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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1937)
PTCE SIX WDFOTCD MAIL TKIBUNE. AFEDFORD. OREGON". MONDAY. JUNE 7. 1937. I BUDDED LOD nn DD.OI7IF Lt. -'-aii . -Jkli aw murmtm rira SYNOPSIS: Mnl, Me il:i. , us t hoofing to death of attractive Jude Blinshop makes tu ait jittery en thia urild, stormy weekend at Farrington Bluff, horns o Mi shael's aunts. A series of stranos attack is apparently explained when ue find below the bluff the body of Michael's insane lather, supposedly iono since dead. But our relic is short-lived; Aunt Martha is shot in the shoulder by in unseen hand. Who held- the sun? Mike; the Skipper, his tall, tweedy younger aunt; Gay Palm er, his red-headed sweetheart; Niacins, the old buller; William, the chauffeur: Cook; Annie, the maid; mysel? Chapter 21 The Case Against Me lyHEN Hljglns Anally spoke. Us ' voice was cool and collected. ' "This li horrible, Mr. Jimmle." "Yes." My plan crystallised. "Walt here, Higgins." 1 went Into the Skipper's room and. after considerable rummaging, locat- ed a box of bath powder. Holding the gun by the tip of the barrel with my Angara carefully wrapped In the handkerchief, 1 dusted the thing lib erally with powder and then blew, A faint white Aim remained on the hlny metal, but It was an even Aim. . There were no Angerprlnts on the re volver. And Higgins, who had pos sessed the presence of mind to wrap his own hand In a handkerchief before touching it, had just at tempted to thrust the thing Into my outstretched bare hand. "Until the po lice arrive," he had said. That second shooting was one of the most sinis ter episodes of ' those days and nights of terror. In broad day light with every one up and about we had hitherto consid ered ourselves safe. It was puz- ' illng, too, for it teemed to repre- - sent an lnexcus- ' able slip In the killer's otherwise workable plans. He had managed . to convince the entire household of the guilt of Norman Farrlng- ton who would never be able to disprove the charge. Why had he ruined all his work and why, of all people, would he shoot M. Farrington? Martha herself had little evidence to offer. She had ust gotten out of bed, she explained, with the Intention of dressing for lunch. As she sat down at the dressing table, someone knocked at the door. Thinking that It was the Skipper, she called out, "Come In," without looking up. And that was all she remembered. She thought she caught a glimpse of a man's coat sleeve reflected in her mir ror, but she wasn't sure. We could get nothing more out of her. She waa panic-stricken and hys . terlcal. There was no side-stepping the fact that my presence In the room was singular, to put it mildly. The gun which Higgins had found was un doubtedly the weapon used. One bul let had been Ared from It And any one could see that It would have been a simple thing for me to have Ared from the door, deposit the revolver on the stand In the hall, and be the Brit person on the scene of the accident. It Looks Bad For Me WE SAT In the living room, waiting for the Sklpper'a report on the effect of the sleeping powder which she had just administered to her sister. Higgins had been ordered to tell the other servanta that the revol ver had gone off while 1 was cleaning It, and that no one had been hurt. As Gsy pointed out, we might at least have some decent meals for the next few hours. We were apt to need them. Gay and Michael sat close together. I think she was telling him the Skip per's story. In any case, he was listen ing Intently, although his eyes strayed to me from time to