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Title: Ashton-Kirk, Criminologist

Author: John T. McIntyre

Illustrator: Ralph L. Boyer

Release Date: January 3, 2010 [EBook #30838]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ASHTON-KIRK, CRIMINOLOGIST ***

Produced by Annie McGuire

[Illustration: HE WAS STEADFASTLY WATCHING THE GIRL]

Ashton-Kirk
Criminologist

BY
John T. McIntyre

Author of "Ashton-Kirk Investigator,"
"Ashton-Kirk Secret Agent," "Ashton-Kirk
Special Detective," etc.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY
RALPH L. BOYER

THE PENN PUBLISHING
COMPANY PHILADELPHIA
1918

COPYRIGHT
1918 BY
THE PENN
PUBLISHING
COMPANY

_To my friend_
_Edward W. Mumford_

INTRODUCTION

It is always a task of much difficulty to select an experience of
Ashton-Kirk's from among the many which have been set down in the
records under his name.

A maze of episodes in these records attracts the mind, and one finds
there a train of singular adventures, any one of which would make a
book. The experiences which go to make up the volume "Ashton-Kirk,
Investigator" were chosen because they dealt with a rather arabesque
murder, the hidden features of which were brought to light in an
extraordinary way. In "Ashton-Kirk, Secret Agent," the elements seemed
uniquely mixed, and shed an unusual light upon the windings of European
diplomacy.

In the third volume, "Ashton-Kirk, Special Detective," the note of
horror was rung shrilly, and the confident talents of this extraordinary
young man were brought smartly into play. It may be that the appearance
in this history of the detective's big, good-natured, strong-handed
friend, Bat Scanlon, had something to do with its finding a place in
this series. In the present book this engaging personality has again a
part in the drama.

But aside from this influence, the episode makes a powerful appeal; the
brilliancy of the criminologist's work in the case treated here would
surely have compelled a place for it in any list of his experiences.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER