Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-24


years before went on the force, and
I know more about auger holes than
you do. say you can't be sure which
side of the wall this hole was bored
from. You talk about spirals, but
there's no sense in that. They're the
same either way. Well see on the
other side"
They went around into No. 6. The
old man, drew back the sofa hangings
and exposed two notes.-the same
holes. '.You see,' he went on, "the
edges are clean, without a sign of
chipping. There is no more reason to
say that these holes were bored this
side than from that"
NJ. Paul, going to the sofa, knelt
down by it and. using his magnifying
glass, proceeded to go over it's surface
with infinite care.
''T1rn up all the lights" he said.
"Ah!" he cried presently. "You think
there is no reason to say the holes
were bored from this side. I'll give
you a reason. Take this piece of
white paper and make me prints of
his boot heels" He pointed to the
body. "Take the whole heel carefully.
then the other one; get the nail marks.
everything. That's right. Now cut
out the prints. Good! Now, look here.
Kneel down. Take the glass. There
on the yellow satin by the tail of that
silver bird. Do you see? Now COM
pare the heel prints"
Papa Tignol knelt down as directed
and examined the sofa seat.
!, "Sapristi! You're magicianw he
cried in great excitement.
NO replied Coquenil. Its perfect
ly simple. These holes in the wall
are five feet above the floor. And
I'm enough of carpenter. Papa Tig-
mol" he smiled. ito know that a man
cannot work an auger at that height
without standing on something. And
here was the very thing for him to
stand on. q sofa just in place. So, If
Martinez bored these holes, he stood
ON this sofa to do it. and in that
case the marks Of his heels must hsve
remained on the delicate satin. And
here they are"
Eyes. here they are. nails and all"
ouaitttGu bhSiSs AZ sSAA
old fool, but-but'-
"Well?"
Tell me why Martinez did it,
Co1uenil's face darkened. "Ah,
that's the question. Well know that
when we talk 10 the woman. Some
body helped him or the chips would
still be there: somebody held back
those hangings while he worked the
anger, and somebody carried the auger
away"
Tignol pondered "Hah: I see! The
man in No. Z. the murderer. lifted that
picture from its nail before shooting
and then put it back on the nail after
shooting?"
Eyes. yes" agreed NJ. Paul.
'sThen this murderer must have
known that the billiard player was
going to bore these holes" went on
! Papa Tignol half to himself. .'He
must have been waiting in No. Z; he
must have stood there with his pistol
ready while the holes were coming
through; he must have let Martinez
finish one hole and then bore the other;
he must have kept No. dark so they
couldn't see him.
"a good point, that" approved Co
quenil, paying attention. "He certain
ly kept No. dark"
"And he probably looked into No. 9
through the first hole while Marines
was boring the second. suppose you
can tell which Of the two holes was
bored flrst7" chuckled Tignol.
NJ. Paul started, and II see-that's
It! he bored this hole first; it's the.
room, the left hand one when you're
in No. Z. As you say, the murderer
looked through the first hole while he
waited for the second to be bored; so,
naturally, he fired through the hole
where his eye was. That was his first
great mistake
"What difference does 1t make which
hole the man fred through"
"Just this-by firing through the
left hand hole he has given us pre-
cious evidence against him. Come
back into the other room and I'll show
you" And when they had returned
to No. Z he continued: Take the
pistol. Pretend you are the murderer.
You've been waiting your moment
while the auger grinds through from
the other side. The first hole Is finish
ed. You see the point of the auger as
it comes through the second. You grip
your pistol and look through the left
nand hOie; you SEQ the ;;T'cs:..s!..s holding
back. the curtains; you see Martinez
draw out the auger from the right
hand hole and lay it down. Now he
leans forward, pressing his face to the
completed eye holes; you see the
whites Of his eyes not three inches
away. Quick! Pistol up! Ready to
fire; No, no; through the left hand
hole where he fired"
"Sacre matinr' muttered Tignol, cts
awkward aiming through this left
hand hole, because it's too near the
sideboard. I can't get my eye there
to sight along the pistol barrel"
"You mean your right eyer
"Of course"
Gould you get your left eye therer
eyes, but If I aimed with my left
eye I'd have to fire with my left hand,
and couldn't hit COW that way"
Coquenil looked at Tisnol steadily.
eeYo6 could Il you were a left handed
man.
~You mean TO say Tho other