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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (May 8, 1934)
PAGE ETMTT TkfEDFORD MAIL TRTBTTJTE, MEDFORD, OREGON. TUESDAY, MAT 8. 1931 DCFmocking house BY WALTER C. BROWN. ami" . ' cviio po litical pout, iui(rac(or. has 6ee ambushed on a lonely rood near (Aa city. ( may be the work at the person who hat been tend ing him anonymoue threatening letters, but Sergeant Harper ie not ture. At dinner tn the AueterUte with Dufreene. Harper haa been J mealed by hia hoat'a heavu drink ng. and by hia htnta that eomeone close to him man be responsible. Chapter Siz ' DULL NIGHT TWENTY-FOUR uniformed men J- were drawn up In two parallel lines across the Squad Room of the Fourteenth Precinct, the most out lying police district of the city, The men wore their heavy winter coats for It had turned bitterly cold and a howling snowstorm was under way. During the afternoon the etorm had made several false starts, with brief flurries, but now the flakes were whirling furiously against the steam ing windows, driven by a shrill northwest wind. Lewis finished the rollcall. "No stalling tonight, men!" he snapped. "Pull your boxes on schedule, or I'll come out looking for you myself. Dismiss!" Instantly the lines lost their wooden character. The men broke ranks and made for the door, snug gling their coats more firmly about their shoulders and chatting as they open leaf 01 tne ponce "Diouer, whlch bore tbe same date as the cal endar pad. There was not a single scratch of writing on Its blue-lined surface. "It looks like a shut-out, all right," he commented. Byers glanced at the clock. It In dicated ten minutes to nine. "There are still three hours till midnight,'' be said. "On the next 'pull' I'll tell the boys to get us some business," he jested. Tbe Sergeant smoothed down the sheet. "Not much chance now on a night like this. I never drew a total blank before. It must be something like a record." A silence fell, and they listened to the wind lashing the snow against the windows with unabated fury. "It must be a couple of inchea deep by this time," Lewie observed. "If this keeps up all night everything will be tied up." THERE: was an angry bust from -L tbe awltchboard and a tiny white bulb glowed. Byers scurried across tbe room and adjusted the earpiece. flinging a glance at the clock as he slid Into the chair. It was two min utes to nine. Fourteenth," he spoke Into ths mouthpiece. Morris 1838," came the reply. "Any ordere?" "O.K., no orders." . Then hi WORK ON 4-MILE LAKE ROAD WILL Sergeant Lewis aettled down with the paper. (led out, donning gloves and set tling their nightsticks In holsters. The "long shift" was going on duty. Among them was one destined never to return. Sergeant Lewis returned to the Pofflce" and settled down with the evening paper. For several houra the men on patrol duty rang up from the street boxes, and "Sad Sam Byers, who was on switchboard duty, laconically reported "O.K. Sergeant," each time the round of sails was completed. A drowsy quiet settled over the Fourteenth Precinct Station, a gray atone building at tbe extreme end of Woodbine Avenue. fust a matter of ten minutes' walk from the county line. Sergeant Lewis sat behind the railing at the raised "charge" desk. Tiring of the paper, with Its midwin ter dearth of sports news, be turned ruminating eye toward tbe win dows and with stolid calm watched (he pounding and spattering on the panes. iVER In his corner Byers had dls- v carded the telephone headpiece while he indulged In a game of pino chle with Officer Connally. They played with silent concentration, the enly sound emanating from their game being the sharp slap and rif fling of the cards. Lewis sat down again. He stared at the calendar pad on the opposite wall. Its hold, black markings pro claimed that this was Tuesday, Jan nary tenth. He rustled hia newspaper Impa tiently. He bated prolonged silences. Small talk was as necessary to him M meat and bread. So, when Clymer turned out the papers from his ma chine and deftly sifted out the car bon sheets, Lewis pounced on the opportunity, "Say, Clymer, did you ever hear of a Thirteenth Precinct? Thla Is the Fourteenth and Butler's got the Twelfth, but Where's the unlucky number!" The typist leaned back In his chair and considered the question. Finally, be shook his bead. "1 never heard of one, now that you mention It," be admitted. Lewis rubbed his chin. "I guess the fellows who laid out the Pre cincts were superstitious." The Sergeant flicked over the dropped the crisp, official tone. "Don't get your feet wet, Morrle," be called, "and listen we haven't a thing on the blotter. Can't you tel. lows give us a little action 7" "Nothing doing tonight," came back the answer. "You're lucky to be Inside. It's cold aa hell," waa Offi cer 1638's forceful. If somewhat mixed, metaphor. Byers placed a check mark after Morris's name on the llat posted at bis elbow. For tbe next few min utes the little lights continued to flash and at the conclusion of each report Byers checked tbe name of the patrolman. With some he ex changed brief, bantering remarks. but always cut out swiftly to keep the line open. "Sergeant, no report from 1645 Hamlll." There was a note of sur prise In Byers' voice. Lewis frowned. It was eleven min utes past the hour. Connally with drew his attention from the cards for a moment. "Perhaps he's coming In with something," he suggested, hopefully. Whether he Is, or Isn't, we'll be bearing from him shortly," .was the Sergeant's opinion, Byers kept his earpiece clamped on and amused himself drawing curlicues on a piece of paper. At nine-twenty he glanced from the clock to Sergeant Lewis, still turning pages. A moment later the outer door banged and every one looked