E TWELVE
MEDFORD MATT TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1939.
by Frances Shlly Wim
VtMtRDAY: lh (ecu to the
poison cabinet trere to be left
' with Duncan, tettifiet Urt. Afur
' chijon. Duncan throw$ e bomb
shell bv refuting to give evidence
becauee thit cast it bound up
with something eUe the murder
' of hit brother.
Chapter 40 .
Suicide?
Jl ICHAEL shut the garage door
that evening, and turned to go
into the house. He heard a shout
from behind him, and turned.
Gordon was in his own yard
wrestling with his tent pole, which
had evidently (alien down.
"Can you give me a hand, Mr,
Ton-ester?" he asked. "I'm in a
kind of a mix up."
Michael vaulted lightly over the
hedge, and went up to the tent
Gordon crawled inside the col
lapsed canvas, and pushed up on
the pole. Michael leaned over and
pulled at the canvas, which
seemed to be caught together
somewhere down below.
There was quite an opening in
the canvas at the top of the pole.
Gordon's face was just beneath it.
"It's old Mrs. Devoe," he said in
a low tone. "I think the old dame's
gene crazy. She came home after
the inquest s'aftemoon, and went
out for a walk all by herself. She
never does no walking, you could
tell that to look at her. She went
out along the path in the woods,
nu sue i;ieu imc sue uiun l nara
ly knew what she was doing."
"What do you mean?" Michael
asicea.
"Oh. rubbing her hands to.
(ether, and putting them over her
leie, aim iiiuuiiiiik every once in a
while. I could hear her clear out in
the brush where I was crawling
aiong oesiae ner. Ana alter a
while she Just flopped down on
her knees right there in the woods,
and she had her hands over her
face. And then she took them off
and crossed herself. So I guess she
was praying. She stayed there an
awful long time. I got a cramp in
"And then?"
"Oil, she just got up and come
home again. You know what I
think?" Gordon' blue eyes shone
fiercely through the aperture. "I
think she knows he did it, and it's
driving her erazy, 'cause she
thinks they 11 hang him.
"Gordon! I shall have to soak
your head in a mixture of vinegar
and goose grease if you. . . . Oh,
good evening, Mr. Deane."
"Good evening. Giving the boy
nana.'"
"Yes. I think he's got It now,
haven't you, Gordon?"
"Yep. Get off the canvas ao's I
ean pull it up, will you?
"Gordon!" his father said stern
ly. " That is no way to speak to Mr.
Forrester."
There was no answer from be
ne;! Hi the canvas. Michael smiled.
"It's not so easy to be oolite
when someone's stepping on your
leg," he murmured. "I think that's
Whnt I was doing."
"Well, he's a very impolite child
anyway. Very." Mr. Deone took
off his glasses and polished them.
The eyes beneath were small, with
pupils the size of pin points. He
peered at Michael, near-sightedly.
"This is a horrible state of af
fairs, Mr. Forrester," he said.
"It seems to be," Michael moved
way from the canvas with the up
heaval taking place beneath it.
Gordon crawled out and started
tying down the ropes.
"What do you think of It?"
Deane put on his glasses again
and put his handkerchief away.
Michael kicked at a tent peg.
"To tell you the truth, I am com
pletely bewildered."
Trembling Hands
EANE frowned. "I heard today
that you were out here for the
express purpose of investigating
Dr. Murchison'i disappearance,
he snid sharply. "I cannot under
stand why I was not informed of
that. It is a great surprise, to put
it mildly, to discover that one's
neighbor and colleague has disap-
fieared that the police are work
ng on the case that in all proba
bility he has been murdered, and
that one is told nothing."
"There i.-n't very much to tell,"
Michael said apologetically.
"I gather that, what progress,
may I ask, have you made on the
ease?"
"Almost none," Michael replied
adly. He looked away over the
tops of the trees. "It's all very con
fusing. Their family affairs seem
to be in a terrible slate. A stranger
finds great difficulty in under
standing them."
"You think this disappearance
of Dr. Murchison has come about
through these family diflerences?"
Michael looked straight at him
"What else can I think? You heard
the evidence this afternoon."
