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Home My WebLink AboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1943-05-20, Page 7ii *■ i ^'.11 I * Mr ‘j ’> t i 1 t I ( V < > I NEW SERIAL STORY • f • ■ Just as the boat began to the pier I saw something black fall outside the win 5ALVA£ NATIVE OF U$B0RNE IS BURIED AT BOY’S THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 20th, W3 *p Tragedy of X by ELLERY QUEEN SYNOPSIS Harley Longstreet, member of De Witt & Longstreet, brokers, and host to a party celebrating his en gagement to Cherry Browne, actress dies on trolley front poison ppratch- es into his hand by a needle-liierced cork in his pocket. De Witt, his wife Fern and’daughter Jeanne, her fian ce Christopher Lord, Cherry’s vaude ville friend of DeWitt, Latin, and Irishman, At the carbarn Inspector Thumm ex amines them, the other passengers, the conductor, Charles Wtood No, 2101, who says he has often seen Longstreet and DeWitt on his car, and the motorman Guineas No. 409, Thumm had had DeWitt; partner, sums of each the lot-’ a desk- a letter brought pollux, Ahearn, friend Impexiale, middle-aged Michael Collins, brawny are Longstreet’s guests, the people on the Harley Longstreet I have found out who killed him. I who corroborates him. learns later that Longstreet an affair with Mrs. Fern that he had a hold on his frequently demanding large money from him. Indeed member of the party seems to hold some grievance against Longstreet Drury Lane, retired Shakespearean actor, is helping Thumm and D. A, Bruno. Lane, who says he thinks he knows the murderer, refers to- him as Mr. X, but refuses to name him, ■■"I " 1 I ■■ 1 - i u, J— I.I - 1 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY watch myself until handled the letter placed it on the desk that gin- and on I’ll on “That's what I'd -like to know,” said Collins. “What kind of a bucket-shop is this, anyway? But I’ll telf you one thing. DeWitt is going to make good that bum steer or I’ll know the reason why!” “Collins, my lad, where’d you get ■ all that dough to lose? You can’t plunge fifty thousand dollars that measly salary of yours.” “Mind your own business! break you for this-—<” Thumm’s large hand clamped Collin’s coat. “And I’ll break your neck if ^ou don't keep a civil ton gue in your ugly mug. Now get out of here, heel.” Pollux was next and his lean face was nervous, but bellicose. “I don’t know a thing,” he said. You’ve got nothing on me, -or Cherry either. This Longstreet heel was known as a prize sucker of Broadway, wise guys saw this coming.” “Know Cherry well?” “We’re pals.” “Do anything fox* her, you?” “What do you mean?” “Just what I said. Beat Drury Lane sprang to “Several questions, inspector. there been a development of inter est from Dr. Schilling's autopsy?” “Nothing,” said Thumm. We. haven’t made an inch of progress in tracing the poison or its source.” "Inspectoi* Thumm, you are en tirely satisfied that the needle cork was slipped ‘into Longstreet’s pock et in the car and not before?” “That’s one thing we’re dead cer tain of.” “Now tell me, inspector—nothing was found-on the occupants of the car that would considering the type of persons coats, evening things like that? “No, I can’t exactly vouch fox* it.”. Lane stared thoughtfully at his visitors. “If everything Inspector Thumm has told, me is true, then I believe the guilt lies in one direction. But I ■prefer, for pressing reasons, not to commit, myself further at this time on the possible identity of your un known quarry— shall we call him X from now on?” “But Mr. Lane,” “a delay—after all . . Drury Lane “Dangerous, Of course, so much, you will have to take my word for it, as a premature disclo sure.” Bruno and Thumm faced each other across Bruno’s desk the next morning. The District Attorney’s hand played with a neat pile of let ters as he asked: “Anything new?” Thumm bit a cigarette in half. “Collins. Making trouble again. ‘ one of my men just found out that he visited DeWitt three times since Saturday. Of course, lie's trying to collect from DeWitt. The wouldn’t it.” his feet. Has Bruno began idly to open ters. Two he tossed into basket for filing; the third, ip a cheap plain envelope, him to his feet with an exclamation, "Good God. Thumm! If this isn’t the sweetest break—!” He spread the letter before the inspector. It Was written in rusty black ink on a cheap ruled stationery, in a plain undisguised hand. Addressed to the Distxdct Attorney, it had no signa ture: I am one of street-car when was lnurdere'd, something about am willing to give this information to you, but I am afraid the murderer knows I know, and I think I am be ing watched. But If you will meet me, or send somebody to meet me Wednes day night at eleven o’clock, in the