Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, December 21, 1938, Image 10

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Medford mail tribune., December 21, 1938, Page 10, Image 10

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1938)

Prev Page of 12 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (2.7 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Prev Page of 12 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page TextPAGE TEN M"EDFOTJT) "MATT TRTBTTXE, rEDFO'R'D, 0"RFCONT. TTFDNEST) AY, ' "DECEMBER 21. p. THE AtlMY POST MURDERS By Virginia Hanson The Characters Kstherina Cornish, mijel, vlt. Uing Elizabeth on a mid-ujejtern Army post. Eliubetb, Colonel Wrioht't daughter, Adam Drew, acting command- ing officer. Teiterdayt The strange girl U found etabbed. The murderer xoore my mandarin coat. Chapter IS Lost And Found "DUT who ii she?" Barney de manded. "I strongly suspect that only Dne person knows the answer to that. Adam answered dryly. Barnev said quickly. "Eliza beth has been in the kitchen all the time we were making coffee." Shaw burst out eagerly, "And Mary and I were together in the lounge don't you remember, Barney, you had just brought us coffee?'1 I smiled a little. No need to pry for alibis from now on they all had the eeneral idea by now. "Coffee," said Adam. "Kay, you need a cup several cups. Here, take my flashlight and go down the other way, through the dress ing room. Find Elizabeth and stay with her until I come. , . . And drink a cup for me." To the left of the stage a short flight of steps led to an unobstru sive door opening on a narrow corridor. I followed it past the stage entrance, past two or three tiny dressing rooms, and arrived suddenly at the kitchen, a small, compact room dimly lighted by a pair of battered candles that had evidently seen service before. The aroma of coffee, the yellow light, the general homey atmosphere, were comforting. Elizabeth's concerned eyes viewed me from head to foot. She swept a stack of paper napkins from a high stool and established me on it. An instant later my teeth were chattering on the rim of a thick white china cup and the scalding, bitter fluid was shock ing me back to some sort-of con trol. "Don't talk," she admonished me gently. "You're all right now. There's only Annie and me." 1 saw her then Annie in her decent black, the regal hat a frac tion tilted, huddled In a corner be yond the gas range, her wizened, elfish face dismal and direful. "When did you get here?" I asked. "Just now," Elizabeth answered for her hurriedly. "She walked herefrom the Carewes' quarters "Dismissed, I was," Annie croaked suddenly. "That whipper snapper of a medico comes in and throws me out me that has known Evvie Carewe like a sis ter me! 'I'll be speakin' to Mrs. Carewe alone,' he says. So I says, 'Be damn, then, if I'm not needed here my girl will be glad to see me.' So here I am." And she lapsed Into dark brooding. I set down the heavy cud and told her what had been happening upstairs. I had even Annie's full atten tion. Horror, unbelief, then a kind of despair registered on Eliza beth's face. She made that futile gesture known as wringing one's hands. "And Adam can do nothing?" "Maybe now when the alibis re checked." "Such things ear.'t be allowed to happen on Father's garrison," said Elizabeth. "Oh, If he were only herel They wouldn't dare!" Suddenly the lights were on. We blinked at each other stupid ly in the abrupt glare. Elizabeth blew out the weak candle flames, and the acrid smell of the scorching wicks momen tarily filled the little room. 