black
beard. In fact, he seemed to avoid turning his face
full, three-quarters or even profile to anyone, un
less .he had to do so. As much as possible be
averted it, but he did so in a clever way that made
it seem quite natural. The dlsgula was effective.
He. saw. Kennedy and Miss Dodge and slunk
unobtrusively against a railing, with his head
turned away. Laughing and chatting, they passed.
As they walked down the street, Clutching Hand
turned and gated after them. Involuntarily th
menacing hand clutched in open hatred. .
Then he turned in the other direction and, go
ing up the steps of the Dodge house, rang th bell.
"Telephone inspector," he said in a loud ton
as Michael, In Jennings' place for th afternoon,
opened the door.
He accompanied the words with the lgn, and
Michael, taking car that the words be beard, in
cat. any one was listening, admitted him.
As it happened, Aunt Josephine waa upstair in
Elaine's room. She was fixing flowers in a vase on
the dresolng table for her Idolized niece. Mean
while, Rusty, the collie, lay, half blinking, on the
. floor.
"Who Is this?" she asked, as Michael led the
bogus telephone Inspector Into the room.
"A man fronl the telephone company," he an
swered deferentially.
Aunt Josephine, unsophisticated, allowed them
to enter without a further 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
Aunt. Josephine succeeded in conveying the illusion
that he was examining it.
Aunt Josephine moved to the door. Not so,
Runty. He did not like the look of the stranger
and he had no scruples against letting It be known.
' As she put her hand on the knob to go out into
the baU. Rusty uttered a low growl, which grew
into a full-lunged snarl at the Clutching Hand.
Clutching Hand kicked at him vigorously, If sur
reptitiously. Rusty barked.
"Lady." he dttsgulsed his voice, "win yer please
ter call off the dog? Me and him don't seem to
cotton to each other."
"Here, Rutty," she commanded, "down!"
Together Aunt Josephine and Michael removed
the still protesting Rusty.
No sooner was the door shut than the Clutching
Hand moved over slftly to it. For a few seconds
he stood gazing at them as they disappeared down
stairs. Then he came' back Into the center of the
room. . . ,
Hastily he opened his bag and front It drew a
nia!l powder-npraylng outfit, Huch as 1 have seen
uned for spraying- bug-powder. He then took out a
u;.z7L with un Uatic band on it and
?! I i. , ' T
J: ... ;!,, Aw-
mfi
1 ;H
St
. f 1 fc.
.'1
slipped it over his head to that the muzzle protected
his nose and mouth.
He seemed to work a sort of pumping attach
ment and from the nozzle of the spraying instru
ment blew out a cloud of powder which he directed
at th wall.
Th wall paper was on of those rich, futzy
varieties and it seemed to catch the powder.
Clutching Hand appeared to be more than satisfied
with th effect. '
Meanwhile, Michael, In the hallway, on guard
to see that no one bothered XUutchlng Hand at hi
work, was overcome by curiosity to see what bis
matter wa doing. He opened the door a little bit
and gazed stealthily through th crack into the
room. .
Clutching hand was now spraying the rug close
to th dressing table of Elaine and was standing
near th mirror. He stooped down to examine th
rug. Then, as he raised his head, he happened to
look into th mirror, in it he could see the full
reflection of Michael behind him, gazing into th
room.
"The scoundrel!" muttered Clutching Hand,
with repreased fury at the discovery. '
He rose quickly and shut off the spraying In
strument, stuffing It Into th bag. He took a step
or two toward the door. Michael drew back, care
fully, pretending now to be on guard.
Clutching Hand opened the door and. still wear
ing th muzzle, beckoned to Michael. Michael
could acarcely control his fears. But be obeyed,
entering Elaine's room after the Clutching Hand,
who locked the door. ., .
"Were you watching me?" demanded the mas
ter criminal, with rage.
Michael, trembling all over, shook hla head.
For a moment Clutching Hand looked him over
disdainfully at the clumsy He.
Then he brutally struck Michael in the face,
knocking him down. An ungoverncble, almost in
tan fury seemed to possess th man as h stood
over the prostrate footman, cursing.
"Get up!", he ordered.
Michael obeyed, thoroughly cowed.
"Take me to th cellar,' now," he demanded.
Michael led the way from the room without a
protest, the master criminal following him cloeely.