Weehawken ferry waiting room, I will disclose myself and tell what I know. Please fox* my sake don’t tell any outsiders about this letter. I am going to time. Thumm gerly; he scanned the envelope. “Postmarked Weehawken, N, J., last night,” he muttered. "Full of fingerprints form dirty fingers. One of those Jerseyites on‘the car.” “We can stand a quick prosecu tion..” Bruno rubbed his hands con tentedly. "Get in touch with Dis trict Attorney Rennells of Hudson county and make the necessary ar rangements to have Jersey police watch the Weehawken terminal. All plainclothes.” As Thumm went out Bruno called the Hamlet. "Hello! Mr. Drury Lane . . . District Attorney Bruno calling.” • A shrill quavering voice answer ed: "This is Quacey, Mr. Bruno. Mr.- Lane is right here by my side.” "Oh yes. I forgot-r-he can’t hear.” Bruno explained the contents of the anonymous letter. Silence from the other end of the wire, then "Mr. Lane asks if he may be present at this meeting.” * "Oh, by all means.” In the barnlike waiting-room be hind the Wee-hawken ferries, a doz en men were grouped, silent and watchful. District Attorney Bruno, nervously consulting his watch at ten-second intervals, paced the floox* like a maniac. Inspector Thumm prowled about, looking sharply at infrequ’ent newcomers. Quite alone sat Mr. Drury Lane. Bruno came over and sat down. "Forty-five minutes late already.” he complained. I’m beginning foolish.” "You would feel a wee bit replied Lane. "You think—” began Bruno, and stopped, stiffening—as did Inspect- tor Thumm across the room—at the raucous commotion emanating from the ferries outqide. “W'hat is the trouble, Mr. Bru no?” asked Lane. Bruno’s 1 "There was board!” : feet in spector ble on Bruno ^xere with some of the boys. Might be a decoy. Our man may come yet.” At the farthest end of the roofed piei* a ferry boat had come in and was grinding against the side pil ings. As Thumm, Lane, and a dozen detectives reached the ing, some scattered figures hurrying out of the terminal, gold-leaf on the boat’s pilot-house above the upper deck read: Mo hawk. On the north side of the low er deck passengers milled wildly about, leaning over the rail, peering out of windows of the starboard , cabin-wail. Drury Lane looked at his watch. The time was 11.40. Inspector Thumm sprang to boat-deck. "What’s happened?” roared to a gnarled ferryman. "They say he fell from the deck as the Mohawk‘was sliding to the pier.” Thumni and Lane began to bush toward the doox* of the cabin, when Thumm stepped Short, extending his arm. A slight frail figure was Stepping off to the dock, “Hey there, DeWitt! Just a min ute!” The frail figure, bundled in a top coat, looked up, hesitated, then re traced his ■ steps. His face was White; he was panting a little. "Inspector Thumm!” he said slow ly. "What are you doing here?” "Little assignment. And you?” "I'm on xny way homo. What’s going on here?” "Might have-stayed to find out,” said Thumm amiably. “Come along with us. By the way, meet Mr. Drury Lane, the famous actor, Helping out, Mr. Lane, this is Mr. DeWitt, Longstreet’s partner.” Dru ry Lane nodded pleasantly; DeWitt’s eyes, ■ wandering before, suddenly assumed something of deference. "This is an honor, sir,” Thumm lunged up the brasstip ped stairs amidships, the others fol lowing to the dark upper deck, Roughly between the centei* boat and the bow, a few feet the clearing space at the tip boat, and well to the rear pilot-house above, light showed long, that ran from the railing to cove at the northwest outer of the cabin. "Jim, go down stairs and hold ev erybody on the boat,” s. Thumm and ,‘Lane, with DeWitt trailing, walked to the rail. “A heavy object was dragged across here,” said Thumm. "Might be murder.” "What’s the matter, -DeWitt? Hurt youx* hand?” The little broker turned and of fered the hand for Thumm’s inspec tion. Lane leaned forward. On the forefinger, extending from the first joint vertically, ’was a fresh scax* an inch and a half long. A thin scab had healed over the wound. "I cut my fingei* this evening on some ap paratus in the Exchange Club gym nasium before dinner. Dr. Morris there fixed me up. Told me to be careful with it. It pains a little.” A^yell reached them from below. "We’ve got him!" "Downstairs!” cried Thumm, As one, the three men made for the door. As DeWitt grasped the handle of the door he exclaimed ance and frowned over hand. Thumm and Lane the wound was bleeding. several places, used, my right groaned the lit- Thumm’s uneven of the behind of the of the flash marks an al- corner seem out of place, weather and the involved—like top clothes, gloves— began Br$no, stood motionless. But not half Sometimes he’d stay on and gab for a couple of trips. But he said he wasn’t goin’ to stay on