The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-06
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BENSON MURDER CASE
By S. S. VAN DINE oAns sozans -

hand, the guilty man could havnlY
been almost ny height over fiv,t...
fe.., ten; for certainly q man M;
crouch as much as he likes anc stiiu.
take deliberate aim
True" agreed Vance. "But don ~
overlook the fact that the mum
derers position. in this instance, 4
was a perfect natural on, Other,,
wise, Bensons attention would havfl.
been attracted, and he would no
have been taken unawarcs. D.,
THAT he was shot unavares wa !,
indicated by his attitude. O .
course, The assassin might hav
stopped littl. without causini---,
Benson to look up. Let US say
therefore, that the guilty. person.
height is som where bet.~een fiv
feet, ten. and SIX feet two. Doe:
that appeal to yoA. Fl
Markham was sil mt. :;
THE delightful Miss st. Clair, y,
know" remarked Vance, with !;
.iapish smile, cant possibly b}
over five feet, five or six" 81
Markham grunted. md continued,
to smoke abstractedly.
This Captain Leacock, take
it," said Vance, "is over six feet
eh, WHAT"
Markham's eyes narrowed.
what makes you think so?"
''You just told me, don't " know
Il told your
mot in SO many Words" Vance
pointed out. But after haC.
shown you the approximate height
OF the murderer, and it didn't CORE!
spond at all to that of the young
lady you suspected, l knew your &C:
tive mind was busy looking around
for another possibility. And, as the
lady's inamorato was the only other
possibility on your horizon, / con-
cluded that you were permitting
your thoughts to play about the
G ntain.
Had he, therefore, been the
stipulated height, you would have
said nothing; but when you argued
that the murd,re, might havel.
stopped to fire the shot, / decided
that the captain was inord'natelyr'
tall. Thus, IN the pregnanthl
silence that emanated from you, oldcl
dear, your spirit held sweet com-.s
munion with mine, and told me that's
the gentleman was six-footer, noia
less"
Il see that you include mind,
reading among your gifts" saidi,
Markham. II now await an exhibi-It
ton of slatc-writing." 2,
His tone was irritable but his,o
irritation was that of man rev
Ii,,.t N r,-,v% .,lt
his beliefs. He felt himself yield
ing to Vance's guiding rein, but he
still held stubbornly to the course -
of his own previous convictions. s
Surely you don't question myo,
demonstration Of the guilty per-
sons height?' asked Vance mel,
lifluously. y,
mot altogether" Markham re- !
piled. 1T seems colorado enough. !
). But why. wonder. didn't lIage-
dorm work the thing out, if i. was
SO simplc?'
'Anaxagoras said that those who
have occasion for lamp, supply
it with oil. A profound remark,
Mafkhanl-one Of those seemingly G
simple qulps that contain a great ;
truth. A lamp without oil, y know,
is useless. The police always have
plenty Of lamps-every variety, in
fact-but no oil, as it We're That :
why hey never find anyone unless :
it's broad daylight"
Markham's mind was now busy
in another direction, and he rose
and began to pace the eloor.
Until now | hadn't thought of
Captain Leacock as the actual agent
of the crime.
why hadn't you thought of him?
Was It because one Of your sleuths
told you he was at home like
good boy that night ?"
Il suppose So" Markham con-
tinued pacing thoughtful'y. Then
suddenly he swung about.
That wasn't it, either. It was \
the amount Of d.mning circumstan-
tlal evidence against the st. Clair
woman. -. And, Vance, desnitc
Your demonstration here today, YOU 3
haven't explained away any of the
evidence against her.-Where was
she between twelve and one? Why
dld she go with Benson to dinner?
How did her handbag get here?
And what about those burned
cigaret butts, and I can't admit
that your demonstration wholly
eonvinces me--despite n fact that
1t is convincii.g-as long as I've
got the evidence of those cigarets
to contend with, for the evidence
is also convincin -
My word." sighed Vance. you're
in a positively ghastly predic'ment.
However, maybe | can cast illumina-
tor on those disquietill cigaret \
butts"
Ito be Continued)