PAGE EIGHT 1
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, JIEDFORD, OREGON, SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 1931.
MOCKING HOUSE
BYnoralS: Although Sergeant
Harper hat proved that the etran-
ier and the policeman found dead
n Pierre Dureene'e houee toere
murdered, and did not kill each
ether ee the evidence appeared to
prove, he can neither Identity the
' murdered etranoer nor ehouj hout
the murderer eecaped from the
houee without leaving marke tn-the
now. Dufreene, although he hae
an apparently airtight allot, hae
. eroueed Barper'e eueplelon.
Chapter it
- HARPER'S THEORY
"AFTERWARD, Dufresne's alibi
waa ao confoundedly air-tight
that It annoyed me," Harper contln
ued. "Bat how to get around It?
had that Idea In mind when t lett
here right after the discovery of the
bodies and dashed back to the Aus
terlltz but there he was, dead
drunk, and our own men on guard.'
He shook his head. "That's
tough nut to crack. 1 guess we'll
hare to look elsewhere tor the mur
derer. There are two vital questions
we'll have to answer before we can
pin It on anybody. The flrst one Is,
Who Is the dead man? Certainly the
man lived somewhere, ate his meals
omewhere, bought things, and met
people to some degree. You can'
lire in any city without some per
sonal contacts.
"The second question Is, How did
the murderer escape from this
house without leaving tracks in the
now? Each Is a vital question and
we've got to supply the answers."
"The newspapers will help us
tabllsh his Identity," Laffert proph
esied. "With all the publicity
we re getting, aomethlng la bound to
come out. But the question of the
scape through the snow we'll have
to solve ourselves. Do you suppose
we could possibly be wrong about
that? Maybe the murderer hid and
didn't leave until later."
Harper smoked In silence. "It's
tot me guessing, but I'm convinced
It was done. That's where the mur
derer showed bis devilish Ingenuity,
picking bis time and arranging the
circumstances so that It was nearly
Impossible that his presence at the
acene of the crime should even be
suspected. We've been over every
Inch of the house half a dozen times.
Mo hiding-place for anything larger
than a cat has escaped attention,
Add to this the presence of the Du-
(resnes, the Croydens, the servants,
and you see how Impossible It would
he for an outsider to escape notice.
"I can't conceive of one outsider
coming Into this house to meet and
kill another outsider. That wouldn't
he reasonable. If you take that line
you've got to explain why any. one
In this household should be moved
to cover up the evidence, as this
hiding of the gun proves.
"No, every Indication points to
the murderer as being among those
present. There's some trick to that
scape and we've got to fathom It.
We know from the evidence In hand
that there were previous meetings
In this room between some one from
this house and-our man of mystery.
The killing was carefully planned,
with every detail worked out In ad
ranee."
"You think the snowstorm was ar
ranged for by the killer?" Latferty
emended facetiously.
.BY WAITER C. BROWN.
T THINK the presence of snow was
essential to tn whole scheme.
Harper replied, seriously. "Assume
there was some guilty relationship
between the person who met here.
ay, a blackmailer and bis victim.
The killer has determined on mur
der aa the only way out. But that
murder must be made to look like
suicide.
"For the put three daya the
Weather Bureau has been reporting
a billiard aweeplng the Middle
West and warning that we were sure
to catch the tall of JL The killer saw
the big chance. A completely de
tached and unoccupied house, with
mow all around It, and no prints In
the snow. That person had forty
light hours to figure out a way to
turn that unmarked snow Into an
unassailable alibi."
Harper tapped down the ashes in
his pipe. "By the way, you haven't
aid a word about your check-up In
the nearby. housea. I suppose It was
awash-out?"
Latferty nodded disgustingly. "I
couldn't gather two cents' worth of
evidence," be growled.
"Did you cover all the houses?"
. "Every on In this block, both
Idea of the street, and the three
nearest the back of this house."
i Harper stirred restlessly. "Every
thing hinges on that get-away. Until
we can discover that our story will
not be fully credited, what hap
pened here last night Is almost as
plain to me aa though I had been
' hiding behind the door. The trouble
la that the murderer's face Is Just a
blank and almost any one of our
eight faces could All that space."