"Yes." Mr. Deane cleared his
throat nervously. "Yes. indeed. I
feel sure that you are right They
are not a pleasant family. Dr.
Murchison himself was a most ob
jectionable person most objec
tionable." lie clenched and un
clenched his hands. "Most objec
tionable," he repealed again.
"Anyone would have found it irri
tating to live with him. I wonder
D
that this contretemps did not arise
sooner."
"Have you any definite sugges
tions to offer, Mr. Deane?"
He hesitated the merest second.
His hands, Michael noticed, were
shaking. What was it Jameson had
said? "When he gets excited, his
hands shake."
"I have," he sali after a moment.
"I should suggest that you ques
tion his wife closely very closely.
Ask her, for instance, where she
was the night he disappeared."
"She has already said that sh
went to bed at half past ten."
"She has? Then I should chal
lenge that statement. I happen to
Know that she was not.
"Where was she, Mr. Deane?"
He pursed his lips. "I do not
wish to make trouble for her, al
though if she has murdered hei
husband she must expect trouble."
He spoke of murder as if it were
as ordinary as cooking a dinner.
"Yes. I will tell you that night
at midnight I saw her getting into
a car that stood over near the side
of the men's residence."
"You do not know who was driv
ing the car?"
"I do not. It looked like a taxi
cab." "She was alone?"
"I cannot say. I doubt It. She Is
rarely . . . alone." There was sub
tle insult in his tone.
"How was she dressed?"
"She had nn a long dark coat.
That is all I can say."
Gordon emerged from the back
of the tent "I got it all done," he
said gruffly.
"Have It all done," Deane said
sharply. He swung on his heel.
"You will not mention that 1 have
given you this information, Mr.
Forrester." It was a command.
Michael did not reply. Deane
said "Good -night," and walked
with short, quick steps into the
house.
Missing -
AT TEN o'clock that night Devoe
came over to the Forrester
home in a state of tense excite
ment. "My mother is missing," he said
to Michael, who answered the
door. "We are very worried. Can
you help us to find her?"
"How long has she been miss
ing?" "Since just after dinner. Marie
and I were drinking our coffee in
the living room. Mother said she
had a headache . . . not to be won
dered at . . ." he said bitterly. "And
we thought she was in her room.
But she is not in her room. She is
gone."
Where do you think she s?"
She has been eoinB for walks
In the wood a great deal lately. I
think that is where she is some
where in the wood. But I cannot
think why she should remain
away from home at this time of the
night. It is . . ." he wiDed his brow.
The veranda light made his face
appear very pale. "It is very wor
rying. We are having " he
paused, then looked full at Mi
chael. "You will come and help me
find her? It may be that she- Is in
grave danger. I do not know what
to think."
"Mr. Devoe." Michael salH rnlt.
ly. "I was shot at vesterdav. Twice.
The bullets almost got me. I
wouldn't go out there in the wood
tonight to search for the unpen nf
England. I will call the police."
inoi me ponce;
Michael turned and looked at
him. "Is your mother missing or
is she not?"
"She is."
Michael stenned bark Into the
hall, and lifted the receiver. His
call completed, he said to Devoe,
win you come in and wait? As I
told you, I will not venture one
step outside my own gate until
iney come.
Without a word Devne crossed
the threshold and sat in the rhnir
Michael indicated. It was only a
matter of minutes until the police
car slid to a stop at the front door,
and six stalwart men in blue
stepped out. At the back of the
garden, in the shallows, two of
their fellows regarded them in
tently, but did not disclose their
whereabouts. It was their job to
watch the Forrester house, and
Michael went out into the wood
with the other men secure in the
knowledge that Tuck and Bunny
were well guarded.
Ine men soread out fanwLse.
searching the wood for .he miss
ing woman. The r flash ehls fl rlc.
ered through the trees like great
glowworms, and for half an hour
their whistles answered one an
other at short intervals. Then
there was one lone blast on a
whistle, and thereafteT silence.
for they had found her. Not far
up-stream from Gordon's hidden
cave, she lay quietlv in the shad
ows, ana am not answer when the
man who stumbled over her gave
a startled exclamation.
