PAGE TEN
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFOKD. OREGON. SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 24. 193.S.
r A RAPID-FIRE ROMANCE BY EVAN EVANS .
8YSOPSIS: The Montana. Kid
end Mateo RulriM tiai etolen the
croicn of Our Lady from General
Estrada, uho had Mtoten it from
the church. But before Montana
and Rurin can return tho croicn
to the lithop, Rubrle It captured.
Montana and halt tho rrou n on
onto; Ruins hoe toet hie half to
tho general, and now tho neneril
hope to torco Mateo to betray tho
meetino place he ha arranged
ulth Montana, jut a the lovely
Roaita had betrayed Montana and
the Kid to the general a few hour
bach.
Chapter 2"
TORTURE
ROSITA slunk out of the room,
her hands pressed over her ears.
"Is Rubrii chained?" asked Es
trada. "Sea, Excellence."
Estrada, with a sense ot luxuri
ous content, surveyed the heavy
chains that weighed down the hands
of Rubrlz. There was an Iron ball
of twenty pounds' weight bitched to
his ankles, and the chain from the
ball passed up by a special chain
and was fastened to a collar that
fitted close around that great neck.
"Leave him, then," said Estrada.
"I may need you again In a moment.
Walt outside the room."
When they had withdrawn, Es
trada said: "Rubrlz, the fact Is that
you worked with El Keed. You made
a gringo your partner to steal from
me today."
Rubrii said nothing. There was
merely a sort ot Idle curiosity In the
eyes with which he scanned the face
of the general. But In Estrada there
was a mighty confidence. It was as
large as bis soul and rooted as deep.
"When you stole the emeralds,"
said Estrada, "you took half and El
Keed took half. You went by dif
ferent ways. And, by God! you al
most escaped, as he did. Bad luck
stopped you. And yet, Rubrlz, It may
not be such very bad luck, after all.
S'ou have fallen Into the hands of a
man of understanding.
"The poor have never had any rea
son to fear you. Now, then, I was
nnce a poor man, myself. I remem
ber those days very well. And I
want to tell you that I can feel such
a sympathy that I could give up all
the noise and the reputation that
will come from all over Mexico be
cause 1 am the man whose grip at
last closed on you. 1 could arrange
matters so that you would be able to
slip quietly away, Rubrlz, one of
these nights. And all that I want
you to leave benlnd for me Is a little
Information Just a little Informa
tion. Rubrlz.
"Something for nothing Is not
what a man can expect In this
world, Rubrlz. But the payment I
ask from you Is very small. I begin
by pointing out to you that there are
certain Jewels In the hands ot El
Keed that El Keed was your part
ner In the work of this night I
merely ask you where I csn find the
gringo."
There was no answer.
The general aald: "You note, Ru
brlz, that the man Is not one of us.
Ton note that he Is a gringo?"
Rubrls smiled. And at that, with
touch of anger In his voice for the
first time, the general continued: "If
you will talk willingly you receive
your freedom. But If jou put me to
It If I have to tear the answers out
at you. I shall have them, with blood
dripping from every word of them.
You hear me, Rubrlz?"
GENERAL 10NACIO ESTRADA
could not believe bis ejes. Yet
he saw that the prisoner continued
to regard him In silence, without
greater emotion than a mild Curios
ity. The general leaped to his feet.
"You fool!" he shouted. "Do you
know what I am?"
"A dog and the son of a dog," ssld
Rubrlz.
Not tor the first time that night,
the rage of the general was so great
that he remained calm.
In a sense It would be better this
way. More than once General Es
trada bad enjoyed putting his ques
tions by force, but he bad never had
such a complete man to deal with.
There was pleasure as well as an
swers to be extracted by the method
he bad In view. Therefore be almost
wondered that he had. In the first
place, offered any sort of a bargain
to Rulirlt.
The little cell In that old dungeon
which was supposed to be disused
was the lowest ot the entire cellar
of the building. It was so low that
tb river water, seeping aslant
through the soil, kept oozing
through tho walls and covering
them with mold. And on the door
there was slime from which sprang
up a disgusting odor ot decay. But
though the Irons were thick with
10
SUICIDE'S LETTERS
LONDON. Feb. 23. API Coert
Du Bols, United Statea consul gen
eral tn Naples, and Ms wife may learn
from beyond the grave Monday why
their daughters, Elisabeth, 33. and
lane. 30. plunged to death from an
English airplane.
Two Utters were found In the
empty cabin of the plane when' its
horrified pilot landed at Horn ford
airport yesterdny without his two
passengers. They are being held for
the coroner's Inquest Monday.