"You mean you u ... ut actios
pieced together?"
"Just that. Follow this closely and
see If It doesn't cover all the known
points. The masquerader arrived at
the rendesvous ahead of time. The
storm Is In Its early stages and he
would not want to leave plain tracks
around the place. He went to Du
tresne's room, shaved, changed Into
one of Dutresne'a dress suits and
put on his disguise."
"Why the disguise?" was Lit
ferty's terse Interruption.
"I don't know," Harper admitted.
"That is some evidence of mania.
I am dealing with physical move
ments now, not motives. The mas
querader made himself comfortable.
He got out the liquor decanters, per
haps filled them, lit the hearth Ore,
and sat back to enjoy a drink and a
smoke. With the snow coming down
thick and the double curtains
drawn. It was sate to light the Are
and the candles."
"Why bother with candles?" Laf-,
ferty questioned again.
"Ah, they explain one of those
odd points that are so troublesome,
You remember that the electrio
current was cut off at the switch?
Mrs. Wbltmore didn't do that. 1 fig
ure that every time those persons
met here at night they threw that
switch. Why? Because It the Whit
mores, or any one else, came back!
unexpectedly, they could not make!
a light. Hence the use of candles."
LATFERTY approved with a nod!
of the head. j
"Then the killer came to the ren
desvous. The snow was not yet deep
enough to retain the tracks very
long. They sat In this room and
talked. There waa drinking and
smoking. At the pre-determlned mo
ment a gun was whipped out and
bangl the masquerader went out
like a candle.
"And now the murderer had to
work awlftly, because any Interrup
tion would be fatal. The killer need
ed more light, for nothing must be
overlooked. The fire waa stirred up
to Increase the visibility In the
room. Unknown to the killer, a
shower of sparks went dancing up
the chimney.
'Now that pistol shot In a closed
room must have sounded like a can
non. With the sound still ringing In
his or her ears," Harper amended
with a smile, "the thought came
Had any one heard It? The killer
stole to a rear window to look to
ward the garage. All quiet there. He
went to the front window. Damna
tion! A policeman Is approaching.
The murderer thought the shot bad
been beard and Is, momentarily
thrown Into a panic' What to do?
Meantime, Hamill had turned In at
the gate.
"The killer's flrst thought was
that the game waa up. Talk the of
ficer out of looking around? That
meeting would be remembered
whenever the body was found.
Then came the Inspiration and
Hamill waa doomed from that mo
ment. This cold-blooded killer de
cided to take the bull by the horns.
He opened the front door to Hamill
and Invited him Inside, Hamill, no
doubt recognising the killer as one
of the rightful household, went In,
unprepared and unsuspecting. You
remember we wondered why Hamill
went directly up the steps to the
front door Instead of reconnolter
Ing and why ha wasn't shot down on
the threshold or In the hall?
The reason waa that the killer
Instantly grasped the value to bis
plan of having the policeman die at
the proper spot. Had Hamill not
known the person who opened the
door to him he certainly would have
had his gun' ready and reports of
his superior officers show that he
was not the type to be caught flat
footed If there was the least reason
to be wary. To my mind his death
In this room Is the strongest evi
dence that soma person In this
bouse did the Job.
So the stage waa set. Dufresne's
gun had been used to kill the first
man, then the dead man's own gun
waa used to kill Hamill. The orig
inal murder gun waa put back tn
Dufresne's drawer. The gun used to
kill Hamill was wiped clean and
placed In the maaquerader'a dead
Angers. -
"Then the killer dug the .45 bul
let from the wainscoting and used
the Are-tonga to hold It In the
flames, but It wouldn't melt. He
went down Into the cellar, tound the
roll of old carpet, and Bred one shot
from Hamlll'i gun through It
"The tact that he thought of the
hole under the steps as a good place
to hide the betraying bullet shows
again extreme familiarity with the
house. He carried Hamill's bullet
upstairs and dropped It In position."
(Copirtght, 1114, cy Walter ft Sroumj
Tomorrow,
Ing door.