Down into the cellar, by a back way, they went.
Clutching Hand still wearing his muzzle and
Michael saying not a word.
Buddenly Clutching Hand turned on blm 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 I'll kill you!"
He thrust Michael away, and the footman, over
come by fear, hurried upstairs. Still trembling and
fearful, Michael paused" In the hallway, looking
back resentfully, for even one who is In the power
of a super-criminsl u still human and has feelings
that may be Injured
Michael put hi hand on his face where the
Clutching Hand had 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. Closing both his fists,
Michael made a threatening gesture-at his master
in crime.
. Meanwhile, Clutching Hand was standing by
th electric meter. He examined it carefully, feel
ing where the, wires entered and left It, and start
ing to trace them out. 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 his bag snd
connected it with the electric light wires. Next,
he led these wires, concealed, of course, along the
cellar floor, In tne direction of the furnace.
The furnace was one of the old hot air heaters
and he paused before it as though seeking some-
v.-
if.
x I.;' ;
' r. i
i f
Craig Reached Down and Gently "Pulledthe CollieIntb the" Room
This 1 from the Mevlaa otura nim of "Tlia exploits of Slalna" ay'the ramons Jathe' Play era.
thing. Then he bent down beside It' and uncovered,
a little tank. - He took off the top, on which were
cast in the iron the words:-" -- ' v.
"This tank muBt be kept full of water' .'
He thrust hishand gingerly Into It, bringing It '
out quickly. The tank was nearly full of water and;
he brought his hand out wet.' It was also hot.' But'
he did not seem to mind that, for he shook his head
with a smile of satisfaction. ' ".
Next from his capacious bag he. took two metal
poles, or electrodes, and fastened them carefully to'
th end of . the wires, .placing them at opposite,
ends of the tank in the water. v
. For several moments. he watched. The water
Inside the tank Seemed the earn as before, only on
each electrode there appeared bubbles, on one bub
bles of oxygen, on the other, of hydrogen. The
water was decomposing under the current by elec
trolysis. ' j. ' "
Another .moment he -surveyed his work 'to see
that he bad left no loose ends. Then he picked up
his bag and moved toward the cellar steps. . As he
did so, he removed the muzzle from his nose and
quietly let himself out of the house. 1 1
The next morning, Rusty, who had been Elaine's
constant companion since the trouble had begun,
awakened his mistress by licking her hand as it
hung limply over the side of her bed. .
6b awakened-with a start and put her hand
to her head. She felt ill. '
"Poor old fellow," she murmured, half dazedly,
for the moment endowing her pet. with her own'
feelings, a she patted his faithful shaggy bead.
Rusty moved away again, wagging his tall list
lessly. ' The collie, too,-fait ill. Elaine watched
him as he( walked, 'dejected, across the room and.
then lay down. ," 's
"Why, Miss Elaine what eea'a '"mattalr? You
are so pale!" exclaimed the ;mald, Marie, as she'
entered th room a moment later with the morn-'
ing's mall on. a salver.- .'- j , - V.
, ;i don't feel well,' Marie,", she replied. trying
with her slender, white. hand to .brush the cobwebs
from ber brain. "I I wish you'd "tell Aunt Jose-
phlne to telephone Dr. Hsyward." , .
"Ye, mademoiselle," -answered -Marie, deftly
and sympathetically straighte'ningi but the' pillows.
Languidly Elaine took the letters one by , one off.
the salver. She looked at. them, but seemed not to
have energy enough to open them. . j..,.
, Finally she selected one anil slowly tor it open. '.
It had no superscription,' but' U at one arrested.,
her attention and .transfixed -her with terror. ."
It read: ' . ...
Yon are 'sick' this' morning. - Tomorrow 1
you will be worae. The , net day you'vtlll . '
die. unload you discharge Craig Kennedy. - , ,
It was signed by the mystic trademark of th
fearsome Clutching Hand!-' - ,' '
. Elaine drewr back .' into the . pillows,; horror.,
stricken. ....'.. " w, " ' "
Quickly she called to Marie. "Go get Aunt
Josephines right away!"
As Marie almost flew down the hall. Elaine,
still holding the letter convulsively, pulled herself
together and got up, trembling. She almost seized
the telephone as she called Kennedy's number.
