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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1935-09-12, Page 6'PAGE SIX WINGH. AM ADVANCE -TIMES SYNOPSIS Barbara Keith, wife of a prominent Philadelphia business man, is murd- ered as she waits alone in a side room to testify in the divorce case of Row- land vs. Rowland She was to have testified for the husband, a friend, who was defendant in the ac- tion .. Detective Tommy Rankin is assigned to the case from police head- quarters .. . His preliminary investi- gation disclosed that both Mr. and Mrs. Rowland had gathered evidence against the other of infedelity .. The v411 of Mrs. Rowland's first husband directed her lawyer brother, Mr, Wil- lard, to handle the estate until she remarried when the new husband was to come into control. Detective Ran- kin finds motives and the evidence of guilt for the murder of Mrs. Keith, leading to the doors of virtually all of the principles involved. These principals are, the two Rowlands, Mr. Willard, Mr. Keith, husband of the murdered woman, Hugh Campbell, paramour of Mrs. Rowland, and his underworld confederates ... NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY 'Well, there was the fact that Ellen and Garrett had only a small fraction of the stolen goods," said the nurse who had attended the former Mrs. Keith. "After she was here six months Ellen realized I sympathized with her, and once permitted herself to confide in me. When I asked. how she got in- to this trouble, she didn't try to jus- tify herself, but only Garrett. He wasn't naturally bad, she claimed, and she did her best to stop him from go- ing wrong. But he admired his friend's smartness and his influence, and the temptation of easy money was too much for him. I could tell' she clearly feared and despised the fel- low." Rankin spoke eargerly. "Did she tell you anything about who he was and what became of him?" "She could hardly know what hap- pened to him after her arrest." The matron shook her head. "But she mentioned the name by which sire knew hien; more than likely it was an alias, If • I'm net :mistaken, he travel- ed as Fred Dennis." 5, But the matron had no idea of her charge's history, once she passed be- yond the walls of the penitentiary. She had never heard from her. Nor could she supply -any further details about Fred Dennis, or his descrip- tion, which Rankin particularly desir- ed. And she was ignorant of how El- len Trent met her lover or where. In court, she had been represented by a Mr. Nathan Lewis, a Fort Wayne law- yer, in all probability appointed by the judge to defend her, because she had no money. Late that afternoon, Tommy Ran- kin presented himself, by appointment made over the telephone, at the law office of Mr. Nathan Lewis. Evident- ly the lawyer had prospered since the day, six years before, when he was appointed by the court, an impecuni- COM ET MODERN FIREPROOF • HOTELS cONVEKIUIOIY 'LOCATED EASY PARrn GrAOLIAES trgaL I000nto ROCtIESr.R'buFF'AI,,-1:i:tlE. ous young lawyer, to defend E11ent Trent. Mr, Lewis studied Rankin's card and motioned him to a deep arm- chair, "Yes, Mr. Rankin?" he inquired pol- itely, but with quiet reserve, "You're from the Philadelphia Police Bureau, I. see. How can I be of service to you?" `I called to make sure you wouldn't leave the office before I arrived," the detective replied. "It's about a young woman whose mysterious murder I ani investigating in the East. Her name is Barbara Keith and she was your client, charged with concealing and disposing of stolen goods. You knew her. as `Ellen Trent." The lawyer looked genuinely shock- ed, and shook hs head solemnly. "Tin sorry to hear that," he mur- mured. "Of course, I recall the case quite well. Exactly what happened to her?" Briefly Rankin . related enough of the tragedy to enlist Mr. Lewis' co- operation. The latter listened atten- tively. "I have reason to believe," Rankin concluded, "that this affair in Fort But the girl 'could not name, Mr. Lewis explained as :Rankin probed more thoroughly, an'y of Dennis' oth- er associates. "No wonder she detested Dennis sol" Rankin exclaimed.