The Mystery of Room 29 (1912)

Two prospectors, Cardigan and Tiel, find a dead man. Searching the body, they find the map of an unrecorded gold mine. They decide to keep it for themselves and Cardigan puts it into his pocket. At night Tiel steals the map and slips away. Cardigan, tracing his false partner, discovers him registered at a cheap hotel, "Room 29." He secures the adjoining room. The next morning the chambermaid discovers Tiel is dead. He is seated on the window-sill, his body resting back against the casing. Two detectives, Nave and Hardcastle, investigate the murder. Indications show Tiel was shot from the outside. Nave considers a door to the next room, which they enter and find Cardigan on the bed, pretending sleep. He is questioned and goes back with them. Says he never saw the man before. Cardigan stays with the two detectives and the policeman on watch. They go to see a room across the alley and he gets his coat, puts it on, dropping an envelope in doing so, and accompanies them. The policeman picks up the old envelope and hands it to Nave on his return. It has the name of the murdered man on it and also that of Cardigan. Nave confronts him with it and Cardigan escapes and leads the officers a bewildering chase before he is captured. He confesses the murder and the ruse he employed to divert suspicion by the manufactured evidence that Hardcastle worked on.

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Summary Details
GenresDrama Short
FilmmakersRole
Otis Thayer Director
Arthur Preston Hankins Writer
William Nicholas Selig Producer
CastRole
Frank Weed
Cardigan - the Prospector
Edgar G. Wynn
Tiel - Cardigan's Partner
Charles Clary
Nave - the Detective
Harry Lonsdale
Hardcastle - the Detective