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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1937)
AfEnFORD MAIL TRTBTTNT:. AfEDFORP. p-REnoy. TTTTJRSPAY.TTJLY 1D37. DIFFICULT ?SCISICNS F C3UDDCn By GLUYAS W1LL1AM& STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX Tor further proof addreaa the author, incloaln stamped envelope (or reply. Re. TJ. 8. Put. OS. PAGE ETGHT ii . n 1 1 SYNOPSIS: A muttenout ifiol killt Jud Bliiuhop, mv old lame, at tin Hart ot our stormy uc ek-; end at Farrlnoton Bluff, horn o) JMichaal's auntt. Strang attacks ollou; then uie (tnd the body ol Mlchiel'e mad other belou) the bluff. Stout, Victorian Aunt Mar tha la ihot in the ehoulder and nearly finished with sleeping powders. The Skipper, Mike's tall, tweedy younger aunt, disappears; . uie find her six houre later, bound in the lot, all but dead. Hlogine, the old butler, if ehot to death, apparently a tuicide. Then I no tice the oun le in hit right hand. And Higgins teas let-handed. Chapter 49 I Set My Trap I CHECKED them 0(1 on my fingers. Gay. Michael, M. Farrlngton, Wil liam, Annie and yei, and Cook. Ill i he was. Cook could have crossed that hall, Bred, pushed the old man over on the bed, placed the gun In hii hand and beat a hasty retreat. Any one of them could. And all my ellorta at cross-examination only led to Ilea and defiance. They wera shielding either themselves or someone else every one of them. 1 wanted a trap a trap that no alibi could spring. And I wanted It before they all collected for break fast and the murderer had a chance to auspect that his plan had not worked. There was only one Question on which any trap could hinge the reason for the presence of the revol ver in Hlggina' right hand. It coum have been nut there because the mur derer was ignorant of the fact that it should have been in the left hand, because the murderer forgot In hla excitement, or because the murderer desired to throw suspicion on some one else. They all seemed good possi bilities. The choice depended entire ly upon the identity of the culprit. Of all the people in the house, Gay waa the only person who could have done it out of ignorance. She was also the one person In the house against whom there had been not one shred of evidence at any time. She waa Im pulsive and hotheaded. The murderer might or might not be eitner. The murderer certainly wis cold, logical and capable of swift action. In a crisis Gay waa all of those things. It was possible that her rows with Michael had been a safety valve for more nerve strain than we had real ized. Yes, Gay was capable of those murders, but I could not even re motely guess at a reason behind them. Michael, on the other hand, cer talnly knew all of Hlggina' Chirac teristlca. If Michael had placed that gun In the butler's right hand, he had done It because he lost his head. And Michael in euch a situation would be quite apt to lose his head. His aunt on the contrary, would be very cooL And M. Farrlngton did not like Gay. I could not help feeling that If M. Farrlngton were ever aroused, to the point of committing a murder, she would not hesitate to cast suspicion on any luckless soul who had Incurred her dislike. ' It seemed as though both Cook and Annie would have lost their heads in such a situation. But William would be cool as Ice. But, without excep tion, every one of them knew that ' Higgins was left-handed. I sought a trap that would hinge around those characteristics as I saw . them and around the peculiar cir cumstances In which the body was found. The sight of the body was not much help. I covered It. Then I started methodically and worked my way from the bed around the room, under the rug, under the bed, through the pitifully few posses lona in the dresser and wardrobe. Hot many spoils to show for 70-odd years ot hard work. For my purpose, nothing to show at all. It was a quarter of seven. At any time now the round-up for breakfast nil apt to start and something told me that 1 must question