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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1938)
PAOTC TF" MEDFOTiD MATT TTfrBUN"E. MEDFOTiD. OTRFOOy. TFFSDAY, "DECFiMBET? 20. 1938. THE ARMY POST MURDERS By Virginia Hanson The Characters Katherlne Cornish, mtss!, vis iting Elizabeth on a mid-western Army post. Elisabeth, Colonel Wright's daughter. Adam Drew, acting command ing officer. Yesterday: The murderer locks me in an empty room, then throws the key over the transom. Chapter 18 Stabbed! "I'LL see you women down the stairs," Adam said heavily. "You're to wait in the library to gether." They went with him docilely enough, but Mrs. Orpington turned back once to eye me coldly. "You're staying?" she asked in nocently. I made no answer, and she seemed to expect none. Adam joined mt again at the head of the stairs. "I want your story, but not yet." He reached the door of her room and barred my way. "You stay here," he said gently. 'There's no need ..." He was in the girl's room a long time. As the minutes dragged by my last lingering hope died. I leaned against the wall and wished he would never come out. When he did his mouth was grim, his eyes compassionate. He spoKe one word. "Stabbed." My eyes clung to his and he started going farther and farther away. "I failed you," I whispered. "I Kiiiea ner. , . . The wall opposite began to lean toward me. Then the flashlight struck the floor and rolled over and over, making a crazy pattern of moving shadows. Adam's Arm hands had me by the shoulders. "Sit down now put your head between your knees. All right? Then sit still and listen to me. What do you think you could have done? Screamed? You wouldn't have lived long enough. Heaven knows where my mind was when I left you up here alone with her. Somebody had to kill that girl. I'm glad you let yourself be tolled away. I'm glad you were not in that rooml "And now let me tell you some thing else. I saw her. Her eyes were open. I think she was awake I think the knew what was going to happen. And she made no out cry " "She was willing," I said pain fully. "The poor thing something she saw made her willing. Is that what you think?" "That's what I- think," said Adam. "Now tell me your story and try not to leave anything out. The effort of remembering iteadied me. I began with my recognition of the type of that piti less note and related, as well as I could remember, everything I had done until the moment Adam found me on the dark balcony. When I had finished we went back together to that empty guest room and went over it inch by inch for some betraying trace. The evening wrap lay where I had flung it. Black velvet volu minous, ankle length. I held it up and recognized it. "Mrs. Flower's! I noticed it this evening. It's Just like her see these long scarf ends that reach to the hem? It's one of those lush things. Made to order for the mur derer the scarf went round and round " There was no bulb in the light socket, a fact which explained why this room had been without light so long before the rest of the house. The missing bulb was across the room on the bed. 'Man Or Woman? ADAM said, "Here's your pros trate body," and chuckled grimly. "An army blanket rolled up and just not hidden by the bed. Quite a resourceful person, your murderer. . . . You're sure you can't tell whether it was a man or a woman?" "How could I? I didn't even get my hands on the crcatuie." 