time, clouded with something that puzzled me. 1 had plenty of time to review the facts and to appreciate the over whelming extent of my danger. In the flrit place, 1 had once been In love with Jude Blinshop. In the second place, no one had seen me on Friday night from the time the Skipper left me until Michael roused me at some thing after 11 o'clock. True. I had been In full sight of everybody when Cook had screamed from the kitchen. ..at a -fejiiw-a , .ident urns Mike'a father had been responsible for that mele in the kitchen. Cer tainly it would explain his reentry Into the house. 1 hsd been In the living room alone when Gay and Mikr heard prowling footsteps in the hail. William had clearly suspected me of hitting him over the head and dumping him down the back stairs. My own experience at that time could be explained all too easily by a clever prosecutor. There would always be Norman Far rington for him to fall back upon whenever his logic hit a snag. 1 had been the Arst upon the scene of the latest crime, found there by several witnesses. No one but myself could account for my actions after I left Higgins downstairs. Good Lord! That conversation with Hlgglnsl A first-year studept of law could make considerable out of that! Murderer, warned that suspicion still exists, be comes desperate, etc. My head was buzzing with it Over and over again 1 reviewed that ghastly moment with Higgins In the upper halt when by the fraction of a second 1 had escaped putting the final, damning link in the chain of evidence my own finger prints on the fatal weapon. A Faustlan Mephlsto HIGGINS announced lunch rathet early, explaining that Miss Far rington was not yet asleep and thai Miss Barbara had ordered him to serve at once. But the Skipper's plan failed utterly. Far from creattna Dusting the revolver with powder, I blew. There were no finger-prints. diversion, lunch was an even more depressing experience than dolna nothing In the living room. Without either the Skipper or M. Farrington to keep us going, we picked at food In uncomfortable silence. 1 could not bear to look at Higgins. Had he offered me that gun deliberately, knowing that It had already been wiped clean of the murderer's fingerprints? Would he have denied the entire episode in courir t thought that he would. In my Im agination the frail old man was begin ning to take on the proportions of a Faustlan Mephlsto. What had hs started to tell me before he changed his mind? Anything? He might have been building up that chain of circum stantial evidence deliberately. , Higgins was the owner of the gun which had In all probability killed Jude Blinshop and wounded M. Far rington. Our searches had disclosed no other weapon In the house. Who ever used that gun on Jude must have cleaned and reloaded It before It was handed to Michael on Friday night And who had as good an opportunity for doing that as Higgins? True, he had been with the rest of us when the episode In the kitchen transpired, and In the room with all the others when William and I met our fate. But In both those cases the active presence of the lunatic waa not only possible, but distinctly prob able. The noiseless tread that had alwaya seemed pleasant to me before suddenly became threatening and sinister. I Jumped every time the man came near me with food. There was no longer any sense In dodging the fact that the murderer must be a recognised inmate of the house. The possibility of a second unknown wandering the Bluff In darkness was absurd. It waa obvious that the person who shot M. Farring ton had known lust where to find her, lust where to dispose of