CHAPTER XIX
A Surprise was awaiting Gaylor when he returned from Harrogate and handed in his report. A gun-maker in London had called at Scotland Yard and stated that he had sold a Smith & Wesson revolver, calibre .32 with a box of 50 cartridges, to Ian Barr in the month of August, two years before the tragedy in Riding Wood. The man, whose name was Jonas Sailes, and whose shop was in the Strand, was in a small way of business, and had no assistants except his young son, who had but lately been taken from school to serve customers while the father was laid up after a slight operation. This operation had been upon the eyes, and Sailes had been kept in a dark room for a fortnight. During that time he heard no news from the outside world, and his son, who had no great interest in life except sport, paid no particular attention to the details of the Hereward murder. On his recovery, seeing the name of Mr. Ian Barr in connection with the affair, the elder Sailes remembered the name, consulted his books, and found the purchase of the weapon and cartridges recorded.
This was a strong piece of evidence against Barr, and together with what Gaylor had learned from
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