OCR Text |
Show THE SAUNA SFN. SAUNA. UTAH V The Kenkei Murder-Cas- By S. S Van Dine Philo Vanco, crime expert. Investigate! the euppoied lulclde of Archer Coe, With District Attorney Markham, he goes to Coe'a house. They And Wrede, a friend of Coe's, there; also Signor Graasl, a guest. The door of the death chamber Is bolted from the In side. They fores It Cos Is seated, a revolver In his right hand and a bullet hole In his temple. He Is clothed In a dressing gown, but wears street shoes. Markham thinks It Is suicide. Vance says It Is murder. Medical Examiner Doremus declares Cos had been dead for hours when the bullet entered his head. A wound, mads by a dagger, Is found on the body, and there Is proof that Coe was fully dressed when he was stabbed. The Investigators find a wounded Scottish terrier In a room of the Coe bouse. Vance declares the animal will prove an Important con neettng link. Brisbane Coe, Archer's brother, Is believed to have left tor Chicago the previous afternoon, but hie dead body la discovered In a closet In the Coe home. Vance Interrogates the Chinese cook, Liang. Brisbane died from a stab In the back, as In Archer's ease. Vance, searching Brisbanes coat, finds waxed thread attached to a bent pin, and a darning needle. A lipstick, discovered In Archer Coe's wastebasket. Indicates that a woman called on him the night of the murder. CHAPTER VII Continued 10. But I dont see the connection." Markham was puzzled. Brisbane was the victim not the murderer. Suppose you elucidate If possible." I live In opes, Vance grinned. Let me question Miss Lake a bit further. I could bear a bit of amplification as to Brisbanes delvlngs Into criminological lore." He sobered and went toward the door. What do you say to using Archers bedroom as the scene of the Interrogation?" Markham gave a resigned sigh, and we went upstairs. Heath sent Gamble to ask Miss Lake to Join us there; and a few minutes Inter she came In, gwaggerlng but chilly and, I thought, suspicious. Vance pushed a chair forward for her. We wanted to ask you, Miss Lake," he began gravely, Just what you meant when you 8xke of your Uncle Brisbanes having dabbled In criminology I believe that was your phrase. What form did his Interest In criminology take?" Only rending. Criminal cases, court cases, court records, detective stories the usual thing. There are hundreds of volumes In his room." "Were you, too, Interested In your Uncle Brisbanes books?" Oh, yes. There's nothing else Interesting In the house." Then you, too, have dabbled In criminology? She shot Vance a quick look and gave a forced laugh. You might call It that" Ah I Then perhaps you can help s." Vances air became Jocular. We crave to know how this door could have been bolted on the Inside. Obviously Archer couldn't have done It with a bullet In his head." Or a dagger through his lungs," she supplemented, and became suddenly serious. But he might have done It before the bullet entered his head." 'But he was dead at that time. Vance, too, had become serious and was watching the woman closely. Have you never heard of cadaveric pasm, or rigor mortlB?" she asked Men, with revolvers contemptuously. In their hands at death, have been known to fire them hours after they were dead, as a result of muscular con- were approaching something particularly pertinent and, at the same time, sinister. Hid anyone else Vance's cool voice brought me back to reality ever hear these discussions?" No one but Uncle Archer." Hilda Lake had become frigid and Indifferent again. He alwuys ridiculed our speculations. "What of Liang?" Vance asked casually. The cook ? Oh, 1 suppose he heard our Idle chatter. I believe we talked over our dire plots at dinner occasionally." "And now the problem that troubled all of you has been solved." Vance pose and strolled meditatively toward the door. Very sad. . . ." He opened the door and held It ajar. Thank you. Miss Lake. I say, you wont mind remaining In your room till dinner time, will you? "If I did mind, It wouldnt do me any good, I suppose. She spoke with obvious resentment as she walked toward Vance. May I be permitted to get a book from Uncle Brisbanes room to while away my hours of detention? Her eyes were narrowed, and her Up curled In an ugly arc. Vances calm gaze did not alter. "Im dashed sorry, and all that sort of thing," be said politely, but Ill send you up any book youd like later. Ive a bit of browsing to do first." The woman turned on her heel and walked away without a word. Vance waited until he heard her door close with a bung; then he turned and came back Into the room. Not a sweet, Victorian clinging vine," he lamented; but a lady of parts, none the less. . . . Curious, her telling us of her discussions with Brisbane about the possibilities of bolting this door from the outside. There was something