It was rumorfxl that the notes
would Indicate the (Iris had decided
to meet death at their lovers, two
Royal flying corps officers, died a
week -n a cr;.-rt tn ni the air
to ear!,. 1 hi- c.'T.ots, Flifltt I.ie'.iten
ant Henry lJDgfiuld iteait; and fif
scales ot rust, they retained a strong
core.
By pulleys, and by ropes which
were fastened to the Iron r',m at
the base of the opposite walls and
also to the feet and the hands of
Mateo Rubrlz, his body had been
stretched taut.
After that, in order to Increase
the strain, a low hurdle had been
passed beneath his huge, naked
body. He was now left alone with
the general, who had for bis equip
ment only some buckets of perfect
ly Innocent water and a large
leather tunnel.
The general did not begin at once.
He first admired the Immense
strength of the body of his victim,
the great thews and sinews pulled
so tight that tbey stood out In a high
relief. It reminded the general of
the strings of a musical Instrument,
properly tuned. So waa Rubrlz
tuned, and Estrada felt that he
knew how to extract the most ex
quisite pain.
"After so many days In the desert,
after so many hot days with sand
In. the face and the throat, what
could be better for you than a little
water, Rubrlz?" asked the general.
"And you shall have some. You
shall have such a drink as you never
tasted before. We begin with a
drink, and afterwards we ask a few
questions. But when you are willing
to talk, you can algnify by the lift
ing of one linger. For I shall be
watching, my friend!"
WITH that, he pried open the
Jaws of Rubrlz; using a cold
chisel as a leverage for that pur
pose. Then Into the gullet ot the
prisoner he forced the small end of
the big leather funnel. Out of the
nearest bucket he filled the funnel,
and stepped back to wait.
Gradually the liquid ran down
Into the body of Rubrlz. Stretched
to rigidity as It was, the least pres
sure from within was a frightful
agony.
It waa that old torture called "the
question," ot all abominations the
most terrible gift from brute to
brute In the history of man. With
that device, more frightful than all
Instruments, tor tearing flesh or
bruising bones, murderers In the old
days were given the palna of ten
deaths before the law permitted
them to expire under the merciful
band ot tbe executioner.
And the governor, looking down
at the Immense bulk ot bis victim,
filled the funnel again, and watched
tbe liquid work like twisting fists
Inside the body of Rubrlz. He stood
directly above the face of the man,
so that Rubrlz could not help but
look back Into his eyes. He saw the
sweat brighten the face of tho out
law, and the porfect agony brighten
his eyes.
A thin tremor of Joy, like sound,
ran through the body and the heart
of Estrada. He leaned still closer
and forced bis gaze Into tbe eyes of
Rubrlz.
He could gain no real satisfaction
in this manner however. For the
agony of Rubrlz did not seem In
creased by this personal supervision
of his pains.
Estrada sent down another tun
nelful ot water. He could see the
whole body ot bis victim begin to
work now. And presently, almost be
yond his hope, be could hear the
voice of groaning agony. He thought
tor a moment that It was the appeal
for mercy. When he saw that It waa
merely the Involuntary reaction
that accompanied breathing, the
face of the general grew black with
an almost virtuous anger.
Rubrlz bad begun to wish lor
death. He wished for It more pas
sionately than he ever had wished
for another thing in his life. There
was no part of his body that was
not In pain.
The frightful drawing ot the
ropes cut Into his wrists, Into his
feet and ankles. Bones might be
broken under the strain, but the
numbness and the agony combined
so that he could not oven particular
ize the regions ot the torment.
Sometimes It was Ice that filled
his reins, and then It waa swelling
lira And then It waa tbe pure es
sence ot pain, and nothing else ex
cept that frightful and Increasing
nausea.
General Estrada was no longer
calmly contented. He had begun to
curse. More than once he beat the
body of his victim with his fists.
And every stroke left a great swell
ing purple mark on the tensed flesh.
And then. Ilfllng the eyelids of
Ruhrlz. he saw that the life was ebb
ing rapidly from his body.
(Copyright, 1JJ, Harper i Brother)
Montana, tomorrow, attends a
flsita.
ing Officer John A. C. Forbes, were
killed with seven others when their
flying boat, "Ace of Diamonds."
crashed Into the hill near Mctstna.
Sicily.
CONSUELO SMITH GETS
RAPID RENO DIVORCE!
RENO, Nv . Wb. 33 iVP Sf
cretly divorced m eight minutes,
j Mrs. Cnnsuelrt Vanderbilt Smith be
, enme one ..f the wealthiest unmnr
rted youiw women In America tislay
Mrs. Hmtth. wn reputrd to re-
, eelve on Income of sitiooixi Rn.
