PAGE TEN
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, 1IEDFORD, OREGON, MONDAY, MAT 28, 1934.
MOCKING HOUSE
SYNOPSIS. ,.. ii.:tly two
men, one a policeman and ona a
stranger, have killed each other in
the breakfast room of Pierre Du
fresne's houeo. But Sergeant Bar
per does not believe It, and now he
ha evidence to hack hie "hunch."
The bullet mark in the wainscot
ing, supposedly made by the po
lieeman's gun, tf3e- nol fit the iW
lei itself.
Chapter 22
MORE EVIDENCE
HARPER'3 eyes took In the dis
play of "exhibits" set out on the
buffet. They stopped at the liquor
glass from which the dead man had
drunk, his fingerprints boldly re
realed by the spray of fine powder.
He crossed the room to a beauti
ful antique corner cupboard and
opened the glass door. There they
were, the matching glasses of the
one the dead man bad used.
Using bis handkerchief as a
shield, he picked tbem out, one by
one, and held tbem against the
light. The first four were clean and
clear. The fifth brougbt an excla
mation of triumph to his lips. It was
not stained or smeared, (pr the sides
were crystal clear, with not a trace
ot fingerprint, but one drop of wa
ter rolled about on the bottom. That
glass had been used, dried, and re
placedbut It had been used.
He dropped his handkerchief over
the small glass as be beard a sound
.BY WALTER C. BROWN.
stocks and leave them that way. Af
ter that I think our dead man's
pockets were rifled. Identifying
marks torn from his real clothes and
a ring forced from bis finger, prob
ably a signet ring. No doubt the
murderer took them away with Dim
and by this time they're been put
boyond our reach forever."
"But what has thU glass to do
with It?" Latterly asked.
"That Is our second clue and the
first definite proof that another per
son was present last night. The dead
man bad been drinking. I reasoned
that It be had had a visitor there
would have been two glasses In serv
ice. "What would the murderer have
done with bis glass afterward
why. clean It and put It back In Iti
place. And thai j Just what was
done, only the i'.zat was dried hasti
ly and enough . aler was left to form
a drop In the bottom. There It Is
still. It Is the only evidence of use
but enough."
"HpHEN the next question Is
1 where Is the real bullet?"
Latterly looked at the cold and
untidy hearth. "Were those ashes
sifted thoroughly?"
"Yes, No foreign substances were
found there nor In the ash-pit at the
bottom of that chute." he said, point-
hmt.W',,ST!l
kw. v
F- uf if i
m it mmim
One drop rolled -about en the bottom.
In the hall. It was Lafterty, bearing
In his arms a bundle of clothing,
topped by a felt hat. "Here they are,
Steve," he cried eagerly, "every last
piece hanging up In DufreSne's
wardrobe closet as neat and orderly
M you please. Andrews spotted them
right away."
"And I'll bet there's not a single
thing In any of the pockets." Har
per prophesied.
The detective had guessed cor
rectly. Every pocket was turned out
and found to be quite empty. The
Inner hatband bore no Initials and
the maker's gilt-stamped seal had
been worn away until It was unde
cipherable. The examination of tbe clothing
further revealed that the labels bad
been ripped out, as several broken
threads mutely testified. Harper,
however, did find a marking around
the false buttonhole on tbe left coat
lapel which Indicated that a frater
nal pld or other emblem had been
worn there for some time.
The detective whisked away the
handkerchief concealing the liquor
glass. "I've got my nose down to the
right trail at last, Jack. Listen to
this our mysterious visitor was
not killed by Hamlll. He died by the
hand ot some person unknown to us.
The bullet that killed him lodged In
that wall, and stuck there! .
'"THE blunt-nosed bullet from
' HamlU's gun that was found on
the floor simply could not hare made
that scar In the wood. The real mur
derer removed the original bullet
and substituted one from HamlU's
gun. Hamlll was killed by the bul
lets from the gun found In the dead
man's hand, there's no denying, but
that gun was then held by other fin
gers." "Then there was a meeting here
between our dead man and another
person," Ln (forty exclaimed. "He
was killed as he sat there at the
table. Then Hamlll somehow butted
Into the picture and there was no.a
Ing for the murderer to do but add
another killing to protect himself
from arrest."
