Show J 5 Telegram Fiction f By Vera Brown Prosecutor Thurber is walting to get from the mails malls the package Mona Kilroy swears she mailed to Harrison Scott well known New NewYork NewYork NewYork York attorney at Buffalo the night Adele wife ex-wife of the president president president dent of Continental Air Lines was murdered on the sleeper ship from Newark to Chicago Mona on the witness stand says she sent the letter letter letter let let- ter to Scott As witnesses are Ben New York racketeer his bodyguard Lefty Burke Winston Bradley New York business man married and his secretary Julie Burns To To- testify Alison AUson Thayer stewardess Terry Creedon Iso No o. o 1 pilot and Copilot Steve Broderick Brod- Brod erick eick ick Alison got her job through S knows knows Lawrence Weston Who vho broke up the home i i Now go on with the story V CHAPTER PTER S Thurber came to court the next day lay in a towering rage The letter from from New York had not come His 5 men were still waiting at Scotts Scott's hotel The prosecutor had drawn a blank blank and he had been so sure Thurber's ers first words when court opened were about bout the l letter Your honor I want to ask if Mr Scott can produce e the letter which Miss Kilroy mailed to him Scott sitting at the counsel table today answered I have it here S your honor t He held out a manila envelope It was covered with airmail stamps a special delivery also Thurber examined ex ex- it with his assistants They pored over postmarks made notations notations nota c about time Everything in good order Then Thurber opened it Out slipped a photograph of Mona pretty pretty pretty pret pret- ty smiling It was a beautiful photograph photograph pho pho- in a folder cut to fit the theS S envelope It was autographed Gr Gratefully Gratefully and and and Ill I'll never forgetS forget forget- S Mona i t Thurber read the words and threw the picture re down in disgust Will you take the stand Mr Scott Do you mean to tell telline me Mona Kilroy Kilroy Kil Kil- roy oy got off the Buffalo plane to tomail tomail mail snail you a photograph like that Yes she did i- i Why I asked her to An assistant whispered to Thur Thur- ber her They conferred for a long time Scott sat impassively in the witness chair as Thurber swept up l I older lder envelope and picture S Your honor I want to see what this picture weighs It Is Ls my contention contention con con- that this photograph was not in this envelope when it was I want to have it weighed I and washed f fr r fingerprints See the postal authorities have to tolay say lay about it The picture was substituted sub sub- your honor Substituted S f for r s something which Harrison Scott does not want us to see Therewa was a faint smile on Scott's Scotts lips I Did ld d Thurber think him so foolish as not to have thought of all the angles It was as though the prosecutor read the witness' witness n mind d S Thurber began to bear down on Scott Sott He asked him about various S. S women he knew Granger twice J interposed a protest but the corner coroner coroner cor cor- oner ner let Thurber go on It was pretty bad Twice Scott mopped his forehead but he kept his temper tern tern- tern tem per per made his answers clearly and with apparent honesty i And I ask you again did you youk k not riot substitute this picture for what'S whatever whatever what what- S 'S Sever ever ever Mona Kilroy mailed to you on l' l the night ight of June 13 T Thurber roared out the question S That is 13 not true Mr Thurber i Then Thurber gave up And Scott got off the witness stand p 5 It was was was' Thurber this time who seemed to be glad to be rid of his witness witness B But t Thurber had bad ther other 0 plans He recalled poor Mona The girl seemed in a half conscious state She looked desperately ill li Q Is this what you mailed to Harrison Scott Thurber held up up the autographed picture shook it at Mona A. A Yes The girl could manage only a monosyllable Q Do you mean to tell me you got off a Detroit-bound Detroit ship just to mail this picture How does it happen how is it that you had this envelope and the picture cut just to fit it Why didn't you a mall mallit I it from New York A. A I forgot it Q By the way where where did d you leave from when you came cameto to the airport that night of June 13 l A. A A.