back of that, Markham. The young woman had Ideas. Now, why should she have tried to he so helpful? And that suggestion about rigor mortis and the revolver. . Amazin." If you want my cnndld opinion," Markham commented, she knows, or suspects, more than shes telling us; and shes trying to throw us off the track. Vance considered this for a time. "Yes Its possible, he agreed at length. On the other hand . . . Markham was patently puzzled. he asked. What's Any suggestion? our next move? Oh, that's indicated." Vauce sighed deeply, rainful as It may prove, I simply must run my eye over Brisbanes books." Markham also sighed deeply, and rose. We went Into Brisbane Coes room, which was at the front of the house on the west side. On the north wall beside the window was a series of s simple built-iextending to the celling. There were, I estimated, between three and four hundred volumes on them, all neatly and meticulously arranged. Vance went to the window and threw np the shades, and began running his eye systematically over the volumes. For so small a number of criminological volumes Brisbane Coes collection was unusually complete. In surveying the titles one got the Impres- - . n book-shelve- traction." Vance nodded, without changing his expression or shifting his gaze. Quite true. There was the famous case In Prague of the suicide who later shot the police Inspector. And there was a more recent case In Pennsylvania. . . . But I hardly think that condition applies here. Archer, d ye see, died of a stab In the back. And the position of his hand holding the revolver was not such as would indicate that he himself pulled the trigger." Perhaps youre right. I was surprised at her ready acceptance of Vances dismissal of her suggestion. Some one else must have bolted the door. She spoke with cynical lightness. Its quite a problem. Isnt It?" "Are you sure you cant help us? Vance gazed at her steadily. She became thoughtful; a curlons change came over her, and she looked at Vance with a questioning steady stare. Ive been thinking about that door for several hours," she said tensely; "and I cant find an answer to It. Uncle Brisbane and Mr. Wrede and I often talked about these tricky criminal devices. We worked out various ways and means of doing seemingly Impossible things; but bolting this door from the outside was something we could never figure out" Vance took his cigarette from his month with slow deliberation. You mean to tell me that you and Brisbane and Mr. Wrede actually discussed the possibilities of bolting this door from the outside?" Oh, yes." She appeared quite frank. Many times. But we decided It couldnt be successfully done." Vance hesitated, and a strange kind of chill ran over me. I felt as If we Then You, Too, Have 'Dabbled Criminology'?" In slon that, had he gone In for crime, he would have been highly practical rather than subtle. Vance glanced over the books rapidly but carefully. It should be here, y know," he murmured, as If to himself, "unless Its been taken away. . . . He got np and began to check the volume numbers of the various sets of books. When he came to a red d set of the "Aussenselter der Gesellschaft" he gave a nod and stepped down to the floor. "A volume missing, he announced. He scanned the upper book shelves carefully. "I wonder. . . ." Then he dropped on his knees and began going more thoroughly over the section of fiction. When he had come to the lowest shelf he reached forward and took out and-gol- a thin red-angold volume. He glanced at It and leaned forward again to Inspect the books on either side of the space from which he had extracted the , missing volume of the Aussenselter series. dej Gesellschaft Oh, I say!" he exclaimed. Thats deuced Interestin. Markham, Its significant that the missing volume of the Aussenselter der Gesellschaft should be found cheek by Jowl with a book dealing with a pin. Mnrkham took his cigar from his mouth, stood up, and faced Vance with a serious face. I see what you mean," he said. You think that Brisbane, by the help of these books on criminology, worked out some way of bolting Archer's door from the outside, by the nse of those pins and string." Vance gave an affirmative nod. Hither Rrisbane or some one else. It was quite a technical operation." He picked up the "Aussenselter der Gesellschaft" volume. I think Ill do a bit of pryln If you could bear to wait for me a short while." Markham made a gesture of acquiescence. The sergeant and I will wait downstairs Ive some telephoning to do." The three of us left Vance alone In Brisbane's room, and as I closed the door, I saw Vance stretch himself out on the davenport with the two books. An hour later he came to the head of the stairs and called down to us. We Joined him In Archer's bedroom. "I think I've found a solution to one phase of our problem," he