I ho burly officer who knelt he-
side her touched her with careful
hands, lie saw the pearl handle of
Ihe penknife protruding from the
cold left hand over her heart, but
he did not touch it.
" Suicide," he said calmly.
Michael turned shamlv to tbe
shivering man beside him. In the
beam from the flashlight Jared
Devoe was oallid and the eret
drops on his forehead looked like
Deads.
Continued tomorrow
EPIDEMIC OF FLU
were absent, authorities contitv
ned classes in hope the Christ
mas holidays would end the epidemic.
Oak Grove, Ore., Dec. 21.
(A'l influenza closed the second
Clackamas county school yes
terday. I'rincipal L. G. Rood discon
tinued classes at the Oak Grove
grade school because 41 of the
154 students were ill. The Con
cord school closed last week af
ter the enrollment dropped from
136 to Bl.
Although 100 of Milwauklc
union high school s 750 students
Junction City, Dec. 21. i-lv-The
high school and grade
school were closed Wednesday
on the recommendation of the
health officer because of an In
fluenza epidemic.
SAN DIEGO PLANE PLANT
AWARDED BIG CONTRACT
Washington. Dee. 21. l.V
The navy awarded a $20.01t),Blift
contract for airplanes today to
the Consolidated Aircraft Corp.,
San Diego, Cal. There were no
i details as to the number or
j type of aircraft Involved.
Um M)l Tribuui want tat.
On the
RADIO CHAINS
STATIONS
Where to Find Them or the Dial;
Kez. Portland. 1180; KFI. 840
Los Antelea; KOA, 1410, Spokane;
KOO, 780. San Francisco; Kurt
620, Portland; KJU. 070, Seattle!
KNX, 10&0, Loi Anielesi KOA, KSO.
Center; KOIN, 0)0, Portland;
KO.MO, 020. Seattle; KI'O. 030. Han
FranclKo; K9l 1180, Salt Lake.
Thuraday .
5:00 Rhythm Factory. KPO. ROW;
Frank and Archie. KJR; Sunset Shad
ows, KOO.
8:30 Strlnga at Sundown. KOO,
KEX. KJR; Army Band. KPO, KOW.
8:00 Major Bowea, KMX, KOIN,
KSL; Oood Newa of 1040, KPO, KFI;
Sketch, KOO, KEX, KJR.
7:00 Columbia Workanop, KOIN;
Mualo Hall, KPO, KFI.
7:30 Sports Huddle, KNX, KOIN;
Vlckl Chase. KOO; Newa, KSL.
8:00 Fred Waring, KPO. KOW,
KFI; Clinton's Orch., KEX; Aloha
Lend. KOO; Amos and Andy, KNX,
KSL, KOIN.
8:30 Symphony Hour, KPO, KOW,
KFI; Aik-It-Baaket, KNX, KOIN.
KSL; Drama, KOO.
0:00 strange, as It Beema, KNX.
KSL, KOIN; Sketch, KOO, KJR,
KEX.
0:30 Those We Love, KPO. KFI,
KOW; Dance Orch., KOW; Roger's
Orch., K8L; Heldfs Orch.. KOO;
Operetta Series, KNX, KOIN; News.
KJR.
10:00 News Reporter, KPO, KOW,
KFI; Foster's Orch., KOO, KJR;
Newa, KSL, KOIN, KNX.
10:30 Ravazza's Orch., KPO, KOW,
KFI; Nottingham's Orch.. KOO, KJR,
KEX; Prima'! Orch., KSL, KOIN.
KNX.
11:00 Marttn'e Orch, KPO. KFI;
This MoTlng World, KEX, KJR;
Grays Orch, KSL. KOIN; Newa,
KNX, KOW,
Friday,
5:00 Frank and Archie. KJR;
Sunaet Shadows, KOO; Melody Time,
KPO: Don't Forget. KFI.
5:30 Etchings In Brass, KOO,
KJR; Musical Vignettes, KFI.
8:00 Plantation Party, KOO. KEX.
KJR; Walts Time. KPO. KFI, KOW;
Prof. QulE, KNX, KSL. KOIN.
