"I will show you very soon, now, Mr. Harlow. If you remember, the
safe at the mill was found open the morning after the murder but had
been closed and locked by the superintendent. This was a very foolish
thing to do, as the combination had been known only to the treasurer,
and it was several days before it was opened by an expert sent by the
manufacturers. It was then found that the money drawn by Mr. Ellicott
for the payroll, some three thousand dollars, had disappeared."
"Yes, I remember," said the district attorney, "the thief was never
found, and with the more important matter of the murder on our hands
little attention was paid to the loss of the money. It was clear from
the start that Robert Wood had nothing to do with it, because
revenge, not robbery was his motive. But, what does all this mean
that you are telling me?"
"I forgot to state, or, rather postponed saying it, that the coil of
rope that was found in the cupboard had a noose in one end of it, and
that in Mr. Ellicott's wound I found small particles of stone. I
summed up the case thus: Pinchot plotted to steal the money drawn for
payday and to kill Mr. Ellicott if it became necessary. He lifted the
trap door, having thrown the noose in the rope over the hook in the
wall. Mr. Ellicott was quite deaf and did not notice the opening of
the trap door or the man's descent by means of the rope.
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