PAGE FOURTEEN"
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBTJXE, SfEDFORD, OREGON. FRIDAY. JULY 2. 1937.
E3UDDGD
OD TOG DLUC7F
irM rVI24
Chapter 50
Mike Faces the Teat
"VTOT i lunkhead." Gy said in
withering voice. "Just a moron!"
Walking back into Biggins' room, the
went the far wall with eager eyes
and moved straight to the bole In the
plaster. "Here you are, aleuth. Some
time when you're short of cash, why
don't you sell that head of yours for
a curiosity? You wouldn't miss It."
I tried to look crushed and 1 man
aged to beam like an idiot "1 must
be getting old," 1 murmured.
"Or feeble-minded," said Gay.
"Come on to breakfast."
. "Go ahead down. I'll collect Mi
chael and the aunt. I think the Skip
per will bo ail right for halt an hour."
There was one danger that 1 had
overlooked the likelihood of our be
ing intercepted In the hall. But Gay
solved my problem before I could be
gin to tusclo with It
"I'll go through the kitchen and tee
if they need help," she said. "Do you
think you can get two whole people
down the stairs before another brain
storm strikes you?"
I turned my back on her, but I
didn't move until 1 heard her reach
the kitchen. Then I turned and gal
loped down tho hall at full speed.
Outside Michael's room I paused long
enough to screw my face into a glum
expression and thrust my hands de
jectedly Into my pockets.
Michael turned a red face from his
ene-handed struggle with a tie.
"It's about time," he said. "Fix this
damn thing, will you, before I go
completely nuts?"
mrm
"Here you are, sleuth,"
I fixed It, sank gloomily upon the
bed, and took to a studious contem
plation of the floor. Michael grunted
into a vest, twore himself into a coat,
elected a handkerchief to his taste,
ind Anally became conscious of me.
This Damned Murder Feat
"tlTELL," he said Irritably, "now
I what's til mntter. Aren't things
bad enough without any high tragedy
from you?"
"Mike," I said, "1 don't like it."
"You don't say. No" look at me. I
lust lovo itl Another minute and I'll
be turning handsprings."
That mood always annoyed me. 1
lei my irritation go with a vengeance.
"Don't be any more of an Imbecile
than you have to!" 1 mapped. "And
keep your voUro down. There's no
crying necessity for waking the Skip
per that I can see."
"Who's waking the Skipper?" He
flipped open his cigarette case, found
It empty and flung It violently on the
bed. "Damn it, Jimmie, 1 simply re
quest that you do something besides
run around looking like Banquo's
ghost. For God's sake get over the
idea that you're the only person with
a headachel I'm the host of this
damned murder (est, If you recall."
1 was asnamea ui myself. It was
bad enough to plaa cold-bloodedly
the proof that your best friend was
a murderer, but to bait him was inex
cusable. Stealing a glance at him, 1
nearlv abandoned the whole Idea. He
looked terrible.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I'm I'm
sorry."
He stared at ma a moment. "Don t
look ilka that!" he growled. "It's my
fault. I'm Jumpy. Forget it."
"All right" I shoved my cigarettes
at him. "Any sound from the Skip
per?" "No. I wish wa could get a doctor
here now. Jim" The flare of the
match lighted up his drawn face.
"You don't suppose this will have any
after eflecta heart or anything do
you?"
"I don't see why It should," 1 said.
"If It does," said Michael bitterly,
"I'll never forgive myself."
"You?" Great Godl Was the craiy
fool going to confide hit guilt to ma
just at 1 was busily trying to prove
It for myself? "Don't be absurd, manl
What have you got to do with It?"
"If I'd Insisted on her going south,
sha would have been forced to tell me
what was on her mind, and my father
would have been sent back where be
belonged."
It took me fully 10 seconds to get
my breath. "You think your father's
presence caused all this?"
"It must have. It was the only un
usual thing that I can think of."
Michael crushed his barely lighted
cigarette. I studied his face.
"Do you think that also explains
Hlgglns' extraordinary behavior?"