for any extra trips tonight because he had an ap pointment over in Jersey,” Bruno dismissed the river-man and climbed oxi one of the waiting- room benches, shouting: "Now I want all those who saw the body fall from the upper deck to step up here!” Six people wavered, looked at each other, then with hesitant steps crossed the room Bruno, lumping off the bench, eyed a rotund man, "You—-what's your name?” “August Hayemeyer, I’m. a print er—goiu’ home from work, I was sittin’ on the bench across from the window, get into big and daws.” (To be continued) Protect What You Haye Make it last with paint! Alex Fraser, lot 17, concession 12, Fullarton, died in Stratford General Hospital on Thursday of last week, where he had been confined for the past two weeks, He had been in poor health for some time and seriously ill since the first of April. He was born in I^sborne Township, Novem ber 16, 1884, and at the time of his marriage to Blanche Rumford, on June 29, 1921, moved to Fullarton Township, where he has ‘ resided ever since. He was the son of the late Elizabeth Simpson and Alex Fraser, He was a member of Mt. Pleasant United Church. Surviving are his wife, two sons, Keith and Tommy, at home; daughters, Eleanor at home Catherine, teacher at S.S. Hay Township; one brother, Fraser, Strathroy; and one (Mrs. James Brock, Crediton, ment in Roys Cemetery. “To tell the truth, to feel a wee bit have more cause to worried, Mr. Bruno,” in annoy- his right saw that The scar bundle was the two and No. 8, James sister, Jnter- Heavy Damage- by Rain at Zurich In referring to the rain storm last week a despatch from Zurich says. “Rain caused heavy damage in this vicinity. Scores of people were busy bailing water out of their cellars when the rain subsided. Mrs. M. Mac Kinnon suffered the most damage when the watei’ pressure heaved the cement floor in the basement of her new home, tilted the let a gusher of water ment. •Farmers’ fields are with water, as the open drains were overflowing, but, chances are that the few fields of grain which -are sowed will not be affected if the weather should clear up. But seed ing will be delayed a great deal, as the big majority of farmers have not started as yet. Numerous culverts on the roads have been partly washed out, but luckily, enough of each remained to allow traffic to pass.” furnace, and fill the base- also covered PRESERVING your property from deterioration against time and weather, with the best paint, be comes a patriotic duty under * present conditions; you avoid fut ure repairs and replacements supplies for which are badly needed for war use and may in any case be difficult or impos sible to get. There are sufficient supplies of Sherwin-Williams Paints in your dealers’ stores to meet essential civilian requirements. Sherwin- Williams Paints serve you doubly because they beautify as well as protect. For decoration and colour guidance ask your Sherwin- Williams Dealer to lend you his "Paint and Colour Style Guide.” J&E Sherwin-Williams Cot\ of Canada, Limited Head Office MOHiRdiL. Consult your local Sherwin-Williams Dealer B. W. F. Beavers, ..... Phone 86, Exeter, Ont. Restemayer and Miller,.....................Dashwood, Ont. Desjardine Store, Grand Bend, Ont. i l43-M “Home Town” Day to develop more wholesome citizen ship. Reports of municipal discussions and of how home utilities are main tained in the face of restricted bud gets and help storages are followed closely. References to transportation prob lems and consequent introduction of ingenious ideas to conserve mater ials desperately needed in produc tion of war munitions also become the themes of interesting bunk-side conferences. Difficulties in obtaining fuel, one of the unpleasant sides of home life which many personal let ters omit, make many a soldier a bit more careful in easing the consump tion of coal in banking up the hut stove for the night. So the weekly editor, who never forgets, is one of the most faithful correspondents from back home— the ever-active liaison between diers of freedom in the field on the home front. ■ back on her feet again.” "It kind of makes you realize all the things we have to 'fight for when you think about what these ladies are doing,” the other added by the way of agreement. "Oui* paper just mentioned today about a women next door drumming up a new group to send razor blades to army chaps. She’s doing so much Red Cross and Sunday School work now, you’d wonder how she would find 'time for anything else.” "Take a look at this while I stoke up the stove,” invited a third lad on the upper bunk as he extend ed that week’s copy of what he con sidered Ontario’s brightest journal. "W|e’ve got a hum-dinger of a mini ster in oui’ church at home who real ly stirs up a guy’s