Kennedy,' in his stained laboratory apron, was
at work before hi table, while' I was watching him
with intense Interest, when the telephone rang. .
Without a word he answered the call and I
could see a look of perturbation cross his face. I
knew It was, from Elaine, but could tell nothing
about the nature of the message.
An instant later he almost tore off the apron
and threw on his hat and coat. I followed him
as be dashed out of the laboratory.
"This Is terrible terrible," he muttered, as
we hurried across the campus of the university to
ataxicab' stand. ' '
A" few" minutes -later, when we arrived at the.
Dodge mansion, we found Aunt Josephine and'
Marie doing all they could under the circumstances.
'Aunt Josephine had just given Elaine a glass of
w'aterwlch she drank eagerly. ' Rusty had, mean
while, crawled, under the bed, caring only to be
alone and undisturbed. ' 4
Dr. Hayward had arrived and had just finished
taking, the patient's pulse and temperature as our
cab pulled up. ' . ... -'
. . Jennings,'- who Had evidently been expecting us,
let. us in without a word and conducted us up to
Elaine's .room. We knocked.
"Mr. ; Kennedy and Mr. Jameson," we could
henr Marie whisper in a subdued voice.
. "Tell them to come in,", answered Elaine
' eagerly. , -
. We entered. There she lay, beautiful as ever,
but with a whiteness of her fresh cheek that was
too thereally unnatural. Elaine was quite ill in
deed. - -.
"Oh! I'm so glad to see you,1' she breathed,
with an 'air of relief as Kennedy advanced, "
"Why what is the matter?" asked Craig,
anxiously. '.';. ' .
Dr.. Hay ward " shook hi head' dubiously, but
Kennedy did not notice im, for, as he approached
Elaine, she drew from: the covers where-she had
, concealed it a letter and hapded it to him.
Craig took it and .read: . ,
You are sick 4his morning. Tomorrow
you will be worse.' The next day you will
die unices you discharge Craig . Kennedy.
At the signature of the Clutching Hand he
frowned, then, noticing. Dr. Hayward, turned to blm
and repeated. the question, "What is the matter?"
Dr. Hayward "continued shaking bia head. "I
cannot diagnose ner symptoms," be shrugged.
As I watched Kennedy's face, I saw hi nostrils
dilating,, almost as 1 if he were a hound and had'
scented' his quarry. "I sniffed, too. There seemed
to be a'.fatnt'odor, almost sis if of garlic, in the
room. It'was unmistakable and Craig rooked about
him curiously,- but said nothing. ' ' "
A he 'sniffed, he moved tn) patiently and hla
foot touched Ru8ty,under the bed. 1 Rusty whined
and moved back lazily. 1 Craig bent over and looked
at him. a . i . 1 : , ,
'"What's- the matter with' Rusty?" he" asked. ,
"Is be sick, too?" -'.... .
."Why, yes',' answered Elaine, following Craig
with her. deep .eyes. - ."Poor. Rusty, He wok me
op this 'morning. He feels as badly as I do, poor
ld fellow." ; -: ' : '.'',,.' '
i Craig reached down and gently pulled the collie
out into th. room. Ruety. crouched down close to
' the floor."; His 'no was hot and dry and feverish.
He was plainly 111. . ' J ' , ,
', 'How-long has Rusty been la th room?" asked
Craig., r- . I; .' . ; .
.'-. . 1 ,l . i . . . , i ,
n til
? 1 Is
"All night," answered Elaine. "I wouldn't
think of being without him now."
Kennedy lifted the dog: by his front paws. Rusty
submitted patiently, but without any spirit.
"May I take Rusty along with me?" he asked
finally.
Elaine hesitated. "Surely," eh eald at length
"only, be gentle with him."
Craig looked at her as though it would h im
possible to be otherwise with anything belonging
to Elaine.
"Of course," he said, simply. "I thought that
I might be able to discover the trouble from study
ing him."
We stayed only a few minutes longer, for Ken
nedy eeemed to realize the necessity of doing some
thing immediately, and even Dr. Hayward was
fighting in the dark. As for me, I gave It up, too.
I could find no answer to the mystery of what was
the peculiar malady of Elaine.
Back in the laboratory, Kennedy set to work
immediately, brushing everything else aside. He
began by drawing off a little of Rusty's blood In a
tube, very carefully. , ,
"Here, Walter, '! he said, pointing to the little
Incision he had made, "will you take care of him?"