'Think hard. Was there any per-fume-Mobacco, halitosis? Where were your olfactory nerves?" "Violet." I murmured, remem bering. "The wrap recks of it here, smelll So does Mrs. Flower." "That doesn't help any. She has n unshakable alibi for this one: she was with me." "Where's her husband?" "I I don't know. Haven't seen him for hours. He's O.D. went off to inspect, didn't come back. But he's harmless just the type of man you mislay. ... All right, now lets see. where were we? You saw nothing, felt nothing, melled nothing. What's left?" "Hearing. There was the heavy L1 I UP REPhNSR. Dm. 30. ( AP) J. I,. CHiult, receiver of the Farmers ani StocksTowsrs National bank, proved t, Santa Clans to stockholders who contributed upon their Assessments under the double liability or the na tional banking art. They are- betnz reimbursed for all the money paid the twelvers, plus Interest during the time funds were In his poavsalnn In addition a small return Is being made upon the original rapltal stock of SO.ooooo. This la the concluding chspter of the bank and constitutes one of the most Interesting liquidations of ant closed national bank In the United States. After securing clearances of sit liability for Income tax durt'jg the receivership period. Receiver Oault recommended to the comp troller of the currency tlwt all stock holders who had paid their awss ments In whole or In part be reim bursed In full with Interest at fl per cent, believing that as the depositors had been reimbured with dividends toMMng 107.59 percent, th contrib uting stockholders should be treated In the same manner, breathing outside the door. It sounded like a man, but it might have been a woman under great stress." "And the stifled moan?" I had forgotten that. "I thought it was a woman. I re member that distinctly. The the murderer rather specializes in women victims which may or may not mean anything. . . . Adam, that Orpington woman frightens me." "By the way," said Adam. "Where did you leave your man darin coat?" "It's not mine, its Elizabeth's," I was beginning, when it regis tered that the question had been a shade too careless. "In in her room the sick girl's. Why, Adam, why?" I clutched his arm, obsessed by another of those premonitions of disaster. ,"Wny?" Adam hesitated. "I sup- fiosc you may as well know now as ater. You see, the murderer wore it." I couldn't seem to get any sense out of it. 'The murderer wore it?" I re peated stupidly. "How can you Know that?'' "It was obvious. The thing was lying on the floor where it had been dropped and there was evi dence she had been stabbed, you see. "You mean blood?" Adam norlded and watched me narrowly. I suppose he had begun to think of me as a fainting female. "How how horrible! . That beautiful coat! I should never have worn it. What will I say to Eliza beth " I stopped, got hold of myself. "Sorry. Of course Eliza beth won't think the coat impor tant. But but why was it worn?" "Presumably to protect the kill er's clothing." There was silence while we thought about that. Then Adam went on steadily. We'll Never Know' "IVTRS. FLOWER'S wrap was probably first chosen for that purpose, as well as conceal ment and disguise. It's black and capacious. Isn't that a cap thing attached at the neck?" "A cowl it could be drawn well down over the face." He nodded. "Good protection In case anyone glanced up from be low. The chances are the killer did not know the girl's presence had been discovered "Then you think the same per son wrote the letter knew she was here?" He hesitated. "Seems likely, doesn't it? But we must beware of jumping to conclusions. Her pres ence may be pure coincidence. Suppose she stole out to watch the dancers, saw something incrimin ating, made some startled move ment that drew the killer's eyes upward , . ." "Then why didn't she give the alarm at once?" Adam pondered. "Perhaps she couldn't. Perhaps the convulsion you saw was not the first. We'll never know. But we have the pic ture of some one swaddled in this wrap, stealing up the stairs from the dressing room someone who knew this girl war here, someone who Intended to kill her. Whether or not the murderer knew you were on guard is immaterial. Once on the balcony, you were in plain sight. A plan was conceived, the wrap put to eliective use. And the killer was lucky the mandarin coat was waitin" in the room." Someone was shouting from downstairs. "Adam Adam!" "Is that you, Shaw?" "Yes. The trouble's not In the fuse box. Barney and I have tried every circuit. Shall I call up the electrician?" Wait