THE MAN GALLED GILRAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE MAN GALLED GILRAY.

[PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT]

■ ♦ . BY FRED M. WHITE, Author of " Tho Crimson Blind," " Tho Cardina'i Moth," " Blackmail," " Craven Fortune," ' A Front of Brass," etc., etc.

COPYRIGHT. SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHATTERS. Ckapteiis I. and 11.—£500 reward is offered for information leading to the urrest of the murderer of a man named John Otlray. Philip Temple is the editor of the Southern Weekly Herald. He has always been of great assistance to the police in finding clues, and therefore <it two a.m. on the morning of tiro murder Inspector Sparrow telephones for him to go to the police station. The inspector tells him of the murder at Ponder Avenue. They visit the house of the murdered man. A woman servant has just arrived home after her evening out. Sparrow questions her, and she gives all the information she can. There aro no other servants, and she has only been there a week. Jane Martin is dismissed for the nonce, and Philip Temple and the inspector discuss the situation. Philip goes in search of Jane Martin. She savs the name of her predecessor was Hsme, but she knows nothing further. They go to the study and examine the body of tho murdered man There is a pile of papers on a table, and amongst them one or two typed sheets. Sparrow suggests that Temple should examine tho typed sheets very carefully, with a. view to finding a clue. He tegs for the possession of the sheet for the time, as he believes he has the finished story in his office.

. Chapters HI and Philip Temple although possessed of ample means of his own, had drifted into journalism. Two years before he had lost tiro love of his life, Elsie Gordon, who, about, that time, became Lady Silverdalc. Silverdale, after marriage, found that his wife did not care for him and began to neglect her, and spent much of his time away. Sho goes to the Duchess of Herringay's place in Park Lane. After greeting her hostess, a footman brings her ft letter on a tray. It is from her blackmailer, and encloses a sheet of written letter-paper, for which she has had to pav handsomely. She is told to leave some article of jewellery on the sundial, and is promised a whole letter in return. Elsie wonders why she does not tell Philip Temple, but she goes to the sundial arid leaves her bracelet there. She turns to find herself faced by Philip Temple. She tells him how unhappy tho is. He asks why ehe left what she did on the snudial. She tells him all about tho blackmailing, also asking him if he had destroyed certain love-letters she had written to him before she was married. He acknowledge that he has not destroyed them, but has them vet, locked up in his private desk. Some women passing tell Lady Silverdale that her husbs>nd is looking for her. She hurries away to encounter her husband's sarcastic. remarks. He tells her he is going at once. He is amused to think what, she would say if she could see what was in his pocket*

CHAPTER V. NO CLUE. Tire story of tho tragedy of Ponder Avenue made the great sensation 'the hour. It had all the attributes of what might bo called a popular mystery, and on every side it was hemmed in by the most romantic surroundings. Here was a man, apparently wealthy and well-connected, and obviously possessing considerable means, who had beer? done- to death in this way by somo person who apparently had no motivo for. such a crime. If. it had been a mere vulgar case of robbery, then public attention would not havo been gripped as it had been. Clearly the murderer was no ordinary type of criminal, not tho class of man, for instance, who had found his way into tho study on the off-chance of picking up something valuable. It was quite clear that nothing was missing, and quite clear, too, that the police wero at their wits' end to uivG a plausible reason for tho tragedy. Temple had made a prominent feature of tho story, which was widely read and discussed at ©very break fast- in London next morning. The inquest had been fixed for ten clock, and an hour before that time the room was packed to suffocation. There wero hundreds outside who could not get in. There were people there who knew the deceased by sight, but not a soul who could givo an atom of really useful information.

Meanwhile Sparrow had not been idle. Ho had managed to get together some sort of evidence, but though the excited crowd followed every word with breathless interest, nothing was dropped in the course of a two hours' investigation which threw oven the slightest light on the life-story of John Gilray. After the coroner had briefly opened tho investigation, Sparrow proceeded to call his first witness. This was Mr. James Gilbert, the owner of the house in Ponder Avenue. "I first came in contact with Mr. Gilray eighteen months ago," he said. "I was introduced to him through a houseagent, and ho informed me of his desire to take No. 2, Ponder Avenue, on a three years' agreement. He made no demur at the rent I asked, and expressed his readiness to undertake the decoration of the house himself. I understood him to say that he was exceedingly particular about this. As he seemed to be a very desirable type of tenant, the agreement was drawn up. Mr. Gilray duly took possession of the house— By the Coroner : " One moment, please. This strikes me as rather an important matter. I understand from Inspector Sparrow that he has been unable as yet to trace this unfortunate man as to his antecedents prior to his arrival at Ponder Avenue. He gave you some references, of course?" Witness : " No, lie didn't, sir. Of course, the point was raised, but Mr. Gilray declined to give anything of the sort. I ventured to suggest that this course was most unusual, but the gentleman was quite firm and declined to givo way. In lieu of references he offered to pay me a year's rent annually in advance. I could see that he was a gentleman, and I understood him to say that he wished to have nothing whatever to do with his friends. At any rate, rightly or wrongly, I accepted the offer, and Mr. Gilray paid mo tho year's rent the day before ne took possession. I may say that ho paid a second year's rent six months ago." By tho Coroner : " Did he pay by V-

