HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1943-05-20, Page 7ii
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NEW SERIAL STORY
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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