I nually. duoroed Farl t T. Smith.
New York socialite, on her ohum !
. oi crueiiy loncw nip me brier hear-
! ItiR behind the locked door of JmUr
: Benjamin F. Curler's couruevni.
For Hoje that Wear buy
NOl.Ul v HORS1
Ethelwyu B. Hoffmann
AUTO OFFICIALS
WASHINGTON
(UP) Motorists
and highway official throughout the
nation are watching the United
States Supreme Court to see If it will
sustain a recent decision by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court up
holding the right of that state to
regulate outdoor advertising within
"public view,"
President Thomas P. Henry of the
American Automobile association Raid
the decision "la a landmark in a con
troversy which ha been conducted
on many fronta and In many states
for more than a decade.'
He said that if the high tribunal
sustains the decision. It will have
far-reaching effecta on the future of
American highways.
"It will certainly lead to new ef
forts to solve what has been an ur
gent problem for a long time." Henry
declared, "that Is. the reconciliation
of the Interests of commerce on one
hand, and of safety, beauty and
pleasurable travel on the other."
The court's decision answered IS
equity suits attacking the validity of
regulations drawn by the Massa
chusetts Department of Public Works
under legislation drafted in con-,
formlty with a constitutional amend- j
ment. The amendment provided that I
"advertising on public highways and I
on private property within public I
view may be regulated and restricted j
by law."
The suits questioned whether a
S MATTER POP- ; . " ' Bv C M'v
n n T, i. g 2, 1 ) Ttx A m (Copyright, 1935, by Tat BI1 Syndicate, Inc.) J
TAILSPIN TOMfIY Skeeter Makes a "Hitl" By Hal Forrest
J:OAy AS THAN YOU" GRACI AS , J II JcWllJMJ?' V if7 ) BeUEVt tt(J ' Tb NO ATTENTION TO i, U)HAT A
gjSKezs aas ssuoas, graci as, J& XA$ J? 1 ouevour. mvJ W BTVnib IT him-ery time Til, romantic
i v wf 6ifc- poa savins fM -TTA l-'wUsrt twanks to 4 W V lh , v ujeRe in soc.ie.TV name.-- lcme
OWCWi- (PADR.S'5 LIF TWnIw 'lL7 M i W- CLARENCE s5llfi V T 7m A He CALLS C-HT f)lT! I LOAS
Curi or hn-i, TSS - frl iztTHH L',hb Augustus ii JvK T CLAReNce-- but Jbittew by a-a
EEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Complications? By EDWIN ALGER
f THINK OVER MY OFFER AND SONNY, SAAAK3N-J f' 5AM3QN 5AYS WE AINT f IF AAV PLAN THATS V I'LL SET
T33J IF VOU DECIDE TO ACCEPT, LET 1 ja, GOT ME WORRIED- j? (ZOOM FOR EM OH THE BOAT WORKS, WE'LL BOY'5 BEN LL DO
ME KNOW IN ADVANCE-TMEN 01 cLi o'POie THESE FOLKS m AND WHAT'S A CIRCUS WITHOUT HAVE THE ANIMALS TALK- I IT IF HF SAY
MLL SEE CH6ETS-6UT CO THROUGH J, 1V "f ' JOIN OP -WHERE M ANIAAALS ? WE CAN'T BEG THE ANO THE TENTS l i HEWILL-
VWITH THE fRAPE TOMOBROWj MTlSk.M-ii'f ARE WE COIN' ANIMALS TO LEAVE CHEETS, AND EVERYTHING iWmFk y
TEM ' ' ' "" $oX Heg
Z II f WELL, WELL., WELL -LOOK. WHO'S TUESE ARE. Tr-itZ CUDTMES V. i" KIOuO YOO SO BACK AfOO
IsODV IS ' ,.A HERE ? PvLL DRESSED UP AWO BOUS.HT VJITM MV PROPIT ifsj 1 teLL TWEC GUY WHO TOOK THAT
' M MIG.W I1'.' 'VSOLmeiSH-LlKE VQU DiDKJ'T S O CAR.BOMATED BETVERAGE-S- f BIS IROKJ AtOD PRESSED TWAT
i s-. GET A BAG OF MARBLES OHO GET YOURSELF A LOOK ATi, SOIT IKJTO 3HAPE TO PISESS I VT" '
SPIRITS TWESE : -rTOTVvjijITM THAT OUTFIT ? lOHAT SMART PEOPLE J rffl 4 I ABOUT 50 YEAW5 OF VAJRIMKLESJ i i'fy
DAYS.. WE IM l rP 7 -r-f M VWEAR .ADMIRE TW5 AS( Qi, C7 . oUT OF THAT FACE AWO fV ' f-ij
H y, &y f pV yco vjoulo lodximg Sru.y you've got someaC' t, .