a minute. I Interrunted hastily. "The lights went off a mat ter of seconds before I heard the killer out there on the balcony. If it wasn't coincidence and that's unlikely then it was managed from up here, probably in that other room. Can't you short-circuit with a coin or something? I've read about it In books " Thev were shouting aealn from downstairs. Adam called. "Never mind come up here. Maybe we can find the short." He turned to me. "Do you want to go down with the women?" Remembering Mrs. Orpington, I shook my hend. "Not yet. 1 11 wait for you. The two men came bounding up the stairs, preceded by the light from their flash. Barney looked healthier, as if he had succeeded in losing himself for the moment in the small crisis. I lurked In the shadows, listen ing, while Adam told them briefly of whnt had happened in that closed, silent room. tCovvright. 193S. Virginia Hanson) Tomorrow: Adam finds the gun. BULLETINS DWELL ON PEST CONTROL CORVAIXIS (Spl Orftton vr. Uhlf Rtir1pnrnt and Rtrnwlvrry Rrow r In to rent. In protecting their pluntliiR from insect damnRft will have thn aid of two new bulletin! Jut iMited by the OSC experiment station i.n(. extension nm'lc. One Is brief folder, extension bul letin 633, entitled, "Vegetable Garden Injwt Pest Control" by Don C. Mot, and B. O. Thompson, entomologists. It contains a tabulated list of veet ai!e crops and principal in.wt enem Ira and recommendation on control. The second la station bulletin No. 3ft7, entitled "Insect Peat and Vl eaea of the Strawberry In Oregon" This la a considerably revised and modernlred edition of a previous bul letin on the same subject and con tains a great deal of new material. Written by V. D. Edwards, entomo.o RUt. and fl. M. Zeller, plant pathoto Klst, the bulletin features spittle Dug and strawberry root weevil control among the inserts and virtu disease control In the disease section. Other Insect prMa diacnsml In the bulletin are the omnlveroua leaf tier, stra berry lenf roller, the cyclamen mite, atrawberry crown moth, straw- STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX For farther proof address the author, Inclosing- a stamped envelope for reply. ResO TJ. 8. Pat Oft. 1 ' W ICECftNBE upER-rtfcTD To w-mnt& f." Go HoTfTMLL BURN iouR HMD WITHOUT McLTtNu IN 9 PftYS-- Jot 6L1RY 'sTrSN 0, York, f flV STEERS WERSUSBD rtoNDrTD$tf Arte MOMUpAtNT W?7 BY HUNTERS K Hot Ice Ice so hot It will bum yout band Is the newest freak of science pro duced by Professor P. W. Brldgman of Harvard, ho for some years has studied tha peculiar action of matter under htg pressures. Ordinarily, the melting tempera ture of Ice drops with an Increase of pressure until a pressure of about 2200 times that of the atmosphere at sea level Is reached, where ltc melt ing temperature falls to -22 degrees, Centigrade, After this point Professor, Brldgman 4KI crtfWioN AT 7 Horwegisn Ojmpc $Ki champion, wdm his First TtTLE AT 7 ANP HhS PI-fcCED IN lOO MEET'S-" WlMNlNQ 110 1 X found a strange thing: happened. By applying a still greater pressure to the Ice at a temperature lower than -22 degrees. Centigrade, the Ice sud denly collapsed, losing some 20 per cent of Its volume, and took on an entirely new crystalline arrangement of Its molecules. The scientist also found that there are actually -seven different kinds of ice that can be produced under high pressure. The last and most recent ly discovered variety melts, under a pressure of 40,000 atmospheres, only at a temperature of 100 degrees, Cen tigrade (374 degrees P.) higher than the temperature of melting solder. If you have ever dropped molten solder on your hand, you will have a rough Idea of the amazing properties of this' high-pressure lc so hot you cannot touch It, and so heavy it will readily sink In water. Cubes of the new Ice might serve In place of coal for your winter stove, except that It would break down as soon as the tremendous pressure were released. Tomorrow: The boxer who boxed with a