Haroor auoaoito tha
roaion for the myittry offno bang-
Lake Creek
IAXI CRBK1C, June 8 (Spl.) The
committee worked herd on the float
for the agriculture parade Friday at
the Diamond Jubilee. A large crowd
met at the Orange hall Monday to
prepare the decorations. -
This community was well repre
sented In the pioneer parade Thurs
day, also, and a number of horeea
were taken to Medford, In readiness
for that day.
About forty friends and neighbors
gathered Thursday evening at me
Tonn home to welcome Mr. end Mrs.
Harry Tonn, who returned that even
ing at the Tonn horn to welcome Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Tonn; who returned
that evening from a ahort honeymoon
trip, epent at Prospect. The evening
was spent In playing games and
wishing the young couple good luck.
Another perty, composed of ebout
to (ovsc Ppl !"a aeaa' yallejr,
serenaded Mr. and Mrs. Tonn Mon
day night and epent a couple of
noun in a Jolly good time. Refresh
ments were served.
Mrs. Lucy Vleaux of Helena.
Mont., who la visiting her sister,
Mrs. J. B. Short, and daughtera, Lu
clle and Dorothy Vleaux, visited Sat
urday among old friends st roots
creek.
Mrs. Ivan Davles and children of
Forest creek are guests of , her
mother, Mrs. B. It. Jones.
Mlaa Lillian Bate ot Portland ar
rived Bnnday to spend the summer
with her sunt, Mrs. 1. I. Meyer.
Mr. end Mra. Ray Ragsdale apent
the week-end at Bugle Point.
fall Nut Conference
WASHINGTON. June . (AP) The)
farm administration announced to-1
day that a public hearing on propoe-'
ed amendments to the marketing
agreement and licensee for peckers
of walnuts grown In California. Ore-I
gon and Washington will be bald at
Berkeley, Cal, June IS,
I
NOVELIST THRILL
By VERA BBOWN
Feature Writer and Novelist
Keep the nose down, don't give It
much rudder, and you can ma&o nice
turns at 80 miles en hour.
And we're not talking about air
planes. We're talking about the new
1934 Chevrolet I
My companlona on a trip around
General Motors proving ground were
Miss Elvy Kalep, Estonia's first wo.
man filer, and William Hoult, Chev.
rolet testlnz superintendent, who
drove first.
Now lor those turns at 80 miles
an hour. We did them. And tney
felt much like an airplane In a verti
cal bank.
Slippery roada and all, we did the
speedy course and did not slacken
lor the turns.
"It's lust like flying," Insisted the
pilot from Estonia. "I'm aurprlaed
you people over here haven't - had
'knee action' before, aa you call H.
In Europe we've had It lor a long
time. We had to have something to
take the shock of our bad roads.
Otherwise, motoring would be Impos
sible In many parts ol the conti
nent." "Now you try It," said Hoult.
I looked at the lady from Estonia.
She looked at me. Then she took
the wheel and away we went at 80
miles per hour again. She took the
ourves as easily as Mr. Hoult had
done them.
"I don't believe It," I declared.
"My turn was next. I, who have
always said I'd never ride 80 mllea
an hour In anything but an airplane.
With the 'knee' business, the 80
seems simple. The car holds tbe
road and that away which lighter
cars get at high speed was absent."
Besides the special hinging of the
front axle, which Is not unlike the
undercarriage of an airplane, the top
la streamlined within an Inch of its
life.
Miss Kalep was In Fetrograd when
the revolution started In 1917. She
was In Cuba, October 28, when the
shooting started there. She was the
first woman filer In Estonia, Fin
land and the surrounding countries.
She was Europe's first woman auto
gyro pilot. And ahe got a thrill from
the new Chevrolet. 1
who have been staying st Sunset
auto camp, have gone to Portland for
a few days but expect to return to
Sunset for 'a longer stay later.
We are still having rain, which Is
good for the country In general but
hard on the hay.
Trail
TRAIL, Jun 9. (SpU Mr. and
Mrs. H. P. Swingle and Mrs. M. Ben
nett spent the week end In Klamath
Falls to attend the wedding of Mr.
and Mrs. Swingle's daughter, Hoi la,
which was solemnized at the Presby
terian church June S.