% "He threat- ened her happiness, endangered the pian she loved and brought her end- less worry and anxiety for his wel- fare." "Exactly," Mr. Lewis agreed. "That's the reason, when Garrett was killed, she considered hien his murd- erer. I have a vivid picture of her in prison, crushed and numbed by his death; she didn't care what happen- ed to her without him. But she had one interest—a grim determination that Fred Dennis should suffer for it" The detective nodded. "I suppose he realized her opposition and en- mity." "He could hardly help it, the way she always tried to persuade Garrett to break away. It was a continual struggle for ascendency over hire; she told me that when she'd almost win hire away, Dennis could bring him back to heel with a word." "But the police didn't catch him, even with her information?" Rankin "Ellen Trent first met Dave Garrett in Akron—at a dance hall." Wayne—her arrest and imprisonment —has a bearing on her, death. She was being blackmailed by some one familiar with her past. And you can probably tell me more about it, from her angle, than anyone else." Mr. Lewis pondered. "Under these circumstances, I suppose I am justi- fied in 'revealing whatever I can to help you. To me, it has always seem- ed a most distressing situation, for which the girl was not to blame at all. Her misfortune was to love a ne'er-do-well. Yet, there were the goods, the evidence that she knew of the robberies, and her obvious rela- tions with one of the men. I consid- ered it most wise that she plead guilty and trusted to the court's leniency for a minimum sentence." "That's one of the details I want," the detective cut in quickly. "It's been suggested to me, from other sources, that she was really quite innocent." "I'm firmly convinced of that," Mr. Lewis declared. "At our first inter- view in the city jail, she assured me she was ignorant of Garrett's dishon- esty until after they had lived here for six months. At times she wonder- ed why he stayed out so late at night, She found out about him eventually when he returned at dawn, after a narrow escape during an attempted robbery. He had been separated from Dennis and brought back some of the loot; then she realized his occupation and taxed him with it." "And what's your opinion of Gar- rett? Did you gather he was vicious or just weak?" The lawyer spread his hands. "Miss Trent insisted it was entirely Dennis' fault; without his persuasion and the enticement of easy money, Garrett would never have gone wrong. She loved him so, it was , almost pitiful how she deluded herself about his worthiness:' "Have ,you any idea, Mr. Lewis," he asked, "how and where she met Garrett in the first place?" After some cogitation, the attorney recalled that the girl had mentoned that they became acquainted in Akron, Ohio, late in 1925. She worked as a wrapper' in a large department store there and met the young man at a dance hall. Mr, Lewis was not better iefortned than Mortimer Keith had been. She had no relatives left, he believed, The lawyer told how her sweetheart became acquainted with Fred Dennis. tt was et the Indianapolis race track, where Garrett began to hang about Special Bargain Excursions TO ALL STATIONS IN WESTERN CANADA Going Dates: Daily Sept. 21 to Oct. 4 Return Limit: 45 days. ONE CENT Pl~R MILE Good in Coaches only SLEEPING CAR PRIVILEGES Passage Tickets also on sale good itt (a) tourist sleeping cars at approxi, mately 11/c 1 er mile, phis regular berth fate. ' <b) parlor and standard sleeping cars at approamtv.ttely 11/2c pet mile, Otte regular seat or berth fare. to overs granted at Fort Arthur, p Ont. and all stations west thereof. Cnfl partictelars froni.any agent fie Thursday, Sept, 12th, 193$ ely have been willing to pay dearly, Why, then, had he chosen to chlor, oform her during the' divorce hearing? And how had he reached her there? To these obstacles to his theory of Dennis' gt ilt, Rankin had to produce a solution, SO long as Mrs. Keith continued to pay him, he would hesi- tate to kill the goose that laid such golden eggs; and she had given him a check as recently as June first. But there' was a limit to the bleeding pro- cess . If driven to the wall by his de- mands, she might have turned on him finally, threatened both to betray him to the authorities and to admit the truth to her husband. The fact that the day, before