club! berry crown miner, aphtds and sev eral minor pests. Gorrie Made Chief Seattle A. P. Bureau SEATTLE, Dec. 20. (AP) The As sociated Press today announced ap pointment of Frank O. Oorrle as chief of Its Seattle bureau effective January 1. He succeeds Harold Tumbled, who &oes to San Francisco ut western di vision news editor In charge of news operations In Arizona, Nevada, Ore gon, Washington, Utah,. Idaho and Alaska. Gorrie, Pacific northwest sports editor for the "AP" the past d years, "came up from the ranks," having Joined the press association as a 15-year old "check boy" here more then 20 years ego. Cosily Switches On Dam Circuits PORTLAND. Ore., Dec. 20. (AP) Although a flip of a fifty-cent switch will turn on the lights In the average home, circuit-breaker Instal lations costing up to $150,00 will be required to Interrupt the flow of electricity on the Bonneville dam powor transmission network. Four companies bid today on switching apparatus for sub-stations to be located in Portland. Vancouver, Kelso, Salem. Eugene, Hood River and Raymond. Installation costs will range fr:m $18,000 to nearly $150. 000. The entire order for the seven sub-stations will exceed $300,000. Closing time for Too Late to Clas sify Ads is 1:30 p. m. SURPRISE PRESENT By GLUYAS WILLIAMS Wowders Wiu McrfHW like -The 6REXH JESK PEUf IL HE BC06Hf ftR HER fOR CHRIS1WAC CWTSDiND-fHI SUSPErlSE. SEEKS HEKWTAKD ASKS HER WHrf SHE WAItfS R8 CHRiS-fWAS IS CRESffAUEH WHEH SHER1$1& HSf ADESK PEKCIl AM0K6 HER DE SIRES. ASKS HofOTLLY ISlWfHERE MWftmfe' E1SE 5H WArKS ? 4r- 1 S&JIRHS UNEASILY WHILE MCTfrlER. GROPES FWfHE PROPER MSWEP, -THEN AWs SHE WOUlDN'Alk'E A 6REEH DESK PENCIL WITH LEADS IN If WD AtJ ERASER lH YrtE END, WOULD SHE 'i BREMS INTO WW SMILE WHEN MOfrlER.-fAKlrlS HER CUE, SBVS frlftflS 1itE OhJE 1HIW6 SHE WANTS MOST (US BACK AND SURVEY PENCIL HAJ PHV, -WINK1W6 HOW AMAZED MOTHER WILL BE WHErl SHE6ETS If (Copyright. 1838, by Ths Bsll gyndicats, Inc.) Il-iq 3 MATTER POl Ei 0 M PAYNP pon3Tjp K-.-nc, V ) IFTSix laeoa rP -Hide t-HenA ?cL " " ' VA NEVE.1? U- THAT I CM l-V AM E. "pA1?T (COULBTIN-D y MEANS TUY . V. "He. MAKINGS- -tIem! v rCiw -Have. owi-V vv We-s. i oNLv.-rMev wont a. I'-Malt a wlTrirjT" V-Havb akw pizesenta) V qpuw cKi&tmasJV a 1 (ft lief Ihili L fefei TAILSPIN TOMMY Tommy Decides to Investigate? By HAL FORREP" Escaping, bv meams ofatviick curt aim op fog, from the Black, piratb PLAne, TOMMY W1MGS SOUTH -WEST IM AM ATTEMPT TO PIMD THE LEGENDARY ISLe OF SKELETON KEY. WHICH HE BELIEVES TO SB THE RENDEZVOUS OP THE SKY BUCCANEERS. kTHEBE MUST BE SOMEONE. On J THAT ISLAND! J . . . ACT , FHieHTEMEP; J w 'ING1NG IDWOVEft A LONELY ARCHIPELAGO, HE NOTES A FLOCK OF FLAMINGOES, STIRRED INTO SUDDEN FLIGHT! V S J lAmn imcxcl III .WBlA'-IJISffl ILrrs IW"n k' YJ v- I BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER A Trial at Least Rv EDWTN ALGF THERE'S THE WORST ONE. B0YS SHE LOOKS MIGHTV GOOD AN1 SHE GRAZES ON THE BEST PASTURE LAND I GOT SHE OUGHTA BE HAPPV AN1 GIVE PLENTY O MILK, BUT SHE AINT AN SHE DON'T! nwAv cr-sir udi i I -tx tstr. i t 1 i i i AND IF SHE SHOWS A BIG INCREASE IN MILK PRODUCTION, HOW ABOUT IT, 6ENE? DO WE 1-7 GET OOBf JOBS? NOT JOBS, BOVS.1 YOU'LL GIT INTERESTS EMPLOYMENT AT HIGH , WAGES' IF THESE SUNSHINE PELLETS WORK. , BEN, WE'RE IN! 1 ) THEY SURE A ii j. ju enough xtrmM. ) WORKED ON -V3 u CHICKENS, Wiaesp RUSTY, BUT Jasp ' A I DON'T ilsrV NlV KNOW ABOUT &Str . 1 ft fl srrmnN Air.n 1, rVflD THE NEBBS And Thon What? Bv SOI HESS hi1 . muj'..m rWELL, FAMMV, VOUVH W YES, ME 15. WE GOT TO GIVE MV PXMILV fwOtsTT OUARRE (.KtUlI HJK HOVINO tt.1 CJVtRTWAT.l, AT LEAST OWE GREAT GUV LEAST FOUWD OME l IM IT-. -MY OKU I HtViV NtDO WHUV.LULU "S1 SAMJ.i.. H S OUtoWT TO Dfc tjrsje. WSf OP THE BEST G4RISTMASES " 1.1 ; vvimu I I l UtLJ I UTN ,THIS HOTEL.. GAVE US A PLOCK OF DOUGH AMD BOTH A MICE DlAMOSJD 1. 1 DOKfT KXJOW VJHAT COULD HAPPEM TO SPOIL THIS CHRISTMAS ID ENJJOV' IT IF I HAD THE ITCH AMD TWO DROXEKi ARMS A A jnuedr
