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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1934)
PAGE EIGHT MEDFORD JIAIL TRIBTTNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 1934. trAtwuhjx. cCl MOCKING HOUSE RY WALTER C. BROWN 8 i a urts; Heroeant Harper haa needed to find o certain .it calibre revolver to eetablieh hie theory that the two men found dead in Pierre Dufreene'e houee were murdered by a third vereon, and Aid not kill each other. Dufresne and othert of hie houeehold have placed obetaclee in hte wav. Stow . he haa found the oun hidden in one of t'- roof guttera. Chapter 81 A GUN TALKS TN bit eagerness Harper bent down to reach the revolver, but lf- ferty jerked him back by the collar. "You can't get It that way; you'll lose your balance. We need a rake or a pole." "I'm not going to wait for that. Here, hold me while I crawl atter It" Harper stretched down the slope head first, while Lafferty kept a tight grip on hla ankles. Lower and lower he crawled until he picked up the gun by the barrel. Lafferty promptly hauled him back to safety. Without even both ering to shake the snow from his clothing, Harper stood up and broke open the revolver. "There you are! One empty shelll Jack, this Is the real murder gun. Now, If we only knew who bid It up here I" They hurried downstairs, and Lafferty sprayed the heavy revolver with the insufflator. He tapped the working brain. Not many people could think up a good trick like that under sudden pressure. If he hadn't dropped the twine we might still be at aea." "Just a moment. Jack. We really have no proof that Dutresne bid the gun. We're assuming that the twine fell from the pocket of bis robe, but we must remember that every one In the house, except Mrs. Dutresne and her nurse, was there at the time. The fact that it was found near where he was sitting doesn't prove he dropped it." "But didn't you yourself see Du tresne searching the room for It, later?" , "Let's not Jump to conclusions, Jack. We've got to weigh every thing down to the last grain. If we solve this thing at all It will be only because we strike Just the right bal ance." "Who else could have been smart enough to engineer It?" Lafferty challenged. "'TpHAT'S a dangerous way to rea- ton It out We know the gun was In Dufresne't room this morn ing, for you saw It there. But did Dutresne know It was there? The fact that It was there to be seen as late as this morning's search raises a doubt It you had such a gun to conceal, wouldn't you nick a better He ploked up the gun. I un with steady strokes of an un opened pocket-knife, to dislodge all loose particles, then bent his tall body oyer the table as he adjusted the circular lens to the proper height and squinted through the glass at the magnified surfaces. Sergeant Harper atood bealde him, watching closely. But his expres sion did not reflect the extreme dis appointment of Lafferty's aa the lat er straightened up and muttered, "Not a mark curse the luck!" "I didn't expect to find any," Har per commented. "We've got to be content with having recovered the gun and that's something at least Direct proof of chicanery la what waive needed most In this case." He picked up the distorted bullet rescued from that dark cavity under the stone steps and held it beside the discharged metal shell, "I'm sure these belong together. It they do, we've got our cornerstone In place. It won't be hard to check It up." "Sure, It's a hundred to one this la the gun. Only one bullet has been fired and the caliber looks right The barrel's fouled, too." Lafferty anlffed at the muztle opening. "THAT certainly was an lnaplro- 1 tlon, looking In the gutter of the root. Whoever put It there was a fast thinker, no doubt about that" "Mrs. Whltmore's chance words gave me the Idea. For no particular reason they called up a vision of a window being raised and the gun dangling outside with the string doubled through the trigger guard. At the same time I remembered how the eaves projected over the top floor windows. The gun could be swung higher and higher until It landed very neatly In the gutter overhead and out of reach. "Free one end of the string, draw It down, close the window and there you have It The wet section, where It rested in the snow, ehould have told me that and I suppose It would have eventually, but Mrs. Whltmore unknowingly Jogged up the procese." "Well, If Dutresne did it we've got to credit him with a smooth- and eater place than an unlocked drawer in your own room for It? Of course, you would. "And If you