announced seriously, when we were seated. But It may take a bit of working out. He opened the book. The tale, as I gather at a hasty reading, relates of a dead man found locked In a vault with a key to the door on the table before hlin. The vault door was locked from the outside, of course. . . Here's tlie expin natry passage: No other word he spoke, but took something from his pocket; It was a reel of stout cotton. Then from his waistcoat he produced a new pin, and with great care and solemnity tied the thread to the end of the pin. Tab watching him Intently. And all the time he was working, Bex Lander was humming a little tune, as though he were engaged In the most lnnoeent occupation. he Presently stuck the point of the pin In the center of the table, and pulled at it by the thread he had fastened. Apparently he was satisfied. He unwound a further length of cotton, and when he had sufficient he threaded the key upon It, carrying It well outside the door. The end he brought back Into the vault, and then pushed It out again from the Inside through one of the airholes. Then he closed the door carefully. He had left plenty of slack for his purpose and Tab heard the click of the lock as It was fastened, and his heart sank. He watched the door fascinated, and saw that Lander was pulling the slack of the cotton through the airhole. Presently the key came In sight under the door. Higher and higher came the sagging line of cotton and the key rose until It was at the tables level, slid, down the taut cotton, and came to rest on the table. Tighter drew the strain of the thread, and presently the pin came out, passed through the bole In the key, leaving It In the exact center of the table. Tub watched the bright pin as It was pulled across the floor and through the ventilator. . . . Thats the way the author worked his locked door." But," objected Markham. There was an open ventilator In the door, and space beneath the door. These conditions are not true here. "Yes of course," Vance returned. But dont overlook the fact that there was a string and a bent pin. At least they are common Integers In the two problems. . . . Now, lets see If we can combine those Integers with certain common Integers of another case. He . opened the other book. Vance explained, was a Konrad, truck driver In Berlin nearly fifty years ago. His wife and five children were found dead In their cellar room ; and the door a ponderous affair without even a keyhole or space around the molding was securely bolted on the Inside. The case was at once pronounced one of murder and suicide on the part of the mother; and Konrad would have been free to marry his Inamorata (whom he had In the offing) had It not been for an examining magistrate of the criminal court, named Hollmann, Hollmann, for no tangible reason, did not believe In the suicide theory, and set to work to figure out how Konrad could have bolted the door from without . . . Heres the revelatry passage If youll forgive my rather sketchy sight translation of the German: Hollmann determined, as a last resort, to give the entire door, both Inside and outside, a microscopic examination. It required hours of labor, but In the end he was rewarded. Just above the bolt he found on the inside, close to the edge of the door, a very small hole which was barely discernible. Opening the door he Inspected the outside surface directly opposite to the hole on the Inside. But there was no corresponding hole visible. Hollmann did find on the outside of the door, however, a small spot on which the paint seemed fresher than that on the rest of the - Wright WNU Bervlc Jr door. He borrowed a hatpin from one of the tenants In the building and heating it, ran It through the hole on the Inside. With but little pressure the heated hatpin penetrated the door, coming out on the outside exactly In the center of the newly painted spot Moreover, when Hollmann withdrew the hatpin a piece of tough horsehair adhered to' the pin; and on the pin was also discernible a slight film of wax. It was obvious then bow Konrad had bolted the door from without He had first bored a tiny hole through the door above the bolt looped a piece of horsehair over the bolts knob, and slipped the two ends through the hole. He had then pulled the upward until the horsehair loop was disengaged, withdrawing the horsehair through the hole. A piece of the horsehair had, however, caught In the hole and remained there. Konrad had then filled up the hole with wax and painted It on the outside, thereby eliminating practically every trace of his criminal device. He was later convicted of the murder of his family, sentenced to death, and hanged. . . ." Heath, as Vance finished reading, leaped to his feet. "Thats a new one on me." He went swiftly to the door and bent over. Vance smiled. Theres no hole in the door