Mrs. Iilal Tucker and Jennie Hutch
inson are spending the. week In Med
ford visiting friends and attending
the Diamond Jubilee.
Mrs. Florence Watson was home
over the week end. Bhe is staying
at Mt. Stella, where Mr. Watson Is
stationed at the lookout station for a
few weeks.
Mrs. B, Scott and daughter, Ger
ald !ne, were In Med ford Monday.
Word received here from Mr. and
Mrs. Howe and daughter, who are
visiting In Michigan, reports they are
having a wonderful time but will be
glad to get home again. They ex
pect to return about July 1.
A large majority of the people here
attended the Jubilee parade in Med
ford Thursday,
Pink Thomason of Central Point
and Mr. and Mrs. K. E, Hutchinson
and daughter, Bhlrley, of Klamath
Falls, were guests at the S. W. Hutch
inson home Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. King of Long Beach,
Prospect
THE MOSQUITO LISTENER
By GLUYA5 WILLIAMS
PROSPECT. June 9. (Spl.) Wil
liam Jantzer and son, Billy; Mrs.
Frank Evans and Mrs. Prank X.
Jantzer drove to Grants Pass May
30 and visited Mrs. William Jantzer
and Infant son in the Grants Pass
hospital; also Mrs. Frank Jantzer's
father, who Is a patient In the same
hospital.
Mra. Frank Johns nt rvri.n
to caring for the William Jantzer
mauij during rs. jantzer's absence.
She Is Mrs. Jantzer's mother.
Mr. end Mrs. George Jantzer and
family spent May 81 In Grants Pass
on bulsneas. -
Lewie Jantzer, son of Mr. snd Mrs.
George Jantzer, cut bis hand seri
ously with an axe May 30.
Mrs. Ludo Grieve underwent a ma
jor operation in a Medford hospital
Monday.
Qua Dltaworth. Dnharf m-. n.j
Vaughn and Richard Dltaworth left
muuuajr wita a largo Bunch of cattle
for the range . above Union Creek.
The;- returned Thursday.
Mr. and Mra. W. T. Grieve, Mr. and
Mrs. Tom Carlton and sons and Mr.
and Mrs. Haines inn HnM
grandson, Keith, and Mr. and Mrs.
mui nooeraon and family were in
Medford' Thursday attending t.n in.
bilee.
Mr. and Mra. Nelson Mvm mnA fam
ily gave a dance Saturday at their
home.
Mr. and Mra. Boh Ntntmi. BV
moved to Ashland. Bob Is In this
year'a graduating class at the Normal.
sits sEWir6 comneo'
tt WMIDSfOFHtVPfV
FAMIlf CIRCLE .
SOtDEMW HOIDS UP HAKD
TOR SILENCE, EyaAK)lN6
TrCRE-S A rWCtUtrO IK
THE ROOM
RELAXES , ADMlTilN6 SHE
CANY HEAR rf MOW
JOSf to TAMlW Hfr.5
SETTLED BACK Tb QBS
WL CHATTER A6AIM.
SfWtfS UP WITH A S-H-H.
THtNfc ir 15 AeflIN
FOR "TWO MIHWfcS Sift
BOtf UPRI6HT JJSfEW
m IHttrfelVECC, WHILE
FMULV MNNfAJH-o '
SILEKCE
HUSBAND STARfS t
MURMUR HE poESNT
IrllHK THERE IS A. MOS-
cmo and is PRonpr-
LVSHUSHEP
Sfft5KE,CAKrt'
EERVBOBV HEAR
if WW? IrffER
SILENCE
RESUMES SEiaIKCj REMARK
1N6 SHE'S SORE 6HE
HEARD rf W4D KEEPING.
ONE EAR COCKED. AND SO
ON THROUGH THE EVENK6
luopyi-ighl. 1934, by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
S 'MATTER POP-
By 0. M. Payne
ill . J' J w J g - W Wl ftjj - (Copyright, 1834, by, The Bell Syndicate, Inc.) K2X
TAILSPINJTOMMY Summing Up Evidence !