In that direction, expecting to see the re miss Hamlll, Officer 1646, com stamping In from the hall, Instead, a snow-plastered and storm-buffeted figure appeared, hunched and muf fled beyond recognition.' It was not until the man had shaken off most of the clinging snow that plastered his front, unwound a muffler and re moved his hat that Lewis recognised the newcomer. It was Howard Sheriff" Doyle, the special crime reporter tor the Dally Ledger. Doyle treated the Sergeant to a quasi-military salute. He hung his hat and overcoat on a hook. "How dy, Sergeant. Howdy, boys," was hia breesy salutation. "Ssen anything of Detective Barry up here tonlghtt Or Steve Harper!" (Copyright. by Waller 0. Brown) Tomorrow, slash. Harpir and Doyts Work wilt start In a week or two on-roads leading into Four Mile lake, according to Karl L. Janouch, Rogue River national forestry supervisor. When work ou the road from Butte Palls to camp is completed, there will be three roadways Into the lake. I A side camp from South Fork of ' the Rogue CCCC camp will be estab lished on the road from the Klamath aide of the Lake o' the Woods road. 8. v.- Ooddard Is In charge of the NIRA crew of SO men who are at work on the Umpqua divide, contin uing the project started last year. Thla Is the extension of the road east from Tiller, along the divide to Rags dale butte. The road project to Ashland peak has slso been resumed, with a so man crew. In charge of B. F. McRae. Mr. Janouch stated that a crew of ten has also started work on the Sky line trail from' Crater Lake to Lake o' the Woods along the Cascade di vide. Clyde Smith of Jacksonville la foreman on the project. Another NIRA crew started work on the recreational project for Upper Rogue river, under the direction of Laurence Smith, technician. Robert Mansfield, junior forester, is in charge of the crew making survey In the Klamath region. One hundred men are now at work In the blister rust camp In the vi cinity of Prospect In the Sun Pass area. The work Is being carried on under the bureau of plant Inluatry. Sun Pass is south of the Crater Lake park boundary, and the camp hsa been established to prqtect the tim ber In the park. E Oregon manufacturers will be rep resented 100 per cent In the Indus trial exhibit to' be featured during Oregon'a Diamond Jubilee celebration In Medford and Jacksonville next June, according to reports arriving are being contacted by the general committee. Present Indications point toward a shortage of space, Chairman W. A. Gates of the exhibit committee said today. He urged local manufactur ers. If they wished spsce In the ex hibit, to get In touch with the local headquarters as early as possible. The Industrial exhibit will be open alx days In ths Natatorlum building, where visitors will slso be provided entertainment while viewing what la expected to be one of the most rep. reeentatlve displays ever offered In Oregon. OH,YEH, T'S A NICE ENOUGH COUNTRY-BUT WHAT YOU BABtES NEED OVER WERE IS SOME STANDARD GASOLINE WITH TfeTRAETHYL TJN6URPASSEP- ( ! THE WORLD AT ITS WORST By gluyas williams I ATIVIE FAMILY" "PARTV MOtfrtER S066E515 5 "V- BRl6HflY THAT VOl) PASS AROUND TME PRESEK-. THAT, UNCLE HORACE BR0U6HT YoU, LIKE A S GENEROUS LITTLE BDYj AND YOU KNOW FROM E- TEREKCE- VBAT A PACK OF HUN6RV RELATIVES CAN ! if&A DO TO A ONE-POUND BOX OF-CANPV jWimwo (Copyright,. 1834, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.) -5-8 B 'MATTER POP- By 0. M. Payn IS ASHLAND, Msy 8. (Spl.) Con struction of the undercrossing at the north end of Main street will be stsrted at ao early date, according to a communication received today by City Attorney Prank J. Vsn Dyke from R. H. Baloock, state highway engineer. Completion of thla undercroaaing lng will make It possible for eutolata to drive directly over the hill put the Jackson Hot Springs, eliminating dangerous curvea along the present rout, It la understood' from Mr. Bsl. dock's communication that piers for the structure will be built by the Oregon stats highway commission and the Southern Pacific Railroad company will complete ths remain der of the structure. The letter received by City Attor ney Vsn Dyke states In part: The arrangements with the South ern Pacific compsny with reference to the construction of the Ashland undercrossing are now about com plete. As soon aa the necessary pa pera are drawn up, they will be pre sented to the public utilities com mission with the request for an or der. "We are hoping we will be able to contract the piers for this struc ture on June 7. The railroad com uany will erect the remainder of the structure Iteelf." SJouuTJ TCE( J ' v Vilhh. NICKEL TILL SATURDAY MM i "Po15 ? 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' ; By Sol I ew f KIOVJ VOO RUM A.LOK1S AlOON ALL RIGHT, BUT f WELL, WHAT ARESyvOU KWOLU YOU RS llll'll CoELL. IAJE CJK1'T f 0 YOU MEAM Ullj g, ? " VOO EVER GET W6 GOIKJ& TO DO fWO MATCH FOR ME t; I SOU? TODAY V WE "STEM 1 HAVE A 1 .l'S.ls lr0 tucw I y Sjhat shall iyfffMS ,M p p I I BRINQINQ UP FATHER All kinds oi . Dianas tot sale lor rent, no nuntlntf no trespassing and other carda for sale al Commercial Printing Daft, of alU Jtouoe, WHEN I PUT THb UPTARb KIM ' GO OUT FER AWHILE? CCRTA1ML.V NOT- WHY DON'T VOu EVER. TAKE A.M INTtRWT IIM YOUR HOME? HERS I AM Cleaning it all up A fOt TOU ND fOU WANT TO CO OUT- rV JtOs-o - i kCL aTT By George McManu its dis-courac1ng to realize how uttls vou Think of home -1 oont see whv "you would Want to Co out when you how much work WE HAVE TO DO- 1 1 111 c- ' TO. L W OH-HELLO-MlSS CANT ELL- T GOOD TO MEAR VOUR VOlCE'WHAT6 that? BliNHs vou're having a tea to-oay? whv, Purely i'll se delighted to COME-VES- I'LL. BE RIGHT OVER.- 9 H Pf" ihV V9 C l?)4. 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