I bound up the wounded leg and gave the poor
beast a drink of water. Rusty looked at me grate
fully from hla big, sad brown eyes. He seemed to
appreciate qur gentleness and to realize that we
. .were trying to help him. - .
In the meantime, Craig had taken a flask with a
. rubber stopper. Through one hole in it was fitted
a long funnel; through another ran a glass tube.
The tube connected with a large U-shaped drying
tube filled with calcium chloride, which, In turn,
connected with a long open tube with an upturned
end. '
Into the flask Craig dropped some pure granu
lated zinc. Then he covered it with dilute sulphuric
acid, poured in through the funnel tube.
"That forme hydrogen gas," he explained to me,
"which passes through the drying tube and the
ignition tube. Wait a moment until all the? air is
expelled from the tubes."
He lighted a match and touched it to open,
upturned end. The hydrogen, now escaping freely,
was ignited with a pale blue flame.
A few moments later, having extracted some
thing like a serum from the blood he had drawn
from Rusty, he added the extract to the mixture
in the flasft, pouring it in, also, through the funnel
tube.
Almost immediately the pale, bluish name
turned to bluish white, and white fume were
formed. In the ignition tube a sort of metallio
deposit appeared.
Quickly Craig made one test after another.
As he did eo I sniffed. There was an unmls
takeable odor of garlic in the air which made me
think of what I had already noticed In Elaine's
room.
' "What is it?'.' I asked, mystified. '
"Arseniuretted hydrogen," he -answered, etill
engaged in verifying his tests. "This is the Marsh
test for arsenic."
I gazed from Kennedy to the apparatus, then to
Rusty and a picture of Elaine, pale and listless,
flashed before me.
"Arsenic!". I repeated, in horror.
I had scarcely recovered from the surprise of
Kennedy's startling revelation when the telephone
rang again. Kennedy seized the receiver, thinking
evidently that the message might be from or about
Elaine.
But from the look on his face and from hia
manner, I could gather that, although it was not
from Elaine herself, It was about something that
interested him greatly. As he talked, he took hia
little notebook and hastily Jotted down something
In It. Still, I could not make out what the con
versation was about.
"Good!" I heard him say finally. "I shall keep
the appointment absolutely."
His face wore a peculiar puzzled look as he
hung up the receiver. - . . ,
"What was it?" I asked, eagerly.
' "It was Elaine's footman Michael," he replied,
thoughtfully. ' "As I suspected, he says that he is
a confederate of the Clutching Hand, and if wa
will protect him he will tell us the troubl with
Elaine." 1
I considered a moment. "How'a that?" I
queried.
"Well," added Cra. "you see, JMichael has be
come infuriated by the treatment he received from
the Clutching Hand, I believe he cuffed him In
the face yesterday. Anyway, he saya he has de
termined to get even and betray him. So, after
hearing how Elaine was, he slipped out of the
servant's door and looking about carefully to-see
that he wasn't followed, he went straight to a drug
store and called me up. He seemed extremely'
nervous and fearful."
I did not like the looks of the thing, and said
so. "Craig," I objected vehemently, "don't go to
meet him. It is a trap."
Kennedy had evidently considered my objection
already.
"It may be a trap," he replied slowly, "but
Elaine is dying and we've got to see this thing
through."
As he spoke, he took an automatic from a
drawer of a cabinet and thrust it Into his pocket.
Then he went into another drawer and took out
several sectiens of thin tubing, which seemed to be.
made fasten together as a fishing pole in fastened
but were now seperate, as if ready for travelling.
"Well are you coming, Walter?" he asked,
finally the only answer to my flood of caution.
Then he went out. I followed, still arguing.
"If you go. I go," I capitulated. "That's art
there is to it."
Following the directions that Michael had given
over the telephone. Craig led me into one of the
toughest part of the lower West Side..
"Here's the place." he announced, etopplng
across the street from a dingy Raines law hotel.
"Pretty tough," I objected. "Are you sure?"
Quite," replied Kennedy, consulting hla not
book again.
. "Well. I'll be hanged If 1 11 go in that Joint." I
persisted.
It bad no. effect on Kennedy. "Nonsense
Walter." he replied, crossing the street.
(Continued on Pag Eleven Column ThTeeJj