"Exactly. And the two dead men
facing each othor probably suggest
ed the Idea. It would be quite easy
to wipe the guns clean, press the
two victims' hands around the
lng to the Iron plate set In the tiling,
of the hearth floor.1
"A steel-Jacket wouldn't melt un
der the heat ot a log fire, would It?"
"No, but say, I think you've hit on
something there. I believe the killer
tried to melt It down that way. Look
at those brass tongs. The ends are
smoky and scorched but-there was
not a fingerprint on the handle.
Wiped clean, no doubt."
"What about the bullet from Ham
Ill's gun? Where was that fired, and
how? It has the proper shape tor
having passed through a human
body and hit a wall at diminished
speed. Only one of HamlU's bullets
was used."
Harper pounded on the table.
"You've got It, Jack. It was neces
sary to reproduce, at least roughly,
the resistance of flesh and bone.
Where did Carlln go to fire his test
bullets from these guns? To the cel
larand that's where the killer
would do It, too. Come on, let's
search down there!"
Leaving Officer O'Connell to keep
an eye on the crime room and Us
exhibits, they made their way to the
cellar. They turned on all tbe lights
and looked around.
What did Carlln use tor hit
tests?" Harper asked.
He Sued up a basket with rags
and waste and fired Into that. We
must look tor something that would
retard a bullet but not offer too
much resistance."
They wandered about, augment
ing the electric lights with the beam
of their flashlight, but the unusual
neatness and open order ot the ce
mented cellar held out little prom
ise ot success.
Mrs. Whltmore's efficient rule did
not tolorate the hoarding ot udds
and ends ot worn-out articles often
accumulated In such places. ,
Harper found his way Into a
boarded-off section that had once
served as tbe coal-bin, before the
advent of the oil heater, but now
held only a few empty boxes and s
collection ot paint cans on a shelf.
And there, thrust away In the dark
est corner, picked out by his flash
light, be found It.
tCopvrloht. till, tv nllr C. Brown)
Monday, a mysterious stranoor
apltt on tho datactivaa. ,
SONS ALUMNI PLANS
DAY OF GRADUATION
ASHLAND, May 28. (Spl.) Alumni
of the Southern Oregon Normal will
greet the graduates of 1934 at the
eighth annual alumni luncheon im
mediately following the commence
ment exerclsea on June 8. Education
Day of the Oregon Diamond Jubilee
celebration. The luncheon will be
served at 13:30 p. m at the Llthla
Springe hotel.
Offlcera of he alumni association
are Verne Spears, Chlloquln, presi
dent; Mrs. William Norton, Klamath
Falls, vice-president; Cuma Lancaster,
Coos county, second vlce-prealdent,
and Mrs. Orace Reld, ,Medford, secretary-treasurer,
One of the largest gatherings ot
alumni from both the old Normal and
the new should be In Ashland tor this
affair since It occurs on Education
Day of the Jubilee celebration,
Beaervatlona are now being sent,
registrar and executive secretary of
the Southern Oregon State Normal
achool. -
4
Zane Grey Coming
To Umpqua Camp
ROSEBURO, May as. Zane orey,
author and sportsman, la to arrive
In Roseburg about June 10, according
to word received here, and will spend
another summer on the North
Umpqua river. He has ramped at
Fteamboat ranger station tor the paat
three summer seasons, and announces
that he plans to select a site upon
which to erect a summer home.
SAYS PHYSICIAN
SAN FRANCISCO, May 28. (AP)
Governor James Rolph, Jr., of Cali
fornia, under the constant care of
nurse at a Santa Clara county ranch,
waa reported "somewhat weaker' by
his personal physician. Dr. Harold Z
Fra&er, here, today.
