The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-09-16

the firm Of Benson and Benson
COLONEL BlGSBY OSTRANDER
........... A retired army office
WILLIAM H. MORIARTY
................. An aldermu,
GEORGE G. STITT
............ OF the firm Of Stitt
and Mccoy. Public Accountant.
MAURICE DiNWIDDiE ..........
Assistant District Attorne.
ERNEST HEATH ....... Ser
gcant of the Homicide Burca,
BURKE, SNITkIN, EMERY
Detectives Of Homicide Burca,
BEN HANLON ....... Command
ing Officer of Detectives as
signed to District Attorneys offic,
PHELPS. TRACY. SPRINGER,
HlGGINBOTHAM
Detectives as
signed to District Attorneys offic,
CAPTAIN CARL HAGEDORN -.
................ Firearms cxpcr
DIR. DOREMUS
Medical examiner
FRANK SWACKER ........... Sec
rotary to the District Attornc!
lUKKlE ............. Nancc's vale
S. $. VAN DINE .... The Narrator
THIS HAS HAPPENED
When Alvin Benson is murdered
Markham. remembering that hi,
friend Vance is kccnly interested il
criminOlOgy. drops in on the latte
on his way to BcnsOn's house. To-
gcther they 20 to the scene Of tn,
crime. Benson has been shot Will,
reading in a chair.
NOW BEGIN THE STORY
CHAPTER Ill
Friday, June IA; $3.50 a. m.
p The district attorney and HEATH
walked up to the body, and stood
regarding it.
You see" Heath explained, I'll,
was shot directly from the front
A pretty powerful shot, too; for tho
bullet passed through the head anC
struck the woodwork over there bA
the window He pointed to plac,
on the wainscot a short distance
from the floor near the drapcry OF
the window nearest the hallway
ave found the expelled shell, and
Captain Hagedorn's got the bullet.
he turned to the firearms OK
pert.
"How about it, Captain? Any
thing spccial?"
Hagedorn raised his head slowly
and gave Heath IA myopic frown
Then after few awkward movements
he answered with unhurried prcci.
sion:
"A As army buMct-Colt auto
matte"
ANY idea how close to Benson the
gun was hcld?' asked Markham.
Eyes, sir. | have" Hapcdorn re-
piled, in his "ondcrous monotone
Between five and six fcet--prob
ably"
Heath snorted.
Probably" he repeated to Mark
ham with good naturcd contempt
"You can bank on it if the captain
says so. You see. sir, nothing
smaller than IA or as will stop
man, and these stccl-cappcd arm!
bullets 70 through 4 human skull
like it was cheese But in order tt
carry straight to the woodwork thu
gun had to be held pretty close; ant
as there aren't any powder marks or
the face, it's Il safe bet to take thu
captains figures as to distance"
At this point we heard the front
door open and close. and DR.. Dore'
mus, the chief medical examiner
accompanied by his assistant, hustled
in. He shook hands with Markham
and Inspector O'Bricn, and gave
Heath friendly salutation.
SORRY ! couldn't get her, sooner
he apologized.
He was a nervous man with q
heavily scanned face ana. the man
ncr Of rcal-cstatc salesman.
"What have we got herc?' he
asked, in the same breath. making
a wry face at the body in thc chair
you tell US, Doc retortcd Heath
DR.. Dorcmus approached the MUIR
dcrcd man with a Gallons iniiffer-
cncc indicative Of Il long process OF
hardening. He first inspected tho
face closcly--he was, imagine, look
ing for powder marks. Then he
glanced at the bullet hole in the fore
head and at the ragged wound in the
back Of the head. Next he moved
the dead mans arm, bent the fingers,
and pushed the head Il little to the
side. Having satisfied himself as
to the state Of rigor morris, he
turned to Heath.
"Can we get him on the settcc
therc?"
Heath looked at Markham inquir-
ingly,
"All through. sir?'
Markham nodded, and Heath beck
Oned to the two men at the front
windows and ordered the body placed
on the davenport. 1t retained its
sitting posture, due to the harden
ing of the muscles after death, until
the doctor and his assistant straight
pned out the limbs. The body was
then undressed, and DR.. Doremus
examined it carefully for other
wounds. He paid particularly atten-
lion to the arms; and he opened both
hands wide and scrutinizcd the palms.
At length he Strengthened up and
wiped his hands on large colored
silk handkerchief
"Shot through the left frontal"
he announced. "Dircct angle Of fire.
Bullet passed completely through the
skull. Exit wound in the left occi-
pital region--basc of skullAyou
found the bullet, didn't you? He was
awake when shot. and death was i'm
mediate-probably never knew what
hit him. !. He's been dead about
we'll. l should judge, eight hours;
maybe longer"
"How about twelve-thirty for the
exact timer" asked Heath
The doctor looked at his watch.
"Fits @. X. 49,. Anything else ~
No one answered. and after. slight
pause the chief inspector spoke.
WED like a post-mortem report
Today, DOCTOR"
"That'll be all right" DR.. Dore-
mus answered, swapping shut his
medical case and handing it to his
assistant. "But ret the body to the
mortuary as soon as you can"
After a brief hand shaking cerc-
N ony, he went out hurriedly.
Heath turned to the detective who
had been standing by the table when
we eptered.
"ButalA. you phone headquarters
To call for the budy-and tell EN-