Witness: "No, sir. He paid mo in bank notes on both occasions. They were Bank of England notes and quite clean. That is, I mean there was no bank stamp on them. I am quite positive of this, because I was naturally curious as to my mysterious tenant, and I looked to see. As a matter of fact, I have only seen Mr. Gilray twico since he entered into possession of the house." . Something like a murmur of disappointment followed as the witness sat down. Most of the audience had expected at any rate that the landlord of Ponder Avenue would be able to tell, them something as to the identity of the murdered man. But public curiosity was stimulated a moment or two later as the manager of a big local bank stepped forward. And again the onlookers were disappointed. The bank manager had very little to say. Ho had known Mr. Gil ray slightly, because he had come to him occasionally to change notes into gold. By the Coroner : " Were they large notes?" . Witness: " Invariably the same, sir. It was usually a Bank of England note for a hundred pounds." ~ , By the Coroner : " Would this bo frequently V ~ Witness: "Well, roughly speaking, about once a month. For some reason or another, Mr. Gilray always asked to see me, and naturally I was always ready to oblige. More than once I suggested that he should open an account, but lie would not hear about it. This was all the English money I changed for him." The Coroner: "One moment. You say this is all the English money you have changed. Am I to understand that upon occasions you changed foreign money as well?" ' ■ Witness : " Yes. Perhaps fifty or sixty pounds worth every two months, lhe money generaly came in the form of notes issued by an Austrian bank. No, I am afraid I cannot tell you anything definite. You see, in a town like London we have an enormous amount of foreign money to change, and it would be impossible to remember whence it all comes." The Coroner: " You keep no account of these foreign notes?" Witness : "No, sir. It would entail far too much time and trouble. And, besides, nothing would bo gained by it." A few further questions to the witness elicited nothing more. It was just possible ho thought, that one of the hundred pound notes might be traced to the source from whence it came, but after all, it would be pure accident and might take many months. The interested audience were more mystified than ever as the bankmanager resumed his seat. He was 101lowed by a clerk in a Bakerloo station booking office who had very little to say, but that little was more to the point than anything which had preceded it. It appeared that the witness knew Mr. Gilray very well by sight. He was m the habit of using his station at such times as ho went up west. Most evenings he took a return ticket, and witness noticed that he was invariably in evening dress But the most important part of the evidence lay in the statement that once a month the dead man took a return ticket to Westminster, almost invariably on a Thursday night, and that ho as invariably came back on the Saturday. mm ,i a » The Coroner: "This was quite a regular * Witness- "Yes, sir. After a time I looked forward to it as a matter of course. I always cave the gentleman the ticket myself/ He took a first-class return. By the Coroner: "You never spoke to him, I suppose?" , „ a Witness: "Oh, yes, sir, very often. Ho was a man with a certain dry humour, and I always found him very interesting indeed. He always struck me as being aristocratic and well-bred." "That is rather important, the coroner said. "It is quite fair to assume that the unfortunate man was in the habit ol eoing up west with a view to drawing money. Now I suppose it is impossible that you should be able to tell us on what dates these return tickets were issued, _ Witness: "On the contrary, sir, that s quite an easy matter. I could tell you that in the course of the day." The Coroner: " I should like to know it. You will see my point, Inspector Sparrow I want to prove if possible that within a day or so of Mr. Gilray's return from London he was in the habit of changing these banknotes." ' "Quite so, sir," Inspector Sparrow replied. "But they might have come by post If anybody sent these notes through the post, then tho envelope would probably have been registered." ''The postman might have given us a clue," suggested tho coroner. "I have him subpeeaned, sir," the inspector said. " I thought it quito possible that he might have given us other information, which might bo valuable." Once more public interest stood on tiptoe, but the postman proved to be the most disappointing witness of the lot. He took tho four daily deliveries on his round which embraced Ponder Avenue, and ho had done so for the last four years. And during the last eighteen months he could not call to mind a single instance in which ho had delivered a letter at No. 2, Ponder Avenue, which was addressed to Mr. Gilray. , , ■ The Coroner: Surely you have forgotten? Eighteen months is a very long time." . - Witness: "I am quite sure of my facts, sir. When Mr. Gilray first came into my district I used to notice him because for a month or two ho always seemed to be waiting for me to come along. He was either at the door or in the hall, and he used to ask me if I had anything for him." The Coroner: "Ho seemed to be expecting a letter?" Witness: "Really I couldn't say, sir. Ho seemed to be very eager, and when I told him I hadn't got one ho appeared relieved in some way. Just as one's expecting bad news and it doesn't come. No, sir, this isn't imagination on my part. I haven't thought of this merely sinco the tragedy. I've thought so all along in fact, I have mentioned it to my wife more than once. A postman sees a good many strange things." Tho Coroner: "And are you positively certain that Mr. Gilray never received a single post letter during the time he lived in Ponder Avenue?"