"No." The face was cloudy. "Damn
it, it doesn't explain anything. Jim,
what could have ailed him?"
"You've got me, Mike," 1 said
truthfully. Has It occurred to you
that there's something mighty pecu
liar about the way Higglns died?"
He whirled on me. "What do you
mean?"
"Well," I was picking my words
with care, "when a bullet goes
through a man's head, It lands some
where. Of course, the police will be
better than I was, but I'll be damned
If I can And It anywhere."
His eyes were boring into my face.
"Are you sure it went through?"
"Positive. There's a mark where It
want in and a gash where It came
out."
I delivered the end of that sentence
to an empty room. Michael had start
ed for Higglns' door, and if he got a
glimpse of the face under that blan
ket before I had staged my act it was
all over. Everything I had went Into
the sprint that brought me up to him
just as ha halted at tha side of the
bed. Two seconds later and 1 would
not have been in time to grat the
hand he reached toward the blanket
Masterly Acting, Or
"pvONT, Mike. It's pretty bad."
J-S Ordinarily wild horses couldn't
have stopped him. Was it exhaustion
or was It guilt in his face and trem
bling hands?
"Perhaps you're right." His voice
waa mufTled. There was a silence and
then he straightened up. "All we have
to do Is reconstruct the scene. He
must have been either on the bed or
beside It unless someone moved
him. Did anyone touch him?"
"Not so far as I know," I said In
the steadiest voice 1 could muster.
"Thrn ha must have been doing
one of the two. That means that the
bullet" His eyes turned to the far
wall and picked out the splotch in
the plaster Immediately. His voice
stopped. The next Instant his grasp
on my arm made me wince. "Whal
the devil la the big Idea?"
I was fighting to keep my voice
down. "What do you mean7"
'That bullet Is right where II
should be. What kind of damned
stunt is this?"
I shook him off. "I don't know whal
you're talking about." I grated.
'There Isn't any Bullet. I've been ovet
this door a dozen times even moved
the bed and looked In the hall. If you
find anything, you're better than
ami"
There was an awful moment of si
lence, and then Michael began to
chuckle a chuckle that sent tht
blood back Into my singing head.
"Jimmie" he said. "Jlmmle
you're a dudl Higglns was oh, Lord!
left-handed! Look." He pointed to
the far wall. ".Here's your bullet,
right where it ought to be."
Either 1 was witnessing some mas
terly acting or Michael had no con
ception of the state In which the body
had been found. I stared at that tiny
section of cracked plaster as If I had
never seen It before in my life.
"Come along," he said at last "You
need food!"
If my little attempt did nothing
else, It had at least restored Michael
to a good humor. He was still chuck
ling when we reached the stairs.
"Go look after your love-life," I
said. "I'll get the aunt I'U cough
when "
"It won't be necessary," said Mi
chael, clattering down the stairs.
M. Farrlngton atone remained, and
I rather relished the Idea of an en
counter with the Irascible old lady. 1
knocked on her door and called. "It's
Jimmie, Aunt fartha."
There was a slight pause and then
a truculent voice said, "Come in."
fCopiWeai. HIT. Iitasr rIr
Aunt Martha drplrts the drain
scene In lllsflna' room, Mondar.
CHARGE OIL IN
DODGED TAX LAW
WASHINGTON. July 3. ( AP A
trfMtiry Attorney told the conarw
lonal tux committer todAy UjuIb
B'auMfln, a tlnltimorr. Md,, oil man.
had rffeotrd tn Mvttwa of at leaM
$100 000 tnnrc 1934 by rnntlnn ol 04
triinU for hit wife And children.
Paul W. Burton, mi internal rev
enue bureau attorney, anld BluuetcUl.
founder of the Lord flaltlniuro Rll
1114 aiattww, Inc., and a pioneer In
the field of "hi-;h tent" pswline, cre
ated tl:r true-U ahortly before nr ij
hia oil IntereftA to the Stnr.dttru Oil
romps nr of Indiana in ifl.u profit
or 3.f.P7,2.