ambition,” he ex plained. “Each week our paper prints something like this about his sermon the Sunday before. It’s al most like being back home for a few minutes reading it.” "This is here,” hung loose, torn in "Shouldn’t have hand on the door,” tie man. They found the body of a burly man, with red hair. Beside the body, mangled beyond recognition, lay a visored black cap, soaked. Thumm snatched it up. A shield above the visor bore the met al number 2101 and the inscription: Third Avenue iRailways The Inspector glanced sharply, at Drury Lane, then thrust his hand in to the inner breast pocket o f the dead man’s coat. His hand reappear ed with a soaked wallet. He rum maged through it, and leaped to his feet. District Attorney .Bruno, topcoat tails flying, was hurrying from the terminal to the ferry. Thumm wav ed the limp wallet. "Bruno! Hurry up! We've got our man!" The District Attorney sprang to the. boat. “Who do you mean—the writei* of the letter?” "In person, only somebody else got to him first..” Thumm eased a water-softened card out ‘of the wal let, Bruno’s shoulder, ley company’s and bore the signature: Wood. "It’s the same writing,” Bruno. The macerated corpse of tor Charles Wood had been borne to the stationmaster's .office. BrUno turned to Lane. "Wfhile In spector Thumm is examining the body, would you care to go down stairs with me? There’s a raft of work to be done.”, At Lane’s sug gestion DeWitt went with The District Attorney the pilot of the Mohawk. "We’re trying to get tory Identifications of tile ■ Did you see the man whose body «ve had on the ferry-deck before? “Hundreds of times. Sort friend of mine, he was. Course, head was bashed in and ail that, I’d swear he’s Charley WJoOd, con ductor on the Cfosstowh.” “What makes you think so?” “I just khow. Same build, same red hair, same clothes, Charley lives over in Weehawken here, I guess, ’cause he always took the ferry across at 10145 when he was ‘through with his shift on the ear and for years back he got into the habit of comiiU uj> on the1 tob pas senger deck and yelling hello at me. head strained forward 5 a cry of ‘Man over Drury Lane was on his one feline movement. In- Thumm thundered: "Trou- the pier; I’m going out!” had also risen, “i'll stay half- land- were The the he top in- HARRY II. SPEARE BURIED IN STAFFA Drury Lane examined it over It was the trol- identification card Charles agreed Gonduc- them, called for confirma- dead man. Following a heart attack two months ago, Harry Hessey Speare of Cromarty died suddenly/at the Wes tern Hospital, Toronto, Saturday, May 8. Born in Cromarty, son of the late Samuel and Margaret Speare, he attended school at S.S. No. 6, Hib bert, and Stratford Business College. The late iMr. Speare had resided in Toronto for the past 40 years, where he married the late Helen Beatrice Kennedy of Tara. He was a, member of the Masonic Order and was last employed as a civil servant with the Selective Service Commission. Sur viving are three sons, Gordon Clif ford, of Spartanburg, South Caro lina; Arthur Edward and Frank Ken nedy, both of Toronto. Two sisters, Bessie (Mrs. MacDonald) and Olive, one brother Richard G., and a half brother, Charles E. Clifford, both of Toronto. The funeral was held from the home of his sister, Olive Speare, on Tuesday. Interment was made in the family plot at Staffa Cemetery. Pallbearers were William Chappel, Frank Harburn, Bert Butler, Russell Butler, John McLachlan, and And rew McLachlan. iRev. Mr. Aldsworth of Staffa United Church, officiated. A number of Exeter ladies, wives of iR.C.AF, officers at Centralia, were in town on Tuesday afternoon to attend a delightful tea given by Iby Mrs. Gray, wife of Flight Lieut. Charles Gray, at her apartments, Queen St, East.*—St, Marys Journal- Argus. of the shown service among sol- and "Home Town” day at army train ing camps across Canada is Friday— when the bulk of weekly papers are passed out at noon mail parades to eager-eyed lads in uniform. A quick glance over the front page and then at the local column is merely a fore taste of pleasure to be had that ev ening. Then it will remain the un swerving object of interest foi* an hour or two on bunk, in barracks or in a comfortable spot in some Auxil iary Service hut. It is then that the weary editor, short of sleep because of his strug gle to keep community happenings as fully recorded as of old in spite of labor shortages should have some magic means of looking over the shoulder of one of his Army read ers. His fatigue would melt and van ish in the happy revelation full warmth of appreciation toward his endeavor which men agree is a top-ranker Vital morale building agents. It also would be nice to have there Mrs. Jones who dropped her washing long enough Monday to telephone