Dr. Fraser. who examined the aov-
ernor yesterday, said: "His lncreaw
lng weakness la Just evident In his
general tone, his Increasing need for
rest In bed." The physician asserted
that only the governor's "tremendous
vitality Is holding him up."
Though only the nurses are In regu
lar attendance at the ranch, It was
pointed out that several physicians
are available on emergency call at a
nearby sanatorium.
State highway patrol officers are
on guard at the ranch retreat and
only persona fully authorized to make
visits are permitted near the house.
The governor's wife and son, James
Rolph, 3rd, visit him dally.
Relief Post Declined
PORTLAND, Ore.. May (AP)
Estea Snedecor, Portland attorney
and member of the state house of
representatives, today notified Gov
ernor Julius L. Meier he could not
spare the time to lerve on the state
relief committee.
CANDY HUNGRY
Palace Beauty Shop will be closed
Thursday and Friday for redecorating.
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
COMES IN FROM PLAY, FIMPS TrW MOTHER HN?
1WINKW6 HAPPILY ABOUT "SOME WOMEN WR TEA
TriE CMW THAT'S IN THE AMD TW THE BOX fc
HO06E EMPTV
6100MIIY TICKS OBI A
FW$1KAt CRUMBS, RE
FLECT1N6 BITTERLY theV
M16W HAVE LEFT ONE
PIECE
SEARCHES P0CKE15 lt SEE
IFHEHPSArWFOUIttfO
BlW SOME CANDY Of HIS
OWtf. STONV BROKE!
EXAMINES VARIOUS OARS
AND DISHES OCCASION -ALW
USED m CANDV.
ALL EMPTY' ,
SEARCHES FLOOR ON
THE OFF CHANCE APIECE
MkSWT HAVE SPILLED
FROM BOX AND BEEH
OVERLOOKED
fiOES URS-TAIRS, PRETtV WHILE L00WN6 FOR KNIFE
MUCH DIS6RUNTLED FlWDS IN COAT POCKET A
WlfH THE WORLD f0 -WEEKS-OLD FoR60fTEl
CHOCOLATE CREAM, VERV
SLASHED. CHEERS OP
(Copyright, 1934. by The Bell Syndicate, he.)
8 MATTER POP
By 0. M. Payna
By Hal Forrest
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TAI1SPIN TOMMY Nothing To Do But Wait For The Crash!
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BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Some Supposing - .. By Edwin AlgeB
WHOWA3 T AfcAP'N IKE'S PAL VUITH Tjve LEARNED ANOTHER I fwELUBE DAD. If BUT WHATS ALU THE ( OHO. DAVIE JONES AINTVOU THE ONE
SAID THERE'D THE BANJO EVES-- THING IN CONNECTION ) I'LL SAV HE'S EXCITEMENT ABOLTT? TO SUM THINGS UP? To'POSE NOLI NIVER
BE FLOWERS MR. AMOS PITTS, HIM . WITH AMOS PITTS - 1 WELL NAMED- VOU'VE GOTA FRIGHTENED SAW A FLAME TURN INTO A BLAZE, EH?
AND FUNERALS O'THE HANG-DOG LOOK : , 'II ,i HIS NICKNAME IS SHIFTY- AN' HIM OLIR., COOK IN THE GALLEY, 1 S'POSE A LOCOMOTIVE WHISTLE AT A
AT ANCHOR THAT5 WHO SAID IT jsr I I HEARD CAP'N IKE CALL FIRST MATE AND A GOSSIPY ENGINEER CROSSIN' MEANS THE IN JINE'LL PLAY LEAP
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THE NEBBS Emnia Qruntly . . By Sol Hess
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BRINGING UP FATHER - By George McManua
i&iDOKNOW Tl I 7 7 II III I WILL VOL) CET UP Out") I A I'M CLAD ME WOKE
WHAT & THE MATTER i 7- OF HERE ? A.LL VOU DO ME-1 VvZ DREAMiS
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