D rut on aid 19 of tv tr.iM were
for BlauMaln'a wife, rr hi rn.
Jarob. 1? for v.t dnr.riifs Hah. and
14 lor tola duutiuiu l-auuy.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
Tor further proof address tha a nth or, iaelattac a stamped envelop (or reply. Kef. V. 8. Pat Oat
J 1 1 1
Ihe AMZIH& comcmct
OF 2 HtQR0$ MTti Trie
rW WSRe IMPRISONED
IH 1He $AMB PBHlTSHTlARi
leftveNwoRiH, foRiHeeAMB
CVMS, MDRPER HbD SIMILAR
iOOYSQ S0 MUCH rSUKS THAT
prison Off iciM$Trt0U6nT1HeM
0 &E QHE AND THB $AM MAN -
Yfcf NEiTHER Htt? EVER SEEM
. Ok KEftRP OETHE OTHER UNTiU
THEY Met IH PRISON
REPRESENTMMS,
MORS HATS IN
C0N6R&S
Tetaz,
ViAiiPPOSEPTo&E
NhrAeO RoVPftUfc. c
MISSPELLED iTrSNPfrlS,
ERROR STUCK
Film Honeymooners
Mobbed In Hawaii
HONOLULU, July 3. (AP Morr
t!ian IVO00 exoltrd person jammed
tin waterfront today to welcome
Molly wood'a neweat honey moo ner.
Mnry Pirkford and rharlr "Buddy"
It. vera, and Jeanette MarOonald and
leno Itaymond. They reached the
inlands ou the aanie liner.
Raymond and Mtaa MacOonald
i-ame aahore Immediately. They a-ere
nearly mobbed and acre finally
t tken ay py police eacort around
their automobile. rtiry aald they
would remain about alx wi-ekB.
Mtaa Picfcrord and Roera stayed
tuoard the ahlp, uppnrently to avoid
trr crowd on the docka.
Wrestler Detton
Injured In Match
MINNEAPOLIS. Mlun.. July 3.-f AP
Jaek Washburn, manager of ln J
O-tton, who loat hia claima to the J
world heavyweight rmptomhip I
iMewlnj niRht. Mid the wit-Mirr sul- ;
Jcici Ul&located. vertebrae wlieu Ue I
West Sleets Wes-t
Convict numbers 2620 And 3426
stared across the room at each other.
So far as appearances went, they
might well have been looking Into
mirrors. Pew Identical twins could
have borne a greflter resemblance.
To make matters still more fantastic,
their names were almost Identical.
Convict 2626 waa William West. Con
vict 3426 waa Will Weal. They met
under amazing circumstances.
Will West, a convicted murderer,
was brought to Leavenworth In 1003
and taken to the record office to be
photographed and measured. The
clerlt In charge, thinking that he rec
ognlzed the prisoner, naked him why
he was being recorded Agnln. The
prisoner denied having gone through
the Identification process before. Un
believingly, the elok went to his flten.
looked under the name the negro
had given and found photogrnphs
and measurements of a convict nam
ed William West. The photogrnphs
gave an almost perfect likeness of the
prisoner In front of the desk and the
Bertlllon measurements were almost
exactly the same, but Will West sttll
denied having been previously re
corded. The cleric refused to believe
him in the face of the evidence.
A cll was put through to the war
den's office. "What's the gag being
pulled here by convict West?" was
the query. Hc'a already been record
ed, yet he's here In the office claim
ing he's a new prisoner." A hasty
check-up was made and William
Wcs was found to be at his work.
He was brought to the Identification
office. There the weird coincidence
between the two convict was dis
closed. William West had been com
mitted to a life sentence in the
prison two years before for murder,
the same crime that had brought
Will West there. The convicts had
never seen or heard of each other be
fore they met In the record office.
Known as the "History of the West
Brothers' Identification," the case Is
cited by John Edgar Hoover, director
of the federal bureau of Investiga
tion, as an Illustration of the fact
that Bertlllon measurements are not
an infallible means of Identification.