IS SOO SX JX'Z J 1 V Vj a swolO loi njDolU i $r rgggvTMiNis : )t!
SOOO IOOLO ' "
2-23 f-g I I I n,d' " "' I U . v- . j
BK1WUINU UP FATHER
rrr-
- L'NCEra. TU& CACPT i MAID MUST MANE 1 i 4 .CrTJ7Hn. I -'.".A wUNKMAN
state could, with constitutional war
rant, prescribe the uses to which a
man may put hi land.
CELEBRATE BIRTHDAY
HALLE. Germany. Feb. 22. (Ap
Halle, birthplace of Handel, Immortal
composer of "The Messiah" began
Friday a three-day celebration of the
'Joutn anniversary of his birth.
The composer's birthday, February
23. was ushered in with a midnight
concert from the balcony of the plc
tuesque city hall
A program of Handel revivals will
be presented through tomorrow and
the "Messiah" will be rendered In the
cathedral tn the evening. The festival
will close Sunday night.
Lighted Signs To
Guide Fair Guests
At San Diego 1935
SAN DIEGO, Calif.. Feb. 23. Mo
torists to the California Pacific In
ternational exposition, opening May
29 at San Diego, will find that every
facility has been provided to guide
them.
Brightly illuminated signs, reflec
tor buttons and painted bulletins are
being posted on major transcontinen
tal highways.
The first unit, a sixteen by twelve
foot sign at the Junction of Hlgsways
Nos. 60 and 80 at Phoenix. Arizona,
bears the inscription: "To San Diego
and Los Angeles Broadway of Amer
ica All Year Fnlr Weather Route to
California Pacific International Exposition."
BRONZE BUST OF
IRVINE UNVEILED
PORTLAND. Feb. 23. (AP) HI
co-workers and friend paid honor
last night to B. F. Irvine, editor of
the Oregon Journal, aa a bronze bust
i of the editor waa unveiled and pre
sented to student of Oregon State
i college, an Institution dear to him for
manv veara.
Mayor Emeritus Georze L. Baker nf
Portland received the bust in behalf '
of the college. "Thla bust will typify", I
he said, "to atudenta and alumnt his j
i Irvine's) resilient step about the'
campus, symbolize hla eloquence, his 1
spontaneous humor and remind us of j
his unbounded confidence in Oregon,!
which some of u once thought vis- j
ionary. but which has been proved ;
tea i ib iic ana prophetic."
Irvine waa for 30 years a regent of
the State college and now Is a mem
ber of the state board of higher
education.
59,000 MALARIA DEAD
IN CEYLON EPIDEMIC
COLOMBO. Cevlon Frtrtnv vu no
(UP) Fifty-nine thoussnd deaths
from Malaria hurt nrnirrrl tn rvi.n
during the current epidemic, It was
Famine Is Increasing on the island
Some families are eatlne onlv one
every two days.
Attention
Woodmen of World All members
of Camp No. 90 now make payments
to Leland J. Knox, clerk. Room 303,
Medford National Bank Bldg. Man
agers Camp No, SO, Woodmen of
World.
SNAPSHOTS OF A MAN
Copyright, 1935,
WAkft UP. W&HR Wirtpow WTPE ao$EP 50
ROOM WOULD BE 6E1"lri6 WARM
DWB UNDER BLAMKEfS A6A1) ft) 6Ei WARM
6P-0RE MAWNb A Q.0ICK PASH FOR WHPOV
TRIES fo PEACH WfXDDW
CANT QUITE MAKE 1
W CRITICAL MOMENT" LOSES
AND CRASHES TO FL00R-
nmuftna 2-2.3
- .
CLOSING THE WINDOW
by The Bell Syndicate, Inc.)
TR0M BET? BUf
GRIP 6N BED
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
O - ..
AffER A WHILE DECIDES Tt & UP AW9 no6E
window, sirs up. b-r-r.ips wen colder.
"WAVJ HE"TH0l)6Hf
1.00KS AfWlTE 1b SEE IT "THERE'S AhV CHANCE
C HER WAKIN6 UP AND CLOSING WINDOW
& HAM6IN6 ON fo BED WI1H HIS TOES
CAN JUST 6E HIS ?iN6ERS ON WINDOW
Picks himself up, closes Window and
6eTs hack into bed , wife waking, up and
remarking IT'S -Time Z get" up now