“But six months ago a man was arrested in Silver City who answered his description to a jot, and who went by the name of Benjamin Astley.
“He was horrified when accused of being identical with Mason. He was at the altar with a happy bride-elect when arrested. The shock nearly killed the bride, who fainted upon the spot.
“Astley is in a terrible state of mind. He has detectives looking for the real Bert Mason. What makes the case look worse for Astley was the fact that one of the marked bullets was found upon him, and it tallied with the one found in Clem Johnson’s skull.
“Astley has been convicted as the murderer and will doubtless hang. Yet the evidence would look to be purely circumstantial, and an innocent man may suffer for the crime.”
Frank Reade, Jr., had become deeply interested in the complex case.
“That man is innocent!” he declared, with firm conviction. “It is too bad to hang him upon such evidence.”
“Bejabers, I believe yez are roight, sor!” agreed Barney O’Shea.
“I done fink dat man am de victim ob cirkumstances!” declared Pomp, sagely.
“The real murderer Mason is no doubt at large now,” cried Frank. “I declare he ought to be found.”
The more Frank thought of the matter the better satisfied he became that the ends of justice were being defeated.