the town newspaper that her youngest boy, Johnny, had just attained the rank of corporal in his new field of duty abroad. She would see' how mention of his name and military advancement still further inspired the will-to-be-there of wide ly separated comrades in arms. Favorite week-end congregating spots in cities are reading corners of Y.M.C.A., Legion, Knights of Col umbus, of Salvation Army establish ments where weakly papers from everyone’s home towfi are found. In them every word dispells shadows of loneliness, and forms an intimate and friendly link stretching back from the new phase of duty to things so close to the heart. An prominence ill thought of these things so fre quently do much to keep fellows on wholesome paths during idle mom ents in strange environments. Regular appearance of home-town sheets comes as the greatest boon to the fellows whose folks and friends have been a bit on the careless side in writing. Or, perhaps, the last letter from home neglected to mention that Aunt Jenny was able to pull through the pneumonia attack again this winder. Silt someone had been kind enough to remind the editor, and he didn’t forget. “She isn’t a real aunt of mine, you see, but rather one of those souls who make themselves an aunt to ev eryone,” this reader explained to a ne'wly-fouiid pal in the udjoiniiig bunk. “You should see the swell socks she knits for the lads from home. It’s surely nice to know she’s my nine-year-old lad still another announced proudly, pointing to a name at the top of a school report list. " Last week he had his name on the front page foi* being frst in a Saturady morning salvage drive,” he boasted. "And Here in the Scouts column is the name of a nextdoor youngster whose dad just r&ached England last month. I’ll stick this clipping in a letter I’m sendng him today. Here are some letters printed from other soldiers all over that I’m going to stick in the same envelope. Just be fore he left we were saying we’d never seem too far from the home folks as long as we could see our papex* or things clipped from it.” Weekly references to recreational, entertainment, and athletic events in district military camps achieve sur prisingly broad interest. Very often those from far-removed centres now have pals in former days in training at the town whose newspaper they just have been shown for the first time. Thus, capable training camp contributors to columns.in neighbor hood weeklies may have their items scanned at incredible distances by eyes seeking a familiar name, Lively discussion groups, which thrive on the luxury of the scores of new friends which army life brings together, find fuel for now thought in weekly columns, Reference in an editorial to the noble work done by a club of nor thern ten-year-old lads helping with chores of mothers whose own sons are in active service quickly became a tonic of general conservation. It precipitated a two-hour talk around a hut stove in which ideas were ex changed about what could be done Teacher—Can an example of Voice in the chair. It always someone give period furniture? back—An electric ends a sentence. HAY TOWNSHIP NATIVE, me MRS. R. STBLCK, DIES Mrs. Rebecca Stelck passed away at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. August Koehler, lot 24, con cession 11, Hay 86 th year. She health for about was born in Hay lived in had also daughter Zurich, her her She Mrs. Koehler, one sister, Mary Werner, of Ken more, N.Y., and one brother, Wil liam Weido, of Appelgate, Mieh. The remains rested at the T. ft. Hoffman funeral home, Dashwood, from where :i private funeral- ser vice was held on Saturday, Inter ment was in Lutheran Goshen Lino cemetery. Rev. E, Heimriclt, of Zurich, officiated. She had She her near Township, in Her had been in poor three months. Township and Zurich for 25 years, spent some time with , Mrs. Henry Brown, Her husband predeceased years ago. She was a mem- the Zurich Lutheran Church, survived by two daughters, Henry Brown and Mrs. August both of Hay Township; 25 of is I I Start to Sneeze Nose Starts to Run Then comes the cold winch, if not attended to immediately, shortly works down into the bronchial tubes, and tne cough starts. On the first sign of a cold or cough go to any drug counter and get a bottle of Dr. Wood’s Norway Tine Syrup. You will find it to be a prompt, pleasant and reliable remedy to help you get rid of your trouble. WHY HAVE SORE FEET> _ _________v _v._ a_____ ________________ It has been on the market for the past 48 years. Don’t experiment with a Substitute find be disappointed—get “Dr, Wooda’\ Price 35c fi bottle; the large family size, about 3 times as much, 60<t took for the trade mark “3 Pine Trees?’ k Tfio T, Milburn Co., Litnitod, Toronto* Out. C/GABETTC TOBACCO