had the time, early in the morning, for instance, wouldn't you have taken the gun, cleaned and oiled It, and replaced the empty cartridge? Mind, I'm not trying to olear Dufresne, nor denying that ha had the best opportunity for doing It but there are arguments on both sides of this fence." "It's too slick a Job to have been done by any one except Dufresne," Lafferty Insisted. "No, I don't agree with you there, It's a cunning trick and shows a thorough knowledge of the house and Its construction, but I wouldn't eay that neither Andrews nor Don- aghy could have thought of It." Lafferty thought It over silently, "And the window from which the gun was swung Is In a spare room?" It's a guest room, furnished but unoccupied." Well, there's one thing you can't deny, Steve. This gun Is a man'a weapon. You can't imagine any woman toting that thing around with her. The site and weight of it'd be too much of a load." Yea, I'll grant you that It it was brought to this house a man prob ably brought it But we don't know that Perhaps It was here all the time. There'a nothing to prevent a desperate or an Infuriated woman from firing It That fiasco of mine with Andrews seeraa to have ended all hope of getting at the ownership ot tne gun. They all know about It now and they'll deny ever having seen it" "You can't expsct them to alve their boss away at this stage ot the game. You know how servants are." "There are two ways of looking at that These four walls enclose two aoparate and distinct stages. There Is one tor the Dutresnes and the Croydens and their friends ol the same class. Vhe other stage Is - for the servants." (Copyright, 1114, by Waller ft Brourn) Tomorrow, Lofttrty makes a twU oua accusation. A RIDE-TO JAIL BKNB, Ore., June 7. (AP) Angtr. td, polio said, because pasting motor Uta would not give him a "lift," men Ott, a hitch-hiker, barricaded Thi Dallci-Calitornla highway north ot Bend with boulders lut ugnt. He ' 4..lln ma - .1 .4 . V. . uxK,,a county JtU, with Sheriff Clr.udt Mac Cauley. Ott today entered a pita of guilty to a charge ot Illegally blocking a tute highway, and was sentenced to 90 days In Jtll. The Mntance was sus pended with the understanding he leave the county. ... I New Bowling Record ' ST. LOUIS (UP) Ray Holmes at. Ubllahed a new three-came bowling record in a match here. He totaled Ul, W .i. v. " " ( v.... i fcanv4 to to old mjik oj( HTj AUGUST 1 1S OUTLOOK SALEM. June 7. (API The etste of Oregon, on the basis of present funds end expected revenues, will be able to remain on a cash bants until August 1, Pred Psulut, deputy Stat treasurer, announced today. Paulua reported that a tabulation on June 1, showed a balsnc In the general fund of tSSa.Me. tn addition corporation department fees approximating 350.000 wtll be received by July 1, as ts second qusrter state taxes from counties, estimated at 1300.000. The June 1 tabulation alto show cash on hand totaling 4 932,377 and Investment In custody of the state treasurer amounting to et.B37,1 14 03. E I RECENT CAMPAIGN SALEM, Ore., June 7. (AP) John It. Rand spent (311.60 In his cam paign for re-election to the Oregon supreme court bench, lat reports filed with the secretary of state to day revealed. David P. Graham, Republican can didate for congress from the second district, defeated by Jay Upton for the nomination, spent (393. Ralph M. Erwln, who sought the Democrat ic nomination for congress from the third district, spent (3S1.B9. J. W. Leonhardt, who won the Democratic nomination for superintendent of schools, spent $147, he reported. W. A. Johnson spent $100 In Ma rlon and Polk counties In support of Joe E. Dunne, Republican nomi nee for governor, while Frank B. Reld reported he spent $80 fo? Dunne's candidacy In Lane county, - Carl E. Wlmberly apr.V 311.35 In his campaign for nomu-;.:ion to the circuit court bench from the second district. W. M. Duncan spent $308 In his race for circuit Judge1 In the 13th district. The largest Item filed late was an expense of $812 additional spent In the campaign for Willis Mahoney for the Democratic nomination for gov ernor. Other expenses of his cam paign were previously reported. Walter B. Oleason spent $140 in his campaign for the Democratic nomination for congress from the third district. Hardin C. Blackmer listed expenses of $248.63 In hla race for the Republican nomination for district attorney of Klamath county. Other expenses Hated were: W. S. U'Ren, SI 64.81; Joseph E. Harvey, $84; R. N. Kavanaugb, $70; Stewart Weiss, $78, and Bylvanua Kingoley, $74 In their