Evening star., 1923-09-23
AMBULANCE PHYSICIAN CORVALLIS COLLAR

ing with both hands. 1t couldn't have
been timed prettier."
Pelham's brow came closer to-
| gether Unless this accident, which
prevented the closing of the amalga-
nation. had occurred. the stock would
have gone way up, wouldn't lit"
Bound to- assented Tony Devine.
mo sane trader. then, would have
tried to bear the market on FEEDER
ated Motors?" asked Pelham.
mo sane one" answered the elder
Devine. emphatically.
And 1t didn't look like a spon-
taneous movement, this selling? 1t
looked like an organized plan, eh?"
The two lawyers exchanged glances.
What are you driving at?" demanded
the older man.
Pelham ignored the question. "Since
| they were so close to bankruptcy and
suspension last winter, have Simmons
& Leidy numbered any big operators
among their clientele?'
The Devines shook their heads. Tony
answered: They've barely kept above
water"
"It wouldn't be possible to find out
whom they were acting for?" inquired
! Pelham.
We've tried" said the elder Devine,
but there are no leaks in that Office"
Suppose I try? suggested Pelham.
What are you driving at?" asked the
senior lawyer again.
81 made a suggestion; do you wish
| to retain me?' fenced Pelham.
YOU'RE retained" said the former
senator.
about the bear arid on Federated
Motors. the mere he became convinced
that design, not coincidence. had timed
the beginning Of the selling operation.
| II Pelham could find out who had
learned of the accident at about the
moment of it's occurrence. he would be
| near to knowing who was behind the
bear raid.
OF course. some stock speculator,
| passing in his own motor, could have
seen the collision between Corvallis
| limousine and the other cars. But. even
had he recognized the old man and seen
that he was unconscious. he would hard
1 ly have assumed that his accident was
serious. No sensible man would have
risked hundreds of thousands on such
chance. And yet, according to fur
ther information given him by the De-
vines, thousands Of shares of Federated
| Motors had been offered for sale the
minute the exchange opened. good two
hours before news Of the accident had
become public.
! The accident had occurred at $3.50.
The old man must have been In DR..
Leclere's hospital by s:45. Between that
time and 10 o'clock. information as to
the financier's condition must have
reached the client OF Simmons Leidy.
Who had given that information7
l BY Tuesday morning he had definitely
learned that only one telephone call had
J been recorded in the central office as
having been made from the hospital be-
tween the hours of :30 and l0:45.
That call had been put in at Ave min
utes of 10 and was to Mrs. Cornwallis.
! And the CORVALLIS telephone had not
been used, for an outgoing call. until
after IL o'clock.
Clearly. then, the information as to
the injury to the anancier had come
from neither the hospitakpor his home.
| Senator Devine, by Tuesday, was
close to nervous prostration. For the
attacks OH Federated Motors seemed to
have gathered new vigor over the week
end. The stock slumped badly on Mon
day and sank even lower on Tuesday.
At first almost 1esting in his retaining
of Pelham's services. the lawyer. catch
ing at q straw. was frantic In HIS ap-
peals TO the detective to do something. .
Pelham went to the peiies staston to
which cornwallis chauffeur ana the