8:30 First Nlghter, KNX. KSL,
KOIN; Jesael's Program. KPO, "FI,
KOW; Who's In Town Tonight, K O.
7:00 Drama, KNX, KOIN, KfcL;
Lombardo's Orch, KPO, KFI, KOW;
Boxing Bout, KOO, KJR.
7:30 The story Behind the Head
lines, KOW; Boxing Bout. KOO,
KJR, KEX: Big Town, KPO.
8:00 Pleasure Time, KPO, KFI,
KOW; Amos and Andy. KNX, KOIN.
KSL; Robinson's Buckarooa, KOO,
KEX, KJR.
8:15 I Love a Myatery, KPO, KFI.
KOW; Lum and Abner, KNX, KOIN,
KSL.
8:30 Hlmber's Orch, KEX; Death
Valley Days, KPO. KOW, KFI; John
ny Preeenta, KNX, KOIN, KSL;
Aloha Land, KOO.
:00 Tucker's Orch, KOO. KJR,
KEX; Smith's Variety Hour, KNX.
KOIN; London Letter, KPO; I Want
a Job, KOW.
8:30 Quizzical Muatcale, KOO,
KEX; Unlveralty Explorer, KPO,
KFI; Muate by Woodbury, KOW;
News, KJR.
10:00 Martin's Orch, KOO, KJR,
KEX: News Reporter. KPO, KFI,
KOW; Paul Sullivan, KNX, KSL:
Newa, KOIN.
10:30 Heldfs Orch, KPO. KOW.
KFI; McDonald's Highlanders, KOO;
Deutsch's Orcha, KSL.
11:00 Nottingham's Orch, KPO,
KOW, KFI; Oray's Orch, KSL, KOIN;
This Moving World, KEX. KJR;
News, KOO.
FOREST SERVICE
Washington, Dec. 21. (P)
F. A. Silcox, 56, chief of the
forest service, died Wednesday
at his home in near-by Alexan
dria, Va.
He had been seriously 111 of
a heart disease for nearly a
week.
Silcox came to the capital as
chief of the forest service about
five years ago. He first went
with the agency about 30 years
WRITING ON PRESENTS
IIT-6
a'
By CLUYAS WILLIAMS
HIS PRESENT'S WRAPPED AND
OWES OufPEHCIL fo WRHE ON
THEM
I l, Tl- IL l S.,H4.
6luVA
WIluAiMS
RUIft INTO SNAS BECAUSE" HC OUT
TeU WHICH PACKAGE CoMTajHS WIFE'S
BROOCH AND WHICH JlMOR'6 PUZ71T
HAS TO UHllE ONE TO MAKE SURE, tV
WHICH TiME HE HAS MISLAID PEKCIL
W?APSITUPA6MrJ AND SETS 1HEM
ASIDE, REMEMBERN61iW WIFE'S
BROOCH IS AT THE LETT
WHILE W0KIN6 FjR PENCIL, REAL
LIZES HE HAS NO IPEA WHAT IS Ikl
FlAf PACKA6E. UNWRAPS rf.BuT
CAN'T TlE 1TUPA6AIN ON ACCODrlf
OF TEARWI& WRAPPIN6&
ALSO TO UNWRAP AND WRAP
OP A&BIN TWO IDENTICAL PACKA6ES
0KTAIl(lH6 BOOKS, To FIND Which
IS TOR iMCLE JOE ArlP WHICH FOR
AtMT IRMA
FINDS PFrMl.BUT BY NOW HAS FCR6&T-
ten whether it was brooch or pozile
he set pown at The left, wrs uikA
1hin6 BACK ON CLOSET 5HELF, WiFE
EaENTUAIIV FINISHING JOB FOR HIM
ago, his aides said, but for a
while left the government em
ploy to engage in private busi
ness. Surviving is his widow, who
was with him when he died.
Silcox was a native of Charles
town, S. C.
Although it leads all other
nations in the trapping of fur
bearing animals, the United
States Imports more rare and
expensive furs than any other
nation.
UNION ROW HOLDS UP
TONGUE POINT WORK
Astoria, Ore., Dec. 21. (P)
Officials feared today future
expansion of the Tongue Point
naval base would be jeopardized
by an American Federation of
Labor jurisdictional dispute.