campaigns for the Republican nomination for representative from Multnomah county; Fay Morris, Re publican, for district attorney of Klamath county, $80; Otto K. Pau lua, Republican, for state sen&tor from Marlon county, $98, and Eugene E. Marsh, for state senator from the 10th dlatrlct, $98. Phone 643. We'll haul away your refuse. City Sanitary Service. PORTLAND POSTMASTER APPOINTMENT LISTED WASHINGTON, June 7. (AP) Appointment of Dr. E. T. Hedlund u acting postmaster at Portland. Ore gon, was announced today by the poet office department, Housing Conditions Revealed NASHUA, N. H. (UP) A housing survey here, financed by CWA funds, revealed that the city's 4,646 residen tial buildings, 3.629 needed repairs end. 90 were "unfit for human habi tation." Of the total, 630, or 11 per cent, were more than 75 years old. ! 1 WE ARE WAITINCx fiPiiii THE FAMILY ALBUM-FAMILY FINANCE By GLUYAS WILLIAMS AJfeWERS DOORBELL . CALLS TO WIFE rf'S A C.0.0. TftCKh6E FOR HER, Wlti4 44.50 DUE OK If 15 ToLD TO (f -THE MOnltY OCT OF HER BLACK Bf6 ON THE PES WEHTdftLtf LOCATES EM RUDS HIS OWN RE- , ON SEWltte MftCHIrVE. BA6 SOURCES CONSIST OF CoNTJMrfc RACILY I-15) 40 CEMft ANP A FlVE Wife haAN6 forgotten dollar biu which 6HE TAID ftjRTHf LAUNDRV' MAKl CWOf CHANGE CAUS UPSTAIRS TO ASK WHAT TO DO? MILDRED FINALLY SCRATCHES Together 2. to and Takes the 45 biu explains that mother owed her 4 x, and she can owe it To him instead, and he CAN TAKE THE tO CENTS OUT OF HER AUOUANCE THIS LEAVES ONI 35 CENT'S SHY, WHICH WILFRED CONTRIBUTES EXPLAINING HE OWED MOTHER A QUARTER SO NOW SHE OWES HIM A DIME (Copyright, 193 by Th Bell Syndics!, Inc.) IWS MAN AND WITH BR&lN REELING RE TIRES TO DESK TO ti6ure it oirt S 'MATTER POP- By 0. M. Payno C-L-Z4 - has- sV. -M btCopyright, 1834, by Tha Bell Syndicate, Inc.) J TALLSPIN - TOMMY Wonder If Skeeter Is Right? !M-yi . . . . . ..-iyH I . t5V-5S-5-?- 3"r35555Sl te V TTTTTZ" . . ..' T. . , PLAUSlQLE ENOUGH .SKGtTS.S) FOO U)AN6 CHSW C BARGED INTO MONTAGUL'S ) yS5SsgSiAiL fegT X -SERNiiN NOTICE BY -SACKED ib DEMISE ( BUT "COHAT ABOUT TUG, HAD SOtlsXHIN '. AfiWMENT" AN' FOUND jLsT h 1115 8LOOO OF ROOSTEP , K uM .SAY, Mother, suspects? -, c i to do wiTHTHjg foo holdin' th' dead ms -a? I r VgS. foo uang avenge C SKetTS. that -t -7V-5OT KILLIN'OF ROO&TEC AN' CAU.IN' ON T STi 14" wWr? srW, HONORABLE NASTER'5 jfiaS 30UMOS LIKC f - igfsVi WILK1NS-- -r-P TH' GREAT CONFUCIUS- S J m& feS M Mrl-OWl- 2.&,k A HOT ' gipl LJ TjTWtL By Hal Forrest BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Thanks For The Invitation! By Edwin Alger BLESS VOU FOR YOUR m BIG HEART. LAD, BUT CAP'N IKE WON'T GO- r-i -t-i trr i ir , M LAND, BUT HAPPV AN' m" iv:y ii.Hij "mm tf- -mm "miiii i nw fTHAT'S WHAT'S t J WELL, THIS LOOK5 WW WANT TO GO yMW MP AN5WERS THE 9MALLWrC ITS GLAD 1 AM V WANT TO LEFT O' LIKE A SAFE LITTLE H ASHORE AND W THE SAME , BOAT'S TO 5.EE BEN GO U I FI"3HTOWN, I HAKoOK tjO LtTS mm t)lK6TCM TOUK fS8. At) BKIAKtJi 1 UVtKtSUAKV V- v LOCK1N THAT i AL.ONC3, l IV 1 I I rt ir "T1 r & 1 1 I n XIII 1 r - f Av If 0 vTJ I r r-r v I V MJMt 1 "Ann I r1 r I I K !-'. I I mv ivj vjw5Kcml inc. in um i vrvi lcu. umvc f .K3Mtirv- . . i rur. tuu. r urmy lmh in laajk i lh-'m mmmmsM!e!r m h9atout jmsm&tom&u lad- vcap-n iw,, l ike?. 1 ipimjj wc bu uw un in arik. 1 uu,i.ur.t. : (ss , , irirmui rami ir-in i m fiir1 it.,- -,r v THE NEBBS Back On The Job 1 By 80I Tn UICPIUAtICCULO BUM PIMM MMVUELL MR SLJ2e' I VJJ1LLVOLI ABOOKI. (o, MIKJES' fiO ' 1 II ni-irZS Tr. WEV, MR. VV 111 HU I I INJfe A. BIG X ttosjZj 7ui06PaoM JsSae.,ScJ3r- flOQOeR.MO!eJ u?St oieleucwjs a -VlijSrSVuS uk:e totalkto vooi w I 'ooa ueALTH water heals twe bod-v', ( sSttTOiH"- AT A rTia. to movaj AB3fraT,MeAi ccsi sct imto)6J5 L,gSf W look imhuho1me w5n mot ths dispositionJ the PKOPHiE.rok lom J wuMOaeo ujwe?o Twnvn.(seT)'c VOIJ otv:c,S this i uo la "rsLePMOsjeJ AS ewsur as a asio sbmssless rvif?jn I doeskjt Kiee.D imported acsumexitS'-) I vAD3)Twe caRuottO op.Mli-'-'?. ) coEMTx4AeoOTM roa VBLasxeo wooey Veuoogu to oujUW,A we has e.m at home, iftmis Itananii ComuiniiilAn 1'p MONTRKAb (UP) It ! citlmi't that consumption of bananu by Canadians haa tnciwaaed SO par cent W lut (tf ieara, BRINGING UP FATHER S DO I WAVE TO r 1 w S -s ' LISTEN TO THAT BRAVO'. I SOLENOID! N "'ELOUS.' " ' ' AIREDALE A&AIM? II IT J I ;:' V eAvo1. J v r I cant stand IT ANV LOMOER I'M GOING TO MY ROOM ( IM GOING PART HER. AWAY THAN A- 011 -n By George MclUaous theres tony, the. oroan-c-rinder. ww A RELIEF .' 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