the suspecta Individually or give up the whole at tempt Hopelessly 1 stared at that room, trying to wring Its secret from It. A trapl I must spring a trap now. And my mind was a blank. I stared down at the figure on the bed and the idea came. Three strides took me into Uie hall. Conclusive proof or otherwise, I knew what I A'as going to do. Fanle Seizes Gay LL the way to Gay'a door I was i thinking of only one possibility. What if she wasn't there? But she must bel "Come lnlM called a cheerful voice. "Oh hello, Jim, I was Jusf going to start down, wny wnata the mat ter?" I put a Anger to -ny Hps. "Shhhhl' I said hoarsely. "Don't let the others hear you. Come quickly. She gave me one awful look and the brush in her hand fell clattering to the Boor. "Jlmmie, what Is It? Oh-" But 1 clapped a hand over ner mouth before the scream was fairly started. Quiet!" I hissed. "I've lust discov ered something they'll all have to see. You'll have to show me how to break it to them." I had not underestimated Ga Pal mer. She was suddenly aa calm as It I had merely come to escort her to breakfast When the panic was com pletely gone from her eyes I removed my hand. "Is It Mike?" she demanded levelly. "Don't fool with me, Jim. Is he all right?" "He s all right," 1 saia, leading ner Into the halL That ahort silent walk to Higgins' room was ghastly. 1 was obliged to concentrate on all the worst features of the crimes before I could force myself to push open his door. Gay walked In without a sign of alarm, and 1 followed her, closing the door and putting my back against it Swiftly her eyes swept the room from the bed to the far wall and back to my face. Why what it It?" she said blank ly. There was a dead, heavy weignt in my chest. Whatever she had done, this was the girl that Michael wanted to marry. Violently 1 wished that my slow wits had been able to devise something quick and conclusive in place of my slow, questionable scheme. 1 waa banking desperately on the Skipper's evidsnce. Briefly. I had reasoned that if one of the servants was the culprit the Skipper's evi dence added to the circumstantial chain which 1 had built up against them, would bo all that was neces- sary. However, If a member of the Skipper's family or a person who might shortly become a member ol It was guilty, the Skipper would lie and it would be necessary for some one else to prove their guilt ooing back over the scene of the finding of Higgins' body, 1 had real ized that not Michael, Gay or M Farrlngton could possibly have seen the body as it lay on the bed Annie and William had been stand ing In the doorway, completely block ing on their view. Consequently, II any one of them knew In what posi tion both the body and the gun had been found, that person was the mur derer. I intended to ask each one In turn to help me prove that IllKKins was suicide. The murderer had had plen ty ot time to ponder over his or hei blunders. Therefore, if any one oi the three could reconstruct the scene of the crime, satisfying in full all ol Its peculiar circumstances, that per son was the person ! wanted. If not we had simply to wait until the Skip per was well enough to tell her story We Hunt The Bullet " IIMMIEI What ails you? Are yoi J sick?" 1 shook my head to clear It "No," . said, "just tired. Listen. We'll have tc send for the police as soon as some one gets here from shore. And there'i something wrong with this. If Hig gins killed himself In here, the bullei ought to be here. It's the first thin the police will look for. And I enn't find it anywhere." "Hmmm," said Gay slowly. "That'i so." She paused a moment and thcr her face brightened. "Well, lookl Hi must have been either standing b the bed or sitting on It. If he was standing, the bullet ought to be ir the door. If he was sitting, it musi be in the wall above or behind thi bed. The darned thing could have gone right between those Iron bars." She waa assuming that Higgins had used his right hand, and that then waa nothing peculiar about the wounds in his head. Hedging foi time. I examined the door carefully felt along the wall above the bed, anc even moved the bed to look at th dusty surface behind It. "That's funny." said Gay. 1 had some thinking to do. "Walt, 1 grunted, moving the bed back intc place. "Let me think. Yes, of course' The door was openl" If there was anything In her faci but an unflattering opinion of my in telligence, 1 couldn't see it. 