Transcriber’s Note Italic text displayed as: _italic_ THE ASTOUNDING CRIME ON TORRINGTON ROAD THE ASTOUNDING CRIME ON TORRINGTON ROAD BEING AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT MIGHT BE TERMED “THE PENTECOST EPISODE” IN A MOST AUDACIOUS CRIMINAL CAREER BY WILLIAM GILLETTE [Illustration: Decoration] HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS New York and London, Mcmxxvii THE ASTOUNDING CRIME ON TORRINGTON ROAD COPYRIGHT, 1927, BY WILLIAM GILLETTE PRINTED IN THE U. S. A. E-B THIS RECITAL —AS TAKEN DOWN AND THEN SET FORTH HEREIN—IS DIVIDED INTO SEVEN PARTS OR SECTIONS WHICH MAY BE ROUGHLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: PART I: Leading up to the arrangement that Andrew Howard Barnes finally succeeded in making with Horace McClintock for the Reporting of the Facts in This Most Unusual Series of Events. _Page 1_ PART II: Introducing Hugo Pentecost and his Partner Stephen W. Harker, with a side light thrown on the Business Methods employed by this firm. Also defining the Steps which led Mr. Pentecost to call at the House on Torrington Road. _Page 20_ PART III: Dealing with old Michael Cripps and his Synthetic Family—thus making it clear how Charles Haworth came to be the Sole Occupant of the old Cripps Mansion. _Page 44_ PART IV: Attempting to convey Some Idea of the Overwhelming Passion that swept upon Charles Haworth and Edith Findlay when the Findlays came to live at the House on Torrington Road. _Page 67_ PART V: Wherein is set forth the Painful Predicament which soon involved the Young Couple, and the Vast Relief which ensued upon the Sale of the Haworth Machine to Harker and Pentecost. _Page 112_ PART VI: Touching on the Amazing Preparations for and the Hideous Details of the Crime that took place in the Cripps Mansion and Describing the Activities of the Police in connection therewith as well as the Behavior of Others Concerned in this Appalling Affair. _Page 169_ PART VII: Giving an account of the Attempts of Certain Persons no longer enjoying an Earthly Existence to take part in the Investigation of the Crime and the Final Result of this Most Amazing Interference. _Page 259_ THE ASTOUNDING CRIME ON TORRINGTON ROAD PART I _At the request of Mr. Andrew H. Barnes I make the following statement in order to explain how it came about that I entered into the arrangement for taking down from his dictation an Account of a Certain Extraordinary Affair._ HORACE MCCLINTOCK