she died she had broa- ched a subject, the delicateness and importance of which her nervousness and alarm attested, supporting this supposition. Instead of wishing to speak of a divorce, as Mr, Keith sup- posed, she may have inteded to con- fess: Though she lost her nerve in the .crisis; yet desperate and hounded, shec onstituted a fresh menace to Dennis. And always, so long as she lived, her knowledge of his criminal career, which she could pass on to the auth- orities, endangered his freedom. Mr. Lewis drove the detective dir- etc to Headquarters. It was his pres- ence rather than Rankin's official card that gained them a prompt audience with Lieutenant Becker. He was the offcer who had arrest- ed Ellen' Trent six years before, and led the subsequent raid on Den:ni's flat. Even now he was sensitive about that fiasco and mention of it brought a wry frown to his features. Rankin briefly related the story of Barbara Keith's murder and the trail that led to Fort Wayne. When he explained its connection with Fred Dennis and his .desire. to obtain information about him, Lieutenant Becker nodded. "Of course, we still have all 'the things from his apartment," he de- clared, "that is, his personal belong- ings. I'll have them here in a jiffy." He summoned a policeman from the record room. Within ten minutes the officer returned with papers; reports and several suitcases. (Continued Next Week) vouchsafed. Mr. Lewis toyed with a pen on his desk and pushed back his chair as he replied. "No, he escaped again," he related, "by the skin of his teeth, just before they broke in." "And nothing was heard of him af- terward? No trace of his where- abouts." The lawyer shook his head, "No, he dropped completely out of the pic- ture." "But at least you have Miss Trent's description of him," the detective put in. "Tire police could give you that," Mr. Lews replied. "It was their job to hunt him. And I believe they still hold such of Dennis' possessions as didn't have other rightful owners." "In that case, I'll ,want to see them at once." Abruptly, Rankin rose and extended his hand. But instead -of shaking hands, Mr. Lewis glanced at. his watch and also rose. "If you don't mind, Mr. Rankin," he said, "I'd like to go along with you to Headquarters. Recalling how fav- orably the gill impressed me, I'm in- terested in the case and wish to learn what develops. In fact, if Dennis is responsible for her murder, I feel al- most involved in it myself." "Why, certainly, Mr. Lewis," the detective returned pleasantly, "You're quite welcome to join me and follow The lawyer had put into words the possibility to which his investigations and all the information he obtained on this journey pointed. Certainly, Fred Dennis had ample reason for harboring malice against Ellen Trent, and desiring her death. From the be- ginning, her opposition to his control over her sweetheart, Garrett, constant- ly threatened to disrupt his plans and endanger his • criminal enterprises. Then, with Dave Garrett's death, her more active hostility resulted calami- tously for him. She made hive a fugi- tive from justice. It was hardly like- ly that "a man of his character, vicious and revengeful, yet astute and daring, would hesitate to commit murder in retaliation. He was familiar with Barbara. Keith's past and in a position todis- close it ;and as part of his revenge, he could blackmail her by anonymous- ly calling her husband's attention to them, he would establish her relations with. Garrett and her prison sentence as a thief. l" 1e might even have been when he failed to obtain work, in the aware of the expected baby. To sil. hope of acquiring some loose change,) enee him, Mrs, Keith would undoubt- w NEWS of the DISTRICT Cash Box Stolen at Lucknow r1 black cash• box containing be- tween $75 and . $100, chiefly in bills and checks, was stolen from the home of Mrs. A. R. Finlayson, Lucknow, on Tuesday evening last week. The money which was carried home that evening in the cash box from the store of her two sons, Roy and. Clark, had been left on the kitchen table, to which access could have ,been gained through an open window or by an unlocked cellarway. The theft is possibly be- lievedto have occurredp y be- fore ten o'clock that