above the bolt, Sergeant," he said. No need, dont y know. Theres a keyhole." Heath squared off and looked at the door. Still and all, the keyholes only halfway over the bolt, and eight Inches below It No string fastened to the bolt and run through that keyhole would lock the room from the outside." Vance nodded. True, Sergeant," . But that's where the modification of the trick comes In. The person who planned bolting this door carried the Idea to a few more decimal points. Dont forget we have two pieces of string and two pins." Well, I dont get It." Heath still stood scowling at the door. The cases In those two books are easy enougb to understand but neither of em will work here." Maybe the two together will work" suggested Vance. Look at the wall Just to the right of the Jamb and opposite to the bolt Do you see anything?" I dont see much," he grumbled. "Right In the crack of the Jamb and wall theres what might be a pinhole. Thats It Sergeant!" Vance rose and went to the door; and Markham and I followed him. I think Ill try the experiment I have In mind." We all watched him with fascinated Interest. First he reached In his pocket and drew forth the two pieces of string and bent pins and the darning needle he had found in the pocket of Brisbane Coes overcoat By means of his pocket knife he straightened one of the pins and Inserted It In the hole Heath had found In the wall at the edge of the jamb, giving It several taps with the handle of his knife to drive It In rather securely. He then threaded the other end of the string In the darning needle and passed It through the keyhole into the hall, removing the needle and letting the string fall to 'the hall floor. After this operation he bent the other pin securely round the. upright knob of the bolt,' passpd the string over the pin fie had driven into the wall, and, threading this second string Into the darnjng needle, passed It also through the keyhole to the hall He then opened the door about 18 Inches, drawing the two strings partly back through the keyhole In a loop to permit the door to swing Inward without disturbing bis mechanism. ' Let us see If the device works," he said, with an undercurrent of suppressed excitement. You stay In .the-roowhile I go outside and manipulate the strings." He bent down and passed under .the two strings Into the halls Then he closed the door gently,' while w-- remained Inside, our eyes riveted to the two strings and the two pins. ' Presently . we saw the string which was attached to the bolt knob go taut, as Vance drew Jt slowly' through the keyhole. Passing over the pin. In the wall, which acted as' a pulley, the string described a sharp angle, with the pin In the wall as the apex. Slowly Vance drew the string from outside and the bolt, getting a straight pull around the pin, began to move into Its socket on the Jamb. The door was bolted The next thing we saw was the tightening of the other 6trlng the one attached to the head of the pin In the wall There came several jerks on the string the pin In the wall resisted several times and bent toward the source of the pulL Finally, It was disengaged from the wall;, and It .was then drawn upward from Its depending position, disappearing through the keyhole. The other string, still hooked about the bolt knob, was then drawn taut through the keyhole, describing a. straight line from the bolt knob to the keyhole which was almost directly below It. Another slight pull by Vance on the string, and the knob fell downward Into Its groove Another pull, and the bent pin was disengaged from ... bolt-kno- ' W. H. Copyright by e SYNOPSIS Sally Sez b -- the knob and pulled through the key- hole Into the hall. Markham, Heath, and I had been bolted In the room from the hall as neatly as If we ourselves had shot the bolt and locked It And there was no evidence of any kind save the indiscernible hole In the crack of the wall to show that It bad not actually been bolted from the Inside The sergeant, after a moments stupefaction, threw back the bolt and opened the door. It worked?" asked Vance, coming into the room. "It worked," mumbled Heath laconically, lighting the cigar he had been chewing on viciously for the past half pln-pol- 1 hour. It Mr fsalt when satsM basinoa Maps ths floor with Local Industry. LETS PATRONIZE HOME INDUSTRY. HEWllET.TjlS' CHAPTER VIII . The Dagger Strikes. Markham sat for several minutes In a brown study. As you say, Vance," he remarked without looking up, the technique of the bolting of the door from the hall explains one phase of the problem, but Soviet Lists 20,000 Native Plant The flora of the Soviet union have been classified in a edition. More than 20,000 species of plants are described. id UTAH HIGH SCHOOL OF BEAUTY CULTURE Why not (et your training at the tare-c- at and best equipped ochool In tho Wat Where you eon