New Britain herald., 1926-01-28

napIencu'
 Jimmy found his father.
 He was lying, face up, in the center of the floor. Jimmy took one swift look at the still familiar face and, with q sob in his threat, kneeled beside him, "Dad," he cried. Dad" A hand touched his shoulder Are you James Randi" asked the police sergeant
 "Yes, sir. Tn the name of God can you tell me what has hap pened? ?"
 'It looks like suicide, Mir. Rand. ,, Somebody was passing in the hall way and smelled gas coming from beneath the door. He tried the door and found it locked. The clerk un- locked it and found your father dead and the room stinking with gas
 When was that"
 About flve-thirty. The clerk call ed police and we came right up. l found business cards in his pocket" indicating Henry Rand's body, "with the name Henry Rand on them. One of my men got your house on the phone right away and talked with you"
 But it couldn't have been sui eide" Jimmy protested If you had known my father you would have known there couldn't have been one possible motive for him tc son for suicide
 And for murder, too for that matter" supplied the sergeant grimly.
 Jimmy looked again al the still form of Henry Rand. I'll never believe my father killed himself" Tears were in his eyes.
 The police sergeant was sympa- thotic. II hope your right Mr. Rand. It might be hard to find q reason for it, but those things hap pen. It might be hard to find g req son for your father being in this hotel, for that matter"
 Jimmy looked around the room. Against one wall was bed with q white enamcled frame. The enamel was peeled off here and there in large chunks, ryealing the black ! iron beneath.
 The stark Chcanness of the room with its faded and worn carpet and it's two dingy, white painted chairs with their sagging cane bottoms, caused an involuntary shuddcr to run through him. Near the win dow. which had been opened to drive with bowl and pitcher, Beside tn, bed was dresser" with q dirty cold slab of marble fer a top anG a cracked mirror.
 "The gas" supplied the sergeant twas coming from that jet right hj the dresser It was turned on al tho way.
 Your fathers hat was found or that chair. just where you See | now" he continued.
 JIHlulN plthtu hp tH' nat ih fathers neat black derby Inside the initials I'll. R." were pcrforatc, in the leather band. He set it dow again, tenderly, almost r"vercntly.
 You searched him for letters anything that might possibly explain his presence here?" he asked tn sergeant.
 We didn't find q thing. Here h was, with his oyercoat on and hi hat on that chair and the gas turne on. Nothing in his pockets but key and his wallet with his money an
 cards in it."
 "Why should he keep his overcoa on?" Jimmy was fighting. soi2in
 at every possible flaw in the ser
 geant's theory of suicide. Don't know" Another policeman broke il
 Looks as if he wanted to get over with and came right in an locked the door and turned on th gas. Looks
 Wait a minute" the sergeant ir r terrupted. Where's the key? Tn , clerk said he unlocked the door frol , the outside. There weren't any loos
 keys on him-only those on q rim
 Go down and bring him up, Polk"
 A policeman turned to do his bic
 ding. Of course" the sergeant wer ? on to Jimmy. "he may have throw inc key outdoors and then closed in | window. We might look out in tn | street"
 l He was trying the keys on Henr | Rand's key ring in the lock in th I door. None of them fitted | The night clerk arrived. Tho SCI 1 geant spoke tc him brusquely. "Se
 anything of a key in this room?" - No, sir. I called you up as 500