his or hei gun. lust where to conceal himself oi herself after the shot had been Ared. tCorvrioM, JT, Stthtr Tyler) Tomorrow, I cheek Norman Far. rlngton's sinister activities. FILE ROGUE li GRANTS PASS. Juiw 7 (AP Tne Curry county court carried out In Announced Intention nnd directed tne district attorney at Oold Beach Wednesday to "inatltute appropriate proceeding to abate a Id nuisance" tn a resolution charging great dam aite to Rogue river and adjoining ter ritory oy mining, according to -ord fiom Oold Beach. The resolution alated: , , me continued dumping of tailing and mining deorta into the tald Rogue river and tta tributaries, haa and now la rapidly destroying the recre ational ralue of aald at ream, depre ciating value of real and oeraonal property In the county, Impeding navigation, making the watera un fit for uaa for Irrigating and 10 meallc purposes. Interfering rtth lah t-'iopagation preventing flshlnit on health and aafetyahrdJeu ahrdluetao aild river, and driving tourUta and aportamen from the river, menacing the public health and anfety, and la causing Irreparable damage . , ," A Curry county planning board. In waalon the name day, directed a com ml t tee to draw up a similar resolu tion and place It where It would be the moat effective, according to the Curry County Reporter, Ootd Beach newspaper. E HI! BY HARMONY PORTl,AND. June 7.AP,Th A'lttamette mocrnttr wiety felt mirt when Hie Multnomah county rli'b took ovrr the arransemputa lor the annual it ate picnic. The appointment of O V. Bad'ey. niMident of the Willamette group, ai picnic chairman amoothed over the controversy. The Willamette society haa apon aored the event foi many yearn - -Mill Wnrken PnXent LAKEVIKW. June 7 .-IAP,-The Limber and awmilt workers union timed a i-itton (ortav to g to Willow Rnoh. Calif . to protect the c.oatng ol a mill on June 1. STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX Tor further proof address the, author, Inclosing a stamped envelope for. reply. Bf V. 8. Pat Oft Mflttot wrirtTrteiewws Arte WMH.N6fffr.Ml He foRse?& in iMe N5fT7HlWPM9f Sp ypS?S open?- i&m JftCK.' 4rVv VJ 0 ft RELIGIOUS V siWWJ'fyt- : rf MUWBfl? ft ft MEftN I frJr pispV ' OP WORSHIP,., . Auwly fi CM kick 'high His Usap i fflf), . I wWrir$r.NiUKTetT&rter? - TSfV. DIFFICULT DECISIONS By GLUYAS WILLIAMS 1 l "Trying -to 6EY up courage lb all THE WHOLE -fRrXNSACYiON OfF WHEN, AF1TER. . VOUR PURCHASE HAS BEEN WRAPPED UP, n YOU DISCOVER 1HAf fHE SHlRf VoU SELECYED BELONGED IN YriE EXPENSIVE PILE AND HOi wiYh -The mark-downs (Copyright, 1937, by The Ball gymlieate, Inc.) S 'MATTER POP By 0. M. PAYNE PORTLAND. June 7. (AP Man agement of the forthcoming annual Democratic plcnlo reverted to the Willamette Democratic aoclety ,when O. V. Badley. Its president, was elected chairman of the committee in charge of the affair. The election, at a meeting at tended by delegates from the various democratic organizations, was tne latest development In a controversy which began when John J. Beck man, chairman of the Multnomah county central committee, appointed a committee to arrange for the pic nic. Objections from members of the Willamette valley society, which had staged the picnic In paat yeara, and others In the party resulted In the meeting. Beck man suggested that an execu tive committee of sevon be elected, the membra to pick a chairman. Th Badley group objected to the procedure, demanding the election or a chairman first. Charles H. Leach, state represen tative, was named secretary of tne picnic committee of which Badiey la chairman. Files Bankruptcy PORTLAND, June 7. (AP) -Listing 9284,588 