- A. From my apartment Q Where is 13 th that t Mona gave the address in mid Q Was anybody there when you left A. A No my maid does not stav stay after dinner Monas Mona's voice was faint Alison AlLson could see she was wis weakening Her eyes were sunken and her hands shook Q Did you eat dinner at your apartment that night Mona seemed to grow small in her I chair Complete panic swept her Her mouth trembled But the a answer answer an an- did not come Both Granger and Scott were on their feet objecting Answer me Thurber roared secure in the coroners coroner's ruling i Then Mona crumpled and slowly slipped slip from the witness chair hair to the platform on which it stood and to the flo floor r. r Pandemonium broke loose Granger Granger Granger Gran Gran- ger and Scott were first to reach her Alison AUson moved by the girls girl's desperation desperation desperation des des- rushed to her too The two attorneys lifted her up and carried carried car car- ried ned her from the room and Auson Alison Alison Ali Au- son went too Thurber's Thurber s voice rose above the din a phoney faint taint I tell you to keep from answering that ques ques- tion It was It-was was said for the the- benefit of the newspaper people a and d the crowd The two attorneys carried the girl into a witness room and put her ona on ona ona a table Two officers came in Alison Alison Allson Ali All son wet her handkerchief and put it on the girls girl's head As she bent over Mona her eyes fluttered open Distinctly Alison heard Scotts Scott's voice murmur to Mona You had ad dinner with me me-at me at the Chalet Suise and went home afterward and I went back to the theoffice office Then the officers officers' came close to the two Alison walked out of the witness room and back to her place in the courtroom She Sh Was vias stunned What did it mean Was Was Mona guilty She fought her way back to her seat and sank down there trem trem- bling the matter Terry turned to look at Alison's white face You arent aren't going to faint too are you It took some time to get the courtroom courtroom courtroom court court- room quiet Granger came back and told Thurber Mona was ready to togo togo togo go back on the witness stand When she c came me In the courtroom was silent as all eyes looked at the crumpled tragic figure of the girl I am sorry your honor she told the coroner I r think it was the heat It is so warm wann in here It was the heat all right Thurber remarked sharply Now we were just asking about abou that dinner party you had the night of June 13 Lets Let's have it A A AI I had dinner with Mr Scott Thurber s a shrugged h r rug u gg g e a d impatiently I Mona seemed mor more composed al although although although al- al though she still looked ill Q And where did you have this dinner A. A At the Chalet Suisse Q Where is it What did you have Mona answered rea readily d 11 y enough Q Then what A. A Mr Scott had work to do so I rode with him back to his office and then I went home to get my bag I thought of the picture then and intended to to tomail tomail mail it to him from the airport at Newark but I forgot it it Thurber pounded away but Mona stuck to her story It was no use She had won When she finally stepped from the witness stand she smiled a a. lit lit- tle tie It was over Just before dinner the jury went into deliberation Before they went into session they filed out with two officers officers to to dinner tome ome on wen eat wane re eating said They all all' piled into one cab and Terry lifted Alison onto his lap to tomake tomake tomake make room room for and Granger Granger Granger Gran Gran- ger in the rear seat Her he heart rt beat so loud she was afraid they would hear it And the ride seemed hours to her Granger was was chuckling as the cab rolled up in front of the hotel Scott youre you're a wonder he re remarked re- re marked I dont don't know what you mean Scott answered ed quietly Granger just laughed No wonder you always win your cases I take my hat off to you you I have never have never let leta a woman client go to jail yet Scott Scot quipped And Alison knew Scott and Mona had lied on the witness stand The hour they spent at dinner in suite was the most normal normal normal nor nor- mal 60 minutes s Alison had spent in days Of course talk turned to flying and soon they were all laughing to together together together to- to gether just as though Adele Roer Hoer den had not been murdered And that murderer is Is' Is free Alison's thoughts turned frequently to that fact and to Grangers Granger's flippant flip lip lippa pa pant remarks Why ar are you so quiet Miss Thayer asked suddenly when they were drinking their cof cof- fee Im just tired Do you think we can ever leave this town Maybe tonight an an- If things go right well we'll take a late ship out for or New York immediately Terry did not seem to be conscious conscious conscious con con- that Alison was present In Some subtle way his bis whole attitude toward the little hostess had changed But it was Wa time to go back for that hat long wait for the jury When they arrived back at the court the crowds still hung bung about waiting for the verdict Mona sat apart her head bowed and when Scott tried to talk to hershe her she shook her head Alison watched the clock So did the newspaper people and the afternoons were grumbling about the br break ak on the morning pater's time Then suddenly there was a knock on the door Slowly the jury filed out Have you reached a verdict We have said the foreman Continued Saturday Copyright 1936 for T The Tue e Telegram |