The Black Box (1915)

Episode 1: "An Apartment House Case" Lord and Lady Ashleigh have decided to send their only child, Ella, to New York, for the season. The girl's one ambition in life is to study music. Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Raleigh have agreed to chaperon the girl in the American metropolis. As a final gift Lord Ashleigh presents his daughter with the famous Ashleigh diamond necklace. As Lord and Lady Ashleigh cannot leave England; they send Lenora, Ella's personal attendant, and the maid's husband, Ian MacDougal, butler at Hamblin House, to accompany the girl to New York. Next morning the hotel is aroused by Leonora's wild shrieks of alarm. The hall men, rushing in, find Ella's body upon the floor and the famous diamonds missing. Inspector French, of the police detectives, is called but can make nothing of the affair. He calls in the services of Sanford Quest. The criminologist traps the maid into an expression of terror and informs her that she must go to his office. She tries to communicate with MacDougal, but Quest interferes. By means of hypnotism Quest draws from the girl a confession that the crime was committed by MacDougal, that he took the jewels and that she was to meet him, and escape with him to South America. Satisfied by her story, Quest turns the girl loose, after commanding her to return to his study with the jewels at 7 p.m. She joins MacDougal in their rendezvous. Quest has tracked her, and by means of a trap, is thrown by MacDougal into the cellar. Then the villain turns on a poisonous gas. The power of Quest's suggestion comes over the receptive mind of Lenora. She mechanically obeys his order, takes up the jewels and leaves the rendezvous, going to his study. MacDougal suspects that he has been double-crossed and swears he will get her yet, since Quest is done for. But Quest is not done for. He has a little instrument in his hand attached by wires to capsules of Anishidyte. Anishidyte's most valuable quality is that it exerts a tremendous force only in the direction towards which it is pointed. By the aid of this explosive Quest escapes and returns to his office to find Lenora already there. Seeing she is an excellent subject, he ventures another experiment, that of electro-thought transference. Before a highly sensitized mirror he seats the girl and gently puts her in a state of hypnosis. A paper-thin steel band is fitted around her temples. This band is connected through a series of coils with the mirror by a fine wire, through which runs a high charge of electricity. The hypnosis induces perfect mental concentration. The criminologist then commands the girl to observe by means of telepathy what MacDougal is doing. Anxiously, Quest watches the mirror. Its surface seems ruffled and slowly there emerges from the grayness a scene showing the interior of a low groggery. MacDougal enters, confers with the proprietor and is directed to a room where he can be safe from the police. In the little attic MacDougal throws down his hat and swears he knows to get even with Lenora. The experiment is finished. Quest quickly brings the girl back to full consciousness and turns her over to his assistant, Laura. A week passes. MacDougal threatens Lenora in a note and Quest decides to draw him at once into the trap. Hypnotizing the girl he bids her lay her head upon her arms on his table. From the window he has seen MacDougal approach. Quest and his men apparently leave the house. MacDougal creeps in. He sees the bowed figure in the half-light bringing a heavy blackjack down upon the head of the figure. The next instant the lights flash up. MacDougal is handcuffed and Lenora is led in from another room. MacDougal stares at her, his throat contracting. Then he looks toward the table. A detective is picking up the dummy figure. The black wig drops to the floor. A steel rod shows above the dummy hand. MacDougal has been caught by a trick. Lord Ashleigh arrives to find his daughter's slayer in the law's hands. He demands also the arrest of Lenora as an accomplice of MacDougal, but Quest, knowing that a wife cannot testify against her husband, persuades Lord Ashleigh that she was only a tool of the real criminal. And down in South America Prof. Edgar Ashleigh, anthropologist, a twin brother of Lord John, is caring for his fever-stricken servant, John Craig. Their researches through the jungle have led them into dangerous climates and Craig has succumbed. Ashleigh decides that the man will not die and leaves him alone for a moment. The fever-crazed brain has but one thought, apparently. Cunningly waiting till the scientist has gone from the tent, the servant feels under his pillow and brings out a small black box. He fondles the box and then hides it once more.