'Then the thing must be In the hall, you sap!" she sal" scornfully. I followed her Into the hall and exam ined the wall solemnly. My head wouldn't seem to clear. 1 had the Im pression that my bright little schems was flopping. Gay's face was worried. "This li ridiculous, Jim. It must be here!" Was she acting? I played my last card. "Good Lord! Am I a lunkhead! The old boy waa left-handed." Sincere or feigned, there waa plen ty ot disgust In the look she leveled at me. Perhaps 1 was gullible, but at that moment I was sure that my In formation meant nothing to Gay Palmer. fCopyrttM. Itjr, jtjtnfr TvUr) Michael faces my test, tomorrow. 10 ALBANY. N. V.. July I. (UP) The Knickerbocker Preaa. owned by Frank E. Gannett and among Ihf east's oldest morning newapapera. an nounced today it would discontinue morning and 8unoy editions aa ot June 30. The announcement alao dlicloaed Ihai the evening Times-Union, own ed by William Randolph Hearst, would discontinue Ita evening edi tions after the name day and would be published morntnga and Sunday. The Evening Newa. the announce ment Mid. has purchased the evening circulation of the Press. Union and will serve those lists. Repent Marriage SALEM. Ore.. July ,.(uPl Pted Hu Hetamampeyer and hla wife. Beatrice, liked their firat marriage J3 yeara ago ao well that, deaplte their never having been separated or divorced, they went today to County J utiie telmiind and had themselre remarried. 'Mf people would be re married occasionally, many divorcee would be avoided," Hettsmanspeyer aald. CIot;n time (01 Too Ut to C!a n:j Ad I i-30 p. m. rf Willi ri ,i'WS $00,000 StoMWft (fftRrW omH&) To TrV SQUAtf IHCH Crtfv$e fA, famous racehorse, WoM rte IS6 fVjp ' VJte ; Wig. W&H d u " of VIM export, Maine. WP6 A CftNDIDMfe f(?R Trl He Mfc 0L0BH0U6H To VoTS He W? tltCfeO 3HMS rV5 ft CVPIPUrAJj AMD IN IQ32. mOHhl CONVENTION rW comow of i9Z8,,i in Goldsboro. Kcr-J 6old$boroti Pollllcul Hodgepodge Only 30, In 1022, when he first ran aa a Democratic candidate for the Maine house of representative. Boy Fernald found himself In the odd position of being to young to vote for himself. Defeated, he again un successfully ran for the post on the Democratic ticket In 1924 and 1926. In 1024, Fernald served as delegate at large for the Democratic national convention and In 1928 waa a mem ber of the Democratic national com mittee, aa proxy, at the Houston. Texas, convention. In 1931 switch in politics elected r-ernald aa a Re publican to the Maine state house of representatives and in 1933 he served aa a delegate to the Repub- FRAUD CONVICT SAYS SHE IS KIN OF LORD MONTREAL. July 1. (UP, Helen P. Wood. 39. who claim to be a rel ative of Lord Halifax, was convicted on two charges of fraud today tnvolv lng $3,800. Judge Clustave Perrenult sentenced her to "time In Jail" on the under atanding that she wa to be kept in custody until Pa turd Ay when ahe will be placed on board the Canadian Pa cific tlnel Montcalm Millng for Llv erpool. A charge of attempted suicide was not preaed by the crown. MADERA SANITARIUM OFFICES DESTROYED MADER1.V Cal , July t (UPt fire of unknown oncm destroyed l ie administration building of the trt county tuberculosis sanitarium last night. No patient were In the build lng and patlenta In other buildings were removed to wlrty. No Injuries were reported during the fire. A fire truck from Coarwguld on Its way to fight the nlar overturn ed and Robert caaaetons. 18, suffered hrulsen and Lou la Hhmold. 