The Man Called Gilray by Fred M. White

The story of the tragedy of Ponder-avenue made the great sensation of the hour. It had all the attributes of what might be called a popular mystery, and on every side it was hemmed in by the most romantic surroundings. Here was a man, apparently wealthy and well connected, and obviously possessing considerable means, who had been done to death in this way by some person who apparently had no motive for such a crime.

If it had been a mere vulgar case of robbery, then public attention would not have been gripped as it had been. Clearly the murderer was no ordinary type of criminal, not the class of man, for instance, who had found his way into the study on the off-chance of picking up something valuable. It was quite clear that nothing was missing, and quite clear, too, that the police were at their wit's end to give a plausible reason for the tragedy. Temple had made a prominent feature of the story, which was widely read and discussed at every breakfast table in London next morning. The inquest had been fixed for 10 o'clock, and an hour before that time the room was packed to suffocation. There were hundreds outside who could not get in. There were people there who knew the deceased by sight but not a soul who could give one atom of really useful information.