Worn u profession that will make you independent for tho rat of your life? Write for details. UTAH HIGH SCHOOL OP . BEAUTY CULTURE 121 So. Main Salt Lake Citiy. Utah . Largest Elk Antlers The largest pair Of elk antler recorded by the government wa purchased in Colorado Springs in 1897 for the emperor of Germany. Their length of beam was 67& inches, and there were 12 points. GRAINS OF GOLD- - THE WHOLE WHEAT CEREAL Makes Cream Taste Better Western For Western Trade Made Ask Your Grocer THIS WEEKS PRIZE STORY Drew the From Outside. Vance Slowly I cant toward String see that were any further along a solution of the double mur- der. Brisbane, after all, was a victim. YVhy should he have been Interested In bolting Archer In this room? Really, I couldn't say." Vance appeared as puzzled as Markham. It might not have been Brisbane at all. The fact that the pins and the string were In his overcoat pocket means little. . . . and yet . . . If you want my opinion," put In Heath, "It was that Chink. Chinamen are full of tricks. Look at the puzzles those yellow babies think up." At this moment one of the detectives that had been sent out to check Miss Lakes and Grassis alibis returned to report. His report verified Grassl's alibi, but left a three-hou- r period unaccounted for. Heath made a grimace at Markham. What I wanta know Is where he was between eight and eleven." He was shuttling to and fro over our complicated transportation system according to his tale, smiled Vance. Then he turned to the detective. I say, did Doctor Montrose give you any titbits of gossip regarding Grassls The phrase, Buy local product and help your neighbors" is true enouth, but Buy Intermountain Made Good and help yourself is equally true. If you went to insure your own livsll hood, provide future jobs for your children, and, incidentally, eave money on your pur. chases, buy Intermountain Made Goods. HOMER NELSON, Boise. Idah At 400 Utah Oil Refining Service Stations in Utah and Idaho There are salt lakes in Tibet which are remnants of shrinkage of huge fresh-watglacial lake er formed in past ages. JSfARROVf BRAND PICKLES Green lights mean stop along air course and red is an invitation to go elsewhere. WILSON HOTEL 28-4- EAST 2nd SOUTH ST. 0 call?" Salt Lake City Nothing, sir. Except that the Italian was called np on the phone during dinner." When the detective had gone Vance went to the telephone and called Doctor Montrose at his home. After a few minutes conversation he hung up the receiver and paced up and down. That phone call to Grassi," he murmured, very strange. Doctor Montrose says It upset Grassi terribly. Hardly finished his dinner, and seemed In a hurry to get away. The phone was In the hall just outside the dining room door and Montrose couldn't help hearing some of Grassls end of the conversation. Montrose says he protested bitterly against the message It an outrage, and he recelved-can- ed Intimated strongly that he would take steps. . . Steps now what could that mean? And who could have called him and upset hifn? Who knew he was going to Montroses for dinner? , . . or Archer. . . .Perhaps Brisbane . ... TO BE CONTINUED. Deserts Are in Two Zone Deserts, In the popular sense of the word, occur mainly In two zones encircling the world, and corresponding to regions of minimum rainfall. The more extensive extends from near the equator. In an direction across the whole breadth of North Africa, containing the Great Sahara, Libyan and Nubian Deserts; over the peninsula of Arabia, through Persia, Turkestan, the Gobi or Shamo desert, In about 52 degrees north lat itude, to the Pacific ocean. The ring Is completed by the Great Basin of North America, In 40 degrees north latitude. The southern zone, less complete, comprises the Kalahari desert. In southwest Africa; the Interior of Australia, and small districts In the Argentine Republic and In the Andes. ly , The Center of Convenience Shopping and Theater District Reasonable Rates W ' solicit your patronage. Cafe in connection OTTO R. HAAS, Mgr. Europe is a little smaller in area than the United States and Alaska, but it ha more than four time a3 many people. per week will be paid for article the best on Why you should us Similar Intermountain mado Goods" to above. Bond your otory in prooo or Col rerso to Intermountain Product umn. P. O. Box 1SSS Balt Lake City. If your otory oppeoro this column you will receive cheek for $3 3 Week No. 2441 W.N.U. Salt Lako City Island Sank Into Sea The island of Tuanaki, in the Cook islands, sank into the sea in 1836, drowning over 13,000 inhabi- tants. Battle for Light Babies Babies under five and one-ha- lf pounds weight at birth ordinarily have trouble surviving, says one physician. from Casein, a product mr milk, is used to make buftts, belt buckles, combs, hairbrushe, mirrors and other articles. |