'An Inside Job "TSAY " I turned. Adam was stand ing in the doorway. "Feeling better?" he asked cheerfully. "Care to help me a minute?" I rose, thinking with shame In the bright, normal light of the panic that had gripped me only a few minutes before. He was looking past me, his round, good-natured face oddly reassuring. "You here, Annie? Good. Stay with Elizabeth don't leave her for a minute. I'm depending on you' I followed him Into the narrow corridor. "Then it was ahort-cir-culted up there in her room?" He nodded. "Look, what did you do with that note the typewrit ten note?" I stared at him blankly. Did I Imagine a trace of suspicion, of distrust In his candid eves? "But but I don't know," I stammered, trying to remember and feeling guilty, because I knew that in his plnce I would be sus picious too. Still, I needn't have told him about the typewriter if I had Intended to destroy the not. But if I had regretted that confi dence? "I had It when I left her room," I said desperately. "At least I think so. Perhaps it's in the other room the vacant room. I may have dropped it in the struggle. "I looked there. It's not any where in sight. I hopSd you might have hidden it or still have it" I showed him my empty hands, the absence of pockets in my cos tume. "Well, never mind. Only, do you remember the name of that sani tarium?" I nodded, and he seemed re lieved. There were a handful of people in the lounge Mrs. Orpington, Mrs. Flower, the Shaws, Barney. They watched us in ominous si lence, I thought, as we crossed the dance floor. Adam paused for an instant. '"Shaw, go tell Elizabeth and Annie to join you they're still in the kitchen. And please, don't any one go wandering off alone. I ll be with you in a minute." He waited for me to precede him into the reading room, then closed the door after us. "Now the name of the sanita rium," he said. I told him. and he nodded. I remember now."" I had noticed the telenhone on a small table in the corner.- He spoke briefly to the soldier oper ator, replaced tne instrument. "im going to question tnem again, he said. And after that I don't know. This has got to be an inside job, I'm afraid. I mean, one of a small group. We've been all over those upstairs rooms. There's no one hiding there, and I'd take my oath there's been no one. There's dust half an inch' thick over everything. I don't know whose job it is to look after the Dlace no one's. I susDect. ex cept the chaplain, and he's on a montns leave, The the Curtis girl had dusted her room with a towel. But nowhere else, except where you were tied up, were there any marks of disturbance. And the window screens are all latched on the inside. . . i' Thwarted Curiosity THE telephone pealed. "Hello hello! Superintend ent of Hillside Sanitarium? Doc tor Moore calling. A former pa tient ol yours, a Miss ttncl Cur tis, has met with an accident. . . , Yes, fatal. We'd like to notify the relatives. . . ." He listened, said, 1 see, sev eral times. Finally, "No, nothing at present. I'll communicate with you later. . . . Thank you, Doctor." He replaced the instrument and turned back to me. His eyes were burning with excitement, with thwarted curiosity. "Miss Ethel Curtis has been a patient there for three years. Dur ing that time she has had no visi tors and very few letters. Her bills have been paid regularly by a firm of Chicago lawyers Hunt, Hope and Polk. Sounds incredible, I know, but that's what he said. She was a model patient, quiet and retiring never mentioned any living relatives. Had improved in neaun miring nor residence there, was in no sense confined. Yesterday, that is Thursday, she simply walked out. She had re ceived a letterf presumably there was money in it. One of the nurses saw the envelope. No return ad dress. Postmark " And he named the town Ave miles from the post. He turned back to the telephone. "I want a firm of lawyers in Chicago Hunt, Hope and Polk. Yes, that's what I said. Yes, of course they're closed. Find out where they live, get any one of them on the phone. ... Of course it will take time, so step on it." He stood, passed