Witness: "I am prepared to swear to it, sir."

The Coroner: But yon are absent occasionally?" Witness : "-Sixteen days an two years. And never through illness. 1 had the curiosity to ask the man who took my place, and ho never delivered a letter for Mr. Gilray." The Coroner shook his head thoughtfully. It was very awkward to see how to proceed. Whichever way the inquiry turned (something seemed to "end in a blind alley. Usually in cases of this kind somo more or less curious person came forward who had found out something. And in this instance the more they had discovered the less they seemed to know. Again, there- must bo many people in London whose one great anxiety is to conceal their identity, a matter much more easily managed in a crowded town than in a little country placewhere gossip is rampant. " All this is very mysterious," the coroner said. "Really, I don't see that we are getting any further with all these witnesses, inspector. They make the investigation look hopeless." Inspector Sparrow looked just a little uncomfortable. Nobody in court, knew better than himself how utterly hopeless the case was at present. "' Most of them volunteered to come forward and give evidence, sir," ho said. "And I don't think we are altogether wasting the time of the court." The coroner admitted the point. All his sympathy was with Sparrow. He had conducted too many of these investigations to bo prejudiced. " Well, I'll hear a little more," he said. " Personally, it sems to me far better to adjourn at this point for a few days so as to' give you a fair chance. Was tho deceased a healthy man?" "On that point I can't say anything, sir," Sparrow responded. "I daresay somebody knows," tho coroner went on. The hall porter, or somo chemist in the neighbourhood from whom Mr. Gilray procured his drugs. There are very few of us indeed who from time to time have no need for drugs. Or a doctor?" Sparrow brightened just a little. " I am obliged to you for the suggestion, sir," he said. "Up to now no information on that point has reached mo. If Mr. Gilray was in tho habit of consulting a doctor the point might bo of some assistance, to us. Is thero anything else, sir?,"-

CHAPTER VI. TUB MIDNIGHT GUEST. But the coroner appeared to have no more questions to ask, and so far as the witnesses were concerned the. more they said the more it became apparent that the police • were merely on the fringe of a, ; most puzzling and intricate problem. -It was quite plain up to now that the dead man had gone deliberately out of his way to conceal his identity and baffle curiosity. It was quite clear, too, that he had taken extraordinary pains to prevent anyone, even the bank manager, from learning whence ho obtained his money. "It was certainly very puzzling, the coroner said. " One more question, postman, and I have done. Do you mean to say that you never delivered a single letter for eighteen months at 2, Ponder Avenue—nothing whatever?" Witness: "' Well, I can't go quite so far as that, sir. There were a good many circulars, of couree-advertisements from local tradespeople. The only letters 1 ever left in tho house were foreign ones, Md thoso were addressed to the servant. " How do you know they wero the servant's?" . „ , Witness: "Because occasionally slio took them from me in the morning, i would get there sometimes when she was sweeping down the steps. She would say, 'Ah, a letter for me,' or something of that kind. And occasionally ehe would open the letter there and then. This would be about once in six weeks." The Coroner: "Do you remember the servant's name?" ~ •'l'm afraid that won't help us much, Sparrow said. "Mr. Gilray had only one servant all tho time he was here, and she was a foreigner who came here when Mr. Gilray first'took his flat. Besides, she is dead, and was buried within the last fortnight. I've seen the doctor who attended her for her illness, and he can tell us nothing. Tho woman died of pneumonia, and she was nursed by some friend or another whom I can trace if necessary. Of course, sir, if you like, I will have the doctor called, but it will be merely a waste of time." "Quite so," the coroner agreed. 'But this servant must have had friends. If wo could find out who she was we might get on a bit. No matter how mysterious and secretive- a man might be, he couldn't have- a servant in the house for eighteen months without the latter finding out a deal about him. Now, postman, do you happen to know the name of that servant?" Witness : " I'm sorry to say I don't, sir. All I know is that her Christian name was ' Esme.' I couldn't; make out the surname, which was a strange foreign one, and written in a very peculiar handwriting. This was tho only letter that the servant had, and it always bore a foreign postmark."^ The Coroner: "A European or an Amen-

can postmark?" Witness: "Oh, I couldn't Bay for certain, sir, but I should think it was somewhere on the Continent, The paper was very thin, and American people very rarely use it."

{To be continued on Wednesday next.)