THEN IT'S AU ) NOT ANY MORE THAN NO--6UT A DOZEN PtTOPLG SV SOUV"3AV TOM, AND I 8UWED BUT MARJORIE WAS gOHAT ABOUT
CUT AN' DRIED-OS OOUSLAS, BUSOMSiLT. NOT QRAC6" )1 HEARD HIM SAY TO (OILK-- I JUST HAPPENED TO S' INTO MARJOR1E MIL WIS GfRl FRIEND-TjTHlS OYSTERY
FOO WANS S R BRACE--- HE'S NOT A t'lL ST VOi fO RGMEMBER."VflU K'NOlO"' DECK? R AND THEY WERE GONNA f EIRL FROM.
ISTH'UUILTY T- klLLER- dl ? F TSTtE Atsr TVYS TH' N1SHT WE TRIED A -H HAD A 8E. tOE.0 -S HE CHICAGO. VIOLA
?uv,Ton.' w?MfoMM Mb ,-rlP do-"- r to catch th'guy s z sun in her. wouldn't i a crisp-- -she.
" ll 'tt Cui
By Hal Forrest
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Cap'n Ike's Triumph!
By Edwin Alger
THE YOUNG SWAB TELLS ME IT'S All BUT WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW
i r
PITCHER TAKIN' EXPEDITION WHEN
HlrA AN' JEPPARD CHARTERED THE
AAAGGIE" BUT JACK SCR06GS
KNEW TWAS "SUNKEN TREASURE.
AM' NUW Wt KNUW THAT JACK WAS
RIGHT
'TILL NOW. MY HEARTY. WAS THE
WHY AN 1HC WHcKCiAN THc'slZc
O'THE TREASURE -THERE'S
MILLIONS IN IT FOR US NOW.
SHIFTY GOOD OLD CAP'N IKE WILL
SEE TO THAT
Bv So Hesg
Wain-t we goin'to nJ Four nibblin's ended, shifty-
r lock it, an' nibble around all that was old man jeppard's
put it back-ieit longer? here. i undersea camera that's i
ITlSiSiliSSf I CARPET NOW SO IT'LL BE r-rM KNEW TWAS SUNKEN TREASURE, B
BSte rilllMiMl BACK I Ni PLACE . -flfl TH AN' NOW WE KNOW THAT JACK WAS I
THE NEBB8 And So To Bed
f mw poor, peerr! it looks like r"S T a lflljir A cwair.. is neeitowiMG to- look f was e-rnsi awmg before this i
I'M GOIKJO, TO AEASl OUT A LOT III j. ,1 I IIIIB) WS. 'A LIFE PRESepVER OM THe A SUV, 6UOER, LOft.OEO AL.L. TMIS BUSI MESS 1, 'l! ill
I OP. SHOES UJHILE THE SEAT II I MM Pl SHP Op TOO-MUCW-BOSIMESS I 1 OKI MS AvlOO IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THE JM ll
OF MV PtfMOTS LOILL LAST Jl t U 'ffl I I ri ft EveV OLD Tl RED BOKJE. I M MV TIRED A CUSTOMERS ARE DISSATISFIED IF flV.I
FOREVER..' S 1 W W l M l BOCfV IS AKiyiOUSLV WAITIMG THERE'S EVER ONE COMES HERE WITH Jl 'A ll
i ?wJ3Sa 1 fT ,raBPl fJ for. me to ojhisper. mold .a,kimdlv look im his eves, mam or A i
nt" i f r-i - ii iai -daj stkr u lfcis - --.sssty r ,
BRINGING UP FATHER . ' By George McManu.
II :S"iP DIDFIEL.D WAA HERE AMD, I 1 I If LORD DIPFIELD IS A. Vj III I . II I MRS. JlGGS-THE CHIEF OF l I , 1 li I
OF COUCLSH. VOU HAD TO BE OUT ( SOCIAL. LEADER AM5 ( POLICE HAS ARRESTED f I
VOL! SIEVE R. VAMT TO MEETT-'l... . . VOU HAVE FIXED IT SO 1 KMOW rXo o.oc:, TJT,?i