wHo killed I.L. Swett & Why?

Irwin Louis (I.L.) Swett was found murdered at the Medina Railroad Museum and his prized possession, the Silver Spike, is missing.

Mr. Swett was the owner of the very successful foundry, I.L. Swett Ironworks as well as the I.L. Swett Electric Light and Power Company. In fact, Mr. Swett liked to refer to himself as the “Electricity Tycoon” of the area and conducted himself accordingly. He rubbed elbows with other wealthy businessmen, including George Eastman, both Wells and Fargo and, of course, Cornelius Vanderbilt, for whom his foundry created the famous Silver Spikes.

Here’s what we know so far:

Mr. Swett was found to be quite deceased. Lying face down on the museum floor.
The Silver Spike is missing.
Foul play is definitely suspected.
There was a bloody gash upon his head.
A few black feathers and red flowers were found on the floor, around the body.
His left hand clutched a buffalo head nickel.
Near his right hand lay a crumpled program from the Medina Opera House.
The program had cryptic marks on the back cover, presumably made with the victim’s blood. Could it be some kind of cypher?
Mr. Swett’s journal was in his pocket, but pages have been ripped out.

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The Possible Suspects:

Mr. Nickola Tesla

Brilliant inventor, Tesla was determined to have his “alternating current” beat out the Edison “direct current” model as the means to deliver electricity to the masses. It is imperative that electricity generated by the Niagara Power spreads across the state as quickly as possible. Tesla was seen in a loud, public argument with the victim in recent days. Would Tesla short circuit and commit this shocking murder?

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Louise Bethune

The first female architect in America, Bethune has also had run-ins with I.L. Swett. His misogyny is more than her feminist sensibilities can handle. Bethune was busy building her magnum opus, the Lafayette Hotel. It was meant to be ready for the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo but they only got to dig the foundation before the money ran out. Could our murder victim have had a hand in Bethune’s predicament and if so, would Mrs. Bethune resort to murder to keep her business out of the hole?

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Thomas Edison Jr.

Junior’s main ambition is to live up to his namesake, Thomas Edison Sr. Unfortunately, he lacks the talent and creativity of his father. Edison has been traveling far and wide, hawking his dubious contraption, the Magno Electro Vitalizer. The device claims to use mild electric current to cure any disease, condition or ailment. On Jr’s advice, I.L. Swett bought one for his wife. Could Swett have been a dissatisfied customer? What would this inferior Edison be willing to do to finally achieve success?

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Eleanor Mayer

Ms. Mayer is an aspiring singer, “discovered” by Mr. I.L. Swett when she was auditioning to be a Can Can girl at a local dance hall. It was her legs that caught his attention but Swett convinced Ms. Mayer that with his private instruction, and the change of her unfortunate name, he could make Eleanor the “shining light” of the Medina Opera House and beyond. How many “proteges” like her have come before? What would a girl from Dunkirk do to keep her star rising?

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Vice President Theodore Roosevelt

Mr. Roosevelt has generously agreed to spend some of his valuable time with us, his humble constituents. How fortunate that our hostess, Anne Katharine Greene, happened to find him among the wild flowers growing around the caboose! As the former commissioner of the New York City police , Mr. Roosevelt is sure to have some valuable insights to share or does he?

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Physical Evidence and Clues:

The Mystery begins with an urgent letter from William S. Bull, Museum Curator