a hand across his eyes. "I m neglecting some thingone of those things I ought to remember and can't. Well, may be it will come back." "The gun?" I asked. He looked at me oddly for a moment. "I've found It." he snid imnas slvely. He went toward the door. I was suddenly horribly afraid. Not Charlie's gun? But how could he? He hadn't been to Elizabeth's and the suitcase was locked. It was then that I missed mv evening bag. I remembered, in a sudden, illuminating flash, that I nnci leti it lying on the chest of drawers in that room where the murdered girl lay. Had Adam found it or the murderer? Suddenly I had to know. 1 "You're vou'ro sure it whs th gun? Where was It?" His hand was on the doorknob. Hu turned and looked at me with no expression whntevcr on his lace. "There had been two shots flroil And it was where I expected to find it in Elizabeth's car. It wax her gun, you see." And he was gone before I could find mv voice. fCopirlffilf. IMS. rirglnto Jfoniion) Tomorrows Cherkinc the allbla. MISSISSIPPI WOMAN ON GHAPL1N WILL START FIRS! TALKIE SOON WASHINGTON. Dec. 31. AP) Prrtidnt RoowvMt announwe. today the appointment of Mm. Ellen Wood ward of MlMlarippt to the Boclal Se curity hoard. i Mra. Woodward, who Is an aulntjini administrator of WPA, will aurceed Mlat Mary Dewaon on the Social Se curity board. The preaident aald he blltved Mra. Woodward would nerve for five years the balance of Mini Dcwson'i term Aaked why the latter had rcflltmed. Mr. Rooae'Tlt remarlcrd ahe rouUtn't atand 11 and then added htirrlrdly amld laughter he meant ahe could not Hand the pare. There wiut no question of disablement Involved, the prealdent mid. WINDOW Ol.ArtvS We aell window glaaa and will replace your oroken wtndowa muonaoijt. Trow bridge Cao loot Work. HOLLYWOOD, CMlf.. Dec. 31. (AP Chnrlr Chnpltn will start shootlrm hit first talking picture in two wN-ks, hit studio manager. Al bert Reeves, announced today. Chaplin has tentatively selected "The Dictator" aa his title. To ac commodate the crowd acenes a lease ta being taken on acereaRs In the San Fernando valley, nearby, Chaplin's new picture Is bnwd ou a sell-conrelved Idea and he also wrote the script. SOCIAL SECURITY GRANT ANNOUNCED FOR OREGON WASHINGTON. Dee. 31 (AD The Soelat Hecurity board announced todav grants totaling 23 ,374 .703 tn 34 atntea for public assistance from January 1 to March 81, 10?f The allocations Included: Oregon, aert, $0:10 0(14 blind. 915, 160; children, KJ,73. STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX For further proof address the author. Inclosing stamped envelope for reply. Res. TJ. 8. Pat OS. SUBURBS N HEIGHTS By GLUYAS WILLIAMS v VS Ar?6 ON CfcU PWftNt? NIGHT V rTfV d&&kL&hl ixTI " " 2f THE fcohRPhMPlrte Post ClTV HAS 10,000 HORSES , V H , &SSMrf Cr W - W &TjL-dl sdd fREP & tort maw WoRM olit suwtfs hokie with miovi JLWj nfimfA C0VD mmuse ihedeuverv MErV-TRViN& -fo deuvep- .LOrta, fiTf I V t .'A ) - "3UNDLES Pff HIS NEIfeHBGW, AU. DF WHOM WERE M "fbvN lHCWe NLMt SH0PPW6, LEFf EvERVfHlN6 AT HIS HOUSE FOR Wjfl A?A TREE "To "TAKE OsER. LATER- fiuJVAS M UVw fl fvT?aff 'Al Mif? 1 1-XO (Copyright. 1938, by Th Bril Byndleata, lac.) WllimnS 3 EL An uijiDitfoN Boxer 3 t"TIE11 m ; 11. !"" mwm-MMAcuiB UMaL Ch3S V blows from each other's t citv boasts 10,000 horees wlthtn Its city limit, because It Is found I X. nlC JJ 'ifl WL ifL that the anlmala are more economt- k lcZsSJn &Hlu cal for short freight haula than are StSeY? JL Xjfe-i r";1 imJSi To care for these animals, often rtl wli j MaBaFs L rl j I prostrated by summer heat and In- , f I'WCT'rfUy if jVy-n,. ured In winter by slipping on frozen 1 CxZj. fcwr'm LgyCJr streets, the American Society for the fta l m,4f " Jty-" -feB Prevention of Cre.elty to Animals , maintains horse ambulances which 'frJ'TS W " ""PJ S f f ,:::8 atand ready for action day