Work stopped a week ago,
contractor Walter Makela said,
on the. $90,000 pier project.
Twelve members of the A. F.
of L Pildrivers' union walked
out because five members of
the Building Laborers' union,
also A. F. of L., were not taken
off the payroll. The Piledrivers'
union claimed Jurisdiction over
the entire project.
Alma Mater was given as a
name, by the Romans, to certain
goddesses, signifying mother.
STRANGE AS IT SEEMS By JOHN HIX
For further proof address the author, inclosing a stamped envelope tor reply. Reg. TJ. S. Pat Off.
I TnJ;n3 Tonkin.
HS COMPLETELY URKOUNPSO.
& A CITY" INDiMMoUs
3 iyiTZ , yizz
i ySisSesiTii. I
ly sC'lWNS. I MH NOONS
V JZ&mr I AT THR CONTROLS
fT.!! alv I cwk Pennsylvania
4 mm wM"iWm lr-o km ? Miise at
X
)-Z
Vr-l 7AV A PRfcMK ONLY WEKH AW AHP
6R tPWARD
II l v
fffc ONLY iNKlAtt KftKCPIl,
3i
TAILSPIN TOMMY Spinning For a Crashl
l Ikx. V. 8. fat. OB. All (If bU
THE GHOST ENGINEER
Giant locomotive pulling Psnnsylvania Railroad's St. Loulsan, which passed westbound
through Selma, Ohio, on the mjrning of August 25. 1938, ran three miles, then pulled Jo a
stop with no one at the conlrolsl As railroad officials later discovered, water became low In
the boiler, resulting in over-heating of the crown plate.
A blast of live steam enterad the cab and engineman J. L. Breen and fireman R. H. Mitch
ell jumped to escape scalding. Both were killed. R educed pressure in the brake system even
tually brought ihe train to a smooth stop. It was estimated the train traveled 60 miles an
hour.
' TOMORROW: The Flying Cripple!
Convinced that lem can solo, but
lacks conf-idence, "tommy tosses his
OOYCE STICK OVERBOARD.. AND LEM quiCKLY
FOLLOWS SUIT
By HAL FORREST
IT W&Jy! I WZSutM JO-OH-b- I lo-D-DO YEW P IT DOESN'T
Z3 ( pwmb pope.' bailout Lrf r.f.r-.c,, t-think m-my you can return
SNV U5VS We D'VE... OVER. THE 1 G-G-GOSH' UMBRELLER-M IT AND GET '
feM I JUMP QUICK'. SIDE.HURRYU D-OH-I,- CHUTE'LLAV yOUR, MONEY
BEN WEBST ' 7
By EDWIN ALGER
f BUT, GRANDMA. YOU 1,Z -VOTED TO RUN f YES, I KNOW, LAND SAKES, IP MOTHErV'"' : - I I I PER ONE AINT A-fiiiu' "
CAN'T LEASE YOUR LAND.' W THE OIL WELL BUT THAT WAS NATURE'S 61VEN US A ' TO M kIND W A
1 VOU AND ALL THE OTHER J DRILLERS OUT I TORE THIS FORTUNE UNDERNEATH to nN Sir rltl? J
FOLHAPPy VALLEY -TOP TOWN hJI 6USHER COME OUR BACK YARDS, AIN'T I mMK
- Sji g j j
THE NEBBS The Needle In the Haystack
S;W ta.loc I Wev! D0N1T "WYrs oust little! Y its the. little. "VSTvweu. it must be ?5,"""b.'- papers which roRruhZ
REMOVED A yM" THAT F'WS! 0 GOOD. LOOK JWySH . i VuRM UP MOTHIM' Bf FIND THIS. A S0LD STICKERS AMD
SCRAP OF gCf J WEWR!ra' i plc?UVUrf-E FER AWONSTB FORTUNE DEPENDS STAMPS ON 'EM.ThEYAIMT
SSIRr?1 CnXf ? VueaepecEs. LFLDV time fflp41lONl ,T o,mavbe Jmothin' like that
wast baet jj !
By SOL HES"