South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-13

- IA MYSTERY STON oFNEWl YORK
" yWILLIRWIN


CONTINUED From Yesterday
you can See" he said. that it was
an inside lob. Beginning on the roof,
there's no way 10 enter except by the
hatch which goes down into the lum-
ber-roOm. On account Of the fire reg
ulations, the hatch couldn't be locked,
but IL was closed inside by a bolt
That hadn't been monkeyed with. In
fact, the dirt around the edges showed
that the hatch hadn't been opened for
a long eime"
And the fire-escape?" asked Rosa
lie. pursuing her brows with concen-
tration.
Runs from the lumber-room
straight down. Passes at the third
floor the window of Captain Hanskas
room. The corresponding room on
the second floor is vacant. That fire
escape violated the fire ordinances
some one Should have been pinched.
In the first place, you couldn't posi-
bly, reach IL from the roof. on &C
count of the OVerhang of the caves.
Then il stopped short at the second
floor-and there was no ladder be-
low. Fine little way to break bones in
case of fire. To reach it from the
ground. a man would have had to
jump sixteen feet in the air. A pro-
fesslonal acrobat couldn't have done
it-unless they teach 'em in the circus
TO shiny up a smooth brick wall. No
one entered by the basement, either
Windows and doors all bolted inside
and showed no signs Of being tam
pered with. You see, IL was this
Wade fellow or an inside job. And
while we're talking about locks
here Martin MCGEE opened Captain
HansKa's door and stood with foot
on either side of the threshOld-'thiS
IS a little piece of evidence I've fig
ured out myself. Notice, he had a
spring-lOCk. Mrs. Moore says he put
II on himself That indicates he was
afraid of sOmebOdy-Wade, probably.
Him being so particular on that point
il was only natural he should keep il
locked when he was asleep. Now,
look here"
This was an inside" spring-lock Of
the ordinary pattern. 1t could be
controlled from without only by the
key. Within, however, was a knob
and a button by which one could turn
back the catch and render it temper
arily useless as a lock. We'll, now"
said MCGEE. the catch was back when
they found the body, and the door
wasn't locked at all. If he'd been
alive after Wade left him, he wouldn't
have gone TO sleep without seeing
that his door was locked. Ny idea is.
he turned the knob and shut the catch
back when he let Wade in-the way
q person does with a spring-lock. Any
how" concluded MCGEE, its a sus-
piciOus fact"
Very" said Resale; and MCGEE
dill not catch the flatness in her tone.
But any one who got on to that fire
escape, one way or another, could
have entered Hanska's room by the
window. couldn't he?"
YES" said Inspector MCGEE. 'if
Hanska's window was open. But the
windows were closed when they found
the body. Most of the witnesses say
that. They remember because when
this Mrs. Moore tainted those girls
opened both windows 10 give her air.
They say they had 20 open the
catches to get the sashes up"
Stuffy muggy night, an both win
dows closed-an' him an American"
We'll, there's nothing particularly
strange about that is there?" said
Inspector MCGEE
Not TO You" replied Rosalie lie
Grange, dimpling on him. Il guess
well. / guess before we do anything
else We'll SO over everything in that
room"
They entered.
Except that the blood had been
scrubbed away, except that the floor
bore the marks of muddy foot-heels.
souvenirs OF the police and the coro-
ner's jury, the room stood as Captain
Hanska left il for his long journey.
Dust which was smut IN the corners
and an impalpable film on the furni-
ture, lay over everything. The neat
and fastidious Resale made gestures
OF displeasure with her fingers and
drew away her skirts on the table
lay outspread the photographs, the
souvenirs Of five oceans. the extra
knife which Lawrence Wade admitted
that ne delivered 10 Captain Hanska.
The bed was as Resale had seen il
on the night OF the tragedy-the
sheets and quilts turned back as
though one had risen quietly and nat
urally. IL was 20 the bed that Resale
turned her first attention. il stood
against the wall It's head escaped the
swing OF the door by a few inches. its
foot was near that south window
which opened on the fire escape.
Resale went over It minutely. observ-
ing everything. At the foot OF the
white Counterpart. her eyes stopped
stopped and rested.
It's spotted" she said almost IN
der her breath.
Inspector MCGEE looked also.
Nothing special" he replied This
Mrs. Moore wasn't a good house
keeper"
Rest OF it's clean enough. barrin'
the dust" said Resale lie Grange.
''and those spots Is water. not dirt
water on starched stuff always looks
thar way-Just crinkly-like IL need
ed ironing"
Martin MCGEE considered.
That's easy, said he. They