20, a broken teg. Im Mall Tribune want u. Mean national convention at Chl:ago. In 1933 he was re-elected state rep resentative aa a Republican and won a state senatorsnip in 1935 on the same ticket. Death on the Race Track Owned by Mrs. J. Bosley, Maryland sportswoman. Chase Me wss ridden in his first mce by D. Belllzzl. Ill fated Jockey, who was killed by a fall In a race at Jamaica, L. I., on May 17, 1934. Chase Me came In a winner in his first race and fol lowed it up with a string of six more victories. At Belmont Park. May 10, 1934. Chase Me ran in the Metropolitan handicap against the cream of the horse world. Rounding the stretch turn. Chase Me stumbled, fell and broke his leg. He was destroyed. On the same day his first Jockey, Belllzxl waa buried. Black Walnut Stomata Quite complicated in their struct ure, the minute, mouth -like open ings on leaves known as stomata serve as a plant's breathing organs. Different species of plants have dif ferent numbers of stomata. The mistletoe leaf has only about 300 to the square Inch on both the upper and lower surfaces. The black wal nut leaf has In the neighborhood of 300.000 stomata to the square Inch on Its under side. Tomorrow: Twins In Crime! S1KCE n WAS THE HEAD OFfME HOUSE WHO HAD 1HE BRI6HT IDEft OF GMNS AS A WTODlJ6 PRESEHf THE SILVER CANDLESTICK SOMEBODY 6WE-fHEM VEAR& HIS WIFE PUTS if UP 1b HIM 1b HANDLE -THE SITUATION WHEH "THE RECIPIENT'S WRITE- fOR "ftf E NAME OF THE STORE BECAUSE TrtEV WAN To 6Ef AW0THER 1b MATCH i (Copyright, 1887, by The BeD Syndicate, Inc.) (SUJYrVi WUUAM6 S 'MATTER POP By 0. M. PAYNE TAKE LONG REST HOLLYWOOD. July 1 . ( UP) Illness of Bob Woolscy, the long, thin comedian with the rubber-tired glass es and big cigar, may break up the comedy team of Wheeler and Woolsey for a year At least. Woolsey is at his Mallbu beach home dubbed the "house that Jokes 1 built" suffering from what physi cians diagnose as , "physical break down." Starting dato of their new picture. "The Kangaroos," has been moved forward from July 1 to August 15 owing to Woolsey's illness and there is a strong possibility It may have to be postponed Indefinitely. Whether he'll make the picture or not depends on the decision of phy sicians, but even if they permit him' to go through with this one, Wool sey has been advised to retire from the screen for a year on Its completion. Cios'ng time for Too L&tt to Cias a t J v Ads Is 1 :30 p. m. T) 'hOO'vD fleas kftAies ) -n f V TBIM' AIZOUN 306SWv. f -4-M - tv I V IN A- eVzX. f -im. P -JZCj M I (Copyright, 1937, by Th. teU gyndlcat., Inc.) ' MM TAILSPIN TOMMY The Sealed Letter! By HAL KORREP"" Obetyimg roble's insTuucTions, tom PROCE-tDtD TO MO 12 K STRtET, TO DE-LIVER THE- SEALED LETTER TO JOSEF OR T , A MEMBER OF-THE ESPIONAGE GAMG, WHICH TOMMY HOPES TOTURM OVER TO THE- DEPARTMENT OF- JUSTICE ... BUT AFTER HE ENTERED THE HOUSE: 2951 ( E$?XZ?CH) iVe got a V . -keepnour sums , K VEOR A Gillie fv, (LETTER FROM )LtTlS OH HIM WHILE- .j, A-AH-HH ' J ' JJ'T jT? ROBLt.. IT HAVE IT.' VTNlREAD THIS , y I ! I '.. XPLAIhS..J y ' CO ' LETTER J 227 .1 BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER ' ' Tuttington Bread" By EDWIN ALQF FWHOOPA j" f "WC WICIPC FOR L0U6-1 TVAM VEP.IDO-EVEBXBOOV C T'Lt 6E MO PERSOK1AL TO . ! 3 'Vfc GOT J .Aj'g f60TVJMAT, LIFE ftRiAD -THE THAT'S BETTER W tOVJU TVAfc WAAAt THE BREAD AKtR. THEM- i V IYJ ISps V BEW? i TUTTUOTOU6 6AV6 TO I THAU LOUS- COLOUEL AUD FOLVW'U. A4K, WHV.THEU WE'LL Jm' -r-yt SVN ft AAE-60W6 TO CALUa 1 LIFE BREAD ? rTlATTVJ6T0U ARt'WAY TELL "EWTHE OR.Y - THAT'LL 1 TUTTAUCiTOU BREAD, TOO- V 1 UPW THE MWETIES- V- MAK& 'EA BUY -rfj THE NEBBS A Man Has Come to Court ! MI5S SROMTLeV-l DONJT LUAMT VTor OP THEPIMESTTCeACCV ).TAeS"Be TTENIIN1S BUT 1 a LL TVS & WES U. DRESSER AKlA vno TO TW1MV THIS IS IM FAVMEMT SW00LD,0T?f 1 BEeM SMOKltO' Si MCE 1 (A POUMO MOCE OR -mo-' Sp-i w USES Be A.Ct2DS -TWERE ) Kmous MelL io ME 'r UT strokjs A less A.sfr goikj- to f I.BALv,n ks tuxd or.tv.5ee op '1m (-ti'l tv I ;- fi f li I I . 1 I mil .IRvTvV -jQSa- 1 f l rrn., mh. M J ; I By SOL HESS