In liabilities and 27.75t as aets, Clyde Johnson, defendant In a suit for $100,721 tn the liquidation of the American Bank of Spokane, riled petition for bankruptcy in fed eral court. New Pi n Im II Kmv SALEM. Ore.. June 7. (AP) A new round of litigation over operation of marble boarda here opened today when J. H. Campbell filed Htlt In cir cuit court for an Injunction restrain ing Sheriff A. C. Burk and other au thorities from Interfering with op eration df 14 machines. . P Aids Cities WASHINGTON. June 7 (AP) The WPA notified Congressman. Walter M. Pierce It would feature water works or.d sewer systems In the future be cause, they are easily adapted to relief labor needs. SOCIAL SECURITY RETURNS PUZZLE , PORTLAND. June 7. (AP) Em ployers neglecting to make proper social security tax returns face pen alties ranging from five to 25 per cent of the tax due monthly. J. W. Maloney. Collector of Interna) rev enue, said today. Explaining that -vhllc title IX ot the act, dealing with the unem ployment compensation tax applies to employers of eight or more per sons, title VIII, having to do with old ago benefits, applies to all em ployers of ono or mora not specific ally exemtp under the act. "Too many, employers are con fusing the provisions of titles Vlll and IX and think that because they do not employ as many as eight 'persons they are exempt from pay ing this tax." Maloney said. The law makes the employer liable for the employe's share of the tax whether he collects It or not, the collector explained. I saa,h iki Tfc. f-s- x ( T-4a NICEST VjoRlD ) I MAM IM "rfe. y f --Jr ) V i ' sen wicestv yJjy T- TAILSPIN TOMMY A Dangerous Proposal! AGtm SHOWtD TOMMY THtr PILOT UCfrMSE- OF- THE SLAIM SPY, WHO AMA2 IMGLV RE-StrMBLfrD THE-THRE-t - POir-lT F-LYC-R ...THtrM OUTLIME-D A STARTLIMG AMD MOST DANGEROUS PROPOSAI VPil THAT WAS ANTHONY LACEY. . I'D UKE: YOU TO IMPrRSONATE- HIM AND HfrLP THE-DE-PACTME-NT OF-JUSTICE- NAB HIS k 0ANG (WHAT? 1 ) I . i THE- PILOT MfrMBE-aS OF- A LARGE" INTC-R NATIONAL SYNDICATE: DtrALi pig in espionAee-j COUNTRY By HAL FORREST ( RUT.J Vstfk COUNTRY PAPERS FOUND ON LACEY LINK A CE-RTAIN NIGHT CLUB PROPRIETOR I METROPOLIS CITY, AS CONmcT MAN, THROUGH HIN WE- HOPC- GHT k TO GRAB THE- T,l"HlfiHE-l3-lia;" IF- YOU L L DO AS I ask, i'll pe-rsomally CLtAR UP YOUtt. RECORD .. AND HAVE- YOUR LICE-NSC- BACK BUT lVt , -. PIF-F-IS "SROUNDEOj L 'n QUICK TIME-, BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Oswald Clicks! By EDWIN ALGER vnjhm'o vou e-fcuo "-f us-sEKi, " 1 1 f nwc ooomc9 old Ht-nv am" twe I KiHCuu load ,-J'&A rTjoVTvjuQ' u tut H TO m6U FCR ?X POU'T YOU J UMOMK MXITtW.THft SOOUER U MUCH JUUX fWD pIKIl 1 ml ul .MOT f( BO V ETCH M t P r--JT( P0t AAY UsJ UUCUS CALE4 MOVE VJ- THAT S MtX. WEVER. YOU MAVJE GOT ' 1 S OWE OF OUR I CAB V (- --J UPTAac, 7 y WHY, AUD AAE&BE fWM PAYlU' i I A BRAIM OR. TWO 1 ( CUe,TOMER5 - - -C. -eCUC' 0WCE V HER5 HOOK.EM 1 PER T- r- SC-t, ,. .. V , V SfC. CMlAA 1 ' j THE NEBBS-Oyping Will Out By SOL BESS INJ THi.T ALLEY UJMESJ SOU SEE'O ME SO 1 RUNJ AdOOJD TWe ES-OC "TO KETCH VOU ( V DOMT SY GU 'n. 1 1 lk 4.4 G & . 1 L Hi 1 - 7 D'.ONJ'T SEE VOO, N sES? wjmo VO.'. &or I HOMEY-PAce I ALLUS oj pr OTm 5I03: GO THCOUSH THE Aoc -nmS ALLVY to I ALLEY FOR A SELL EG3S TO, jt fiHORT cut nrF vpea? rf- J1 (SB tX Q l j Tftf .rtt r r. S.D Sd'r,,, fat ) f POU'OO OUT THAT SCO tv.E'Et? P-ET THAT -Z UJITM THE WORSE BETTOR, MR. OACKSOM UJHAT VOU SOT TO SAY SOU E R.I-T 1 ' D'OjT thim GOlO-i ."oE IV4AO A CWANJCE TO kUINO THAT RACE SO A D'DSJ'T VUAMT TO I 50UANJDER SOUR Z BUT VLL WY YOU every 1 .1 j D'OSJ'T VUAMT TO (. I 1 A -1