evening, although not disocevered until the morning. Palmerston Oldest Resident Passes In -the death of George Wright Smith, who passed away at his home at the corner of Bolton and Bruns- wick streets, Thursday, Palmerston lost its oldest citizen in his 99th year. Death was caused from heart condi- tion after an illness of six weeks. Fined on. Liquor Charges Walkerton—Pleading guilty to hav- ing a still on his premises for the. manufacturing of illicit liquor, Eph- riam Krohn, of the 8th concession of Carrick Township, was fined $100 and costs. He was also fined $100 for hav- ing liquor illegally. Earl Knapp, of Bentick Township, who was caught by the officers as they made their raid on Krohn's property, pleaded guilty to operating the still and was assessed $200 and costs by Magistrate F. W. Walker and on confessing to having liquor iliegally,,was fined an- other $100 and costs, They are: Victor Porteous, sitting Member of the..House, who has again been placed in the field by the Con servatives; W, .R Telford, ex-11.I.P., Liberal candidate; Hudson Stout, C. C,F. nominee, and W, L. Taylor, who was this week chosen as candidate' by the Stevens party. Escape Injury Driving Roy Kilgour's car in whieh' the owner 1.nd four other passengers, were riding, Frank Hall is alleged to,. highway have gone to sleep on No. 9 near Bervie. The car swerved from the road, snapped off a hydro pole and came to rest in the ditch, with the passengers escaping with nothing. more serious than a few scratches, Unusual Weapon Comes to light Mr. Gibert McLarne recently add- ed to his collection of antique fire- arms a most unique type of weapon, in fact, one that at first puzzles the beholder as to its use and mechanism. The miniature gun is three inches in length, to be fired by a nipple cap and is so constructed that it can be screwed into a door jam and will be fired by anyone moving the door, it making a most effective burglar al- arm. -Port Elgin Times. Transfers Affection An unusual incident occurred at the Colborne Township farm of Frank Young, Two weeks ago, a sow gave birth to seven and ten days later ten more little pigs were born. The sow ignored the first seven and devoted her entire time to the ten, with the result that one of the seven died. The remaining six, were left to the care of Mr. Young and are doing nicely. Medal Presented For: rescuing Wesley Pollock from the attack of an enraged bull, Sidney Crane, Huron Township, has been presented with a medal by the Royal Humane Society. Crane drove the an- imal away after it had attacked Pol. lock. Then he removed the 'injured man to safety. .,•._.� Fou North ..r Candidates in N r h Gre y The riding of North Grey will have £otinr candidates seeking election' in the approaching Dominion elections, Baby Dies from Swallowing Lye Ethel Jean Edna Hulley, baby dau- ghter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hulley, Walton, suffered a tragic death in Scott Memorial Hospital, Seaforth, as a result of swallowing lye. A two- year-old sister and the baby were playing in the kitchen, while Mrs. Hulley was at the barn:. on Saturday evening, whein in some manner the little girl secured a can of lye -and gave it to the baby. She was immedi- ately rushed to Scott Memorial Hos- pital, Seaforth, but despite all that could be done, passed away the fol- lowing evening.—Huron Expositor. Teeswater Society Win C.N.E. Prize Inithe grain classes at the C. N. E. for Agricultural Societies, the Tees - water Society won second for their sheaves, and third for grain, making a total of sixty-eight dollars in prizes, sixty per cent. of which goes to those contribtuing the grain and forty per cent. to the local society. Those ex- hibiting in the sheaf group were: Do- minic Borho, wheat; Michael Fischer, Jr., barley, and Wilbur McKague, oats. In the grain classes the follow- ing contributed: Geo. K. Armstrong, O.A.C. 21 Barley; Michaeul Fischer, O.A.C. 104 Wheat; Dominic 13orho, 0.A.C. 181 Peas Wilbur McKague, O.A.C. 72 Oats, and Ignatz Beninger, Flax.—Teeswater News. His Western Crop Ruined) Mr. Albert A. Schnurr, who had about .550 acres in crop on his farm at Pangman, Sask., this season, with ime rs. ro ange Carnpaign 20% Off Regular Prices SMALL DOWN PAYMENT. 