Based on such physical measure
ments as the length of the head,
width of the ears, height, color of
hair, etc., the Bertlllon system has
been largely superseded by the mod
ern system of fingerprinting. A
difference was found in a comparison
of the "West Brothers' " fingerprints.
No two sets of fingerprints have ever
been found to be the same.
waa defeated by Bronko Nag ur ski.
Physicians advised Detton to re
main out of wrestling for at least 60
daye, Washburn mild. Detton left by
plane for Los Angeles, where he Is to
be further examined.
A baseball derailed a street car In
Pratt City. Ala.
Big Apricot Crop
In Dalles Sector
THE DALLES. July 2 AP) Orch
erdlsts made preparations today to
pick approximately 1200 tons of
apricots, the heaviest crop In 10 years.
Growers' pools have signed SO per
cnt of the output.
Marketing will be divided between
can ne rs and the fresh fruit trade.
Early peaches are now reaching the
market. The crop Is of outstanding
quality and the tonnage greater than
expected after the sub-zero tempera
tures lost winter.
WHOSE DEAL?
By GLUYAS WILLIAMS
wiuArtS
$1AR-ft KAUN6 8KISKI.V
CFr&NEHf M HER RIGHT
REMARKS SHE POESN'f
TrtlrtK IfS HER DEAL
CLAIMS rf MUST BE HE.R
DEAL.-fHE CURDS WERE
HERE Af HER LEFf
tilS OPENS UP LIVELY
FOtfR-WAY DEBRTE AS lb
WH6 MACE fHE CARDS UP
AMDWHODEftLf Lft&f
fiME
5" fT IIf
PEBPfTE, AMD RE- 6ET5 $Tl?AI6H1lENED OUT, OPPONENT REMARKS IP if
SUMES DEAUH6 BUTCaHT AND 60K ON DEALING WEPE PXAllV HFR DEAL
SHE'D BE U5lNe THE RED
CARDS, N&T -THE BLUE. ARGU
MENT is Wipe open awn
REMEMBER WHO SHCULD
6E-T NEW CAW?, WnfERS
HWlt06lb COUNT -THEIR.
CARDS
fiERVONE A6REEIN6 AT
LAST IT DOESN'T MATTER,
FINISHES DEAL, COMING
OOT Wifrt ONE CARD
LEFT OVEK
(Copyright, 1837, by Th Bell Syndicate. Inc.)
S 'MATTER POP
By C. M. PAYNE
rr-Pc t-4elis.il o-tta 7-
J 1 I I x. . I
DO VA IMKVAOUCD) 'JCVl ) M J
1 iT 6E.COMD J Y) ( l) 'T0OJ
ni CO oa )
TAILSPIN TOMMY Deeper Into Danger I
By HAL FORREST
MeriACE-D B V
"mbe-rs op- THE-
tSPIOMAGE- SAMG,
TOMMY, ALTHOUGH
SE-NSIMG THE-
TE-MSE-ne-ss
THE- SITUATIOn,
HOPES TO COhVlriCE-JOStf-
ORT THAT
HE" IS TOMY LACEY,
SLAIh SPY PILOT,
WHO GRE-ATLY
RESEMBLED HIM. il
2652
OKAY. LACE-Y..
I JUST WAriTE-D
TO BE- SURE- THIS I
WASMT A PLAMT.'
WHEN CAN YOU FLY?J
I 1
K SIT S AMD LE-T'S SEE- YOUR N "
DOWM, VPILOT'S LICE-MSE-... I VM..
h FLYER .' ) ' : l .nav
AP1Y TIME'N . .
I TOMIGHT, (GOOD.'V
LawbamjaaBsMia i ims&sa&inn
I'LL BE; READY TO GO WITH
I YOU.1 ..THE CHIEF- HAS A
VERY SPECIAL JOB ON
F-OR TOMIGHT. J-
Si '
BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER Big Surprise!
By EDWIN ALGER
WIWC O'CLOCK. AUO I'm
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purrucw vu oc Uf AT SIK AMD
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VJOWDER. WW TWt ALARM
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TURWEO OFP THE ALARM OU
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