or night y ( iA, ! y TT (NOW ) f The society also maintain 48 per- VJJyA5 t'rr A. VtHA"ry T3Ai-VAW i J manent granite drinking fountains fj s" ) c r Tlij tV V ( w,u 0 ( .hroug,out thr ,orMS on,y. J C-rtrtVlU TjgS&g OCV. - - A ,hat rikrr v ?a , Y-m . M;vi UIILIULIL ramnyotve. CHARGE OF SPEEDING "TTVVi ;(, nVC S Jl i j.Jmn, aW- t I M Ml Z-2-38 Bludgeon Boxer Commdnly called the "manly art of self-defense," modern scientific boxing, strange as It seems, had as its first world champlcn a man who chose to subdue his opponent with a club. James Flgg la called the "Father of Modern Boxing" and In 1737 he fought and defeated Verf Sutton for the championship of England of the whole world for that matter. The fight la sr. Id to have laated an hour, which proves that there must have been a little aclence or skill used by the two men In ducking crushing cudgels. Flgg was the first man on record to engage professionally m bare knuckle fighting, according to most sport historians. In 1716 he Issued a card, engraved by the great artist, William Hogarth, announcing that he "teaohed fencing, singlestick and boxing." Flgg proclaimed himself champion, and In many booth-fights at county fairs remained undefeated. He fought and defeated Button three times. Flgg died In 1734 of pneumonia. Horse Ambulances Tomorrow: The mountain Strange as It seems. New York Iwnuldn't be cllmhrd. VANCOUVER.' Dec. 31 (CP) A great war veteran of Lynden, Wash- In a letter to a Vancouver newspaper today offered to give one of his ' good tlltt tn ar-srr-i Kllnrf naonn pnough money to buy a home for his lamuy or aeven. The man. whose name the paper withheld added that he could not work. "All I ask Is enough money to buy, or build a home for my family of seven." Herman Aebl, of Vancouver made a similar offer last week but so far there have been no bidders. DON FABER NABBED ON CHARGE OF SPEEDING OLYMPIA, WMh.. Dec. 21. (API Coach Dan Faber of Albany col lege. Portlana. and a member ol hla basketball team, Robert Woldt. were free on their personal recognizance today, after their arrest for speeding. They will return here Thursday to face the charge. TAILSPIN TOMMY Tommy Plays Sofe! By HAL FORREF' Flying low over a idmely abchipelago, after his e6caps from the pirate plame, tommy notes a flock of biros startled into sudoem flight. . something . . or .someone dow below had frightened THOSE SlBOSl He 0ROP3 LOWER AMD sights a whuf landing, this small isle may be skeleton key, the rendezvous of the sky buccaneers, whom he 13. seeking 'if there's ANYONE. HERE. I'M SURE: THEY . j tUULDrfT HAVE lt!El$ V heard my "dead- C BETTER NOT RISK. TAXIIN& THE 6HIP I UP TO THAT WHARF, j THERE MAY NOT BE ANYONE ON THAT ISLAND, BUT KY HUNCH TELLS ME NOT TO TAKE ANY CHANCES I 1-TPKESSIP, B'ttNT STwnP INVtLOrt HAL FCBREST, 1. TH tift,ftK MCPtL AN OF TME VOUOMT-tBU.l NAVY flOHTtR. BEN WEBSTER'S CAREER On the Rampage? By EDWIN ALUEV ( HOW'RE WE ILL GET A A QOIN1 TO I HANDFUL OF -aj GET HER TO GRASS Jr1 S TAKE IT? J I THINK L sj( i GIVE HER , THREE PlLLSfcO"' ' SHE'S GOT TWO OF VvJ- mem uuwri; rm 1 I ( GOSH, SHE , I LOOKS SADl J SHE MAKES ME FEEL, SORRY WE GAVE HER THE PILLS 1 1 1 -7 AMD- y HOP THE FENCE. BEN: I THINK SHE'S COMIN' -7 AFTER 0S1 Jsl ic ' i amu ifm THE NEBBS Meet tlie Wife Bt sol a ess 1 UOV MfikS OUST BEES) MEDlTATiMG WW AT A WAFIPV CHRISTMAS UE AMTICI PATES WHEN) A. LOUD KMOCk IMS OM THE DOOR INTERRUPTS MIM ! 12-20 ir SISTER FAMMV! 1 .SOT AW cCklP FOLKS, I WA.MT NOU TO fTAMO ArdOTwEpTV MOvj COM EC ? , PLEAS .MT SURPRISE. 1 rv.Jl ; f MEET MV MEW WIPE, TlKiV ) f 5UR.PR.ISEz. ..WE Vvf J DID SOU MARRY V I CAME TO SPEMD TUC DUrlFT T . ,K w JU5T GOT mARRIELD.- J DOMT HAVE TO A.MOTMER J, I HOUDAVS WITH VCHJ.AKID 1 W i TisW. MEET MV SISTER I LEAVE RIGHT J V HEIRESS ?S VWAVE ANOTHER SURPRISE V Am6 HER. HAWDlCAP i AFTER TU , ' 7- j rSsQUDA ly i jsf