2 YEARS TO COMPLETE PAYMENT Also Range Wiring financed under above plan. New Low Prices on all reliable makes of Electric Ranges. CALL AT YOUR HYDRO SHOP FOR FULL INFORMATION. AS ingi «.am Utilities Commission • excellent prospects up to a few weeks ago, now learns that the entire crop has been ruined by black rust,. and is not worth the trouble and expense of cutting and harvesting. This is the seventh year that Mr. Schnurr has re- ceived practically no returns from his farm that formerly yielded a paying crop nearly every year.—Mildmay` Gazette. RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING WINGHAM GOOD -WILL CLUB CONTEST Any lady who is of good character residing in Wingham or district served by The Advance -Times, who is over sixteen years of age, is eligible to enter the Wingham "Good -Will" Club. To enter the Club it is necessary fill out the Nomination Coupon ,e good for 10,000 votes, and mail or bring it to the Club office at The Ad- vance -Times. Only one nomination coupon will be credited to any one con- testant No regular employee of The Advance -Times or immediate member of an employee's household can enter or compete for the prizes. This aee plies also to the Club Merchants and their employees. Vote coupons must be deposited at THE ADVANCE -TIMES office. Name of contestant • must be plainly written on each to insure proper credit. Coupons, once deposited in favor of one contestant, cannot be trans-• ferred to another Contestants will not be allowed to solicit votes in or outside of Club. Merchants' stores, nor to buy or sell votes or accept purchased cupons,. under penalty of disqualification. Contestants may work where they please, collecting back subscrip- tions and renewals as well as 'new; vote credits will be issued on all. Cash must . accompany all subscriptions where credits are desired. Final count will be supervised by a Special Committee. This newspaper reserves the right to offer special credits at any- time during the competition and to correct typographical errors that may accur in any of its announcements. Also to alter or add to the prize list,. providing the value of the prize is not reduced. It is understood that the interpretation of the rules and regulations„ and any other questions pertaining to the competition will be decided by the Club Manager' and that his decision will be accepted as final. Professional J. W. BUSHFI'ELD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Money to Loan. Office — Meyer Block, Wingham Successor to Dudley Holmes. H. W. COLBORNE. M.D. PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Medical Representative D. S. C. R. Phone 54. Wingham A. R. & F. E. DUVAL CHIROPRACTORS CHIROPRACTIC and ELECTRO THERAPY North Street Wingham Telephone 300. Directory R. S. HETH ERIN T'G ON BARRISTER'and SOLICITOR Office Morton Block. Telephone No. 66 Dr. Robt. C. REDMOND M.R.C.S. (England) L.R.C.P. (London) PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON F. A. PARKER OSTEOPATH All Diseases Treated. Office adjoining residence next to Anglican Church on Centre St. Sunday by appointment. Osteopathy Electricity Phone 272. Hours, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. J. H. CRAWFORD Barrister, Solicitor, Notary, Etc. Successor to R. Vanstone.' Wingtham Ontario DR. W. M. CONNELL PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Phone 19. J. ALVIN FOX Licensed Drugless Practitioner CHIROPRACTIC - DRUGLESS THERAPY - RADIO -NW' EQUIPMENT Hours by Appointment. Phone 191. Wingham Business Directory ADVERTISE IN THE ADVANCE -TIMES FELLS THOMAS M AS .FEL AUCTIONEER REAL ESTA:'.I'E. 'SOLI Y A Thorough knowledge of Patin Stock. Phone 291, Wingliam. Wellington Mutual Fire Insurance Co. Established' 1840. Risks taken on all classes of insur- ance at reasonable rates. Head Office, Guelph, Ont., ABNER COSENS, Agent. Wingham. It Will Pay You to Have A'n EXPERT AUCTIONEER to conduct your sale. See T. R. IENNETT M The Royal Service Station. Phone 174W. HARRY FRY Furniture and Funeral Service LESLIE GORDON Licensed Embalmer and Fuweral Director Ambulance Service. Phones: Day 117, Night 109. THOMAS E. SMALL LICENSED AUCTIONEER 20 Years' Experience in Paoli Stock and Implements. ttikoderate Prices. Phone, 031i