The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1927-10-06
THIS HAS HAPPENED
NOW BEGIN THE STORY
CHAPTER Xxx

The subject is not exactly an en-
thralling one" said Markham
YEARLY; 80. for he sake Of argu-
mcnt, let us admit that you have
now found the precise point Of the
guns explosion. Where do we go
from there"
"While | hold the string on a
straight line" directed Vance, ''be
good enough to measure the exact
distance from tic floor to the knot.
Then my secret will be known"
This game doesn't enthrall me,
either" Markham protested. I'D
much prefer London Bridge"
Nevertheless he made the meas
urement.
-Four feet, eight and half
inches he announced indifferently.
Vance laid Il cigarette IN the rug
at a point directly beneath the knot.
I'VE now know the exact height
at which the pistol was held when
it was fired. . /. You grasp the
process by which this conclusion
was reached, Pm sure
1T seems rather obvious" an
swered Markham.
Varce again went to the door and
called Snitkin.
The district attorney desires the
loan Of your gun for moment, :
he said. "Hc wishes to make a
test
Snitkin stepped up to Markham
and held out his pistol wonderingly.
"The safcty's on, sir: shall l
shift it,"
Markham was about to refuse the
weapon when Vance interposcd
That's quite all right. Mr..
Markham doesn't intend II fire it.
| hope
When the man had gone Vance
seated himself in the wicker chair,
and placed his head i'll juxtaposi-
ton with Tho bullet-holc.
Nov, Markham" he requested,
will you pleas stand on the spot
where the murderer stood, holding
the gun directly above that cigar
cite on the floor, and aim de-
hb'rately at my left temple. !.
Take care" he cautioned, with an
engaging smile, mot to pull the
trigger. or you will never learn who
killed Benson
Reluctantly Markham complied.
AS he stood taking aim, Vance
asked me to measure the height OF
the guns muzzle from the floor.
The distanc, was four feet and
nine inches.
Quite So" he said, rising. "Y'
see, Markham, you are five feet,
eleven inches tall; .erefore the
person who shot Benson was very
nearly your own heiglt-certainly
not under five feet, ten. !. That,
too, is rather obvious, WHAT"
His demonstration h; | been SIM
pie and clear. Markham was frank
ly impressed; his manner had be-
come serious. He regarded Vance
for moment with meditative
frown; then he said:
That's all very we'll; but the
person who fired the shot might
have held the pistol relatively high
er than / did"
mot tenable," returned Vance.
'I've done too much shooting N.Y.
self not to know that when an ex-
pert lakes q ib'rate aim with a
pistol at small target, he does it
with stiff arm and with slight
ly raised shoulder, so as to bring
the sight on a straight line between
his eye and the object 1T which he
aims. The height At which one
holds a revolver, under such condi-
tions, pretty accurately determines
his own height"
"Your argument is based on the
assumption that the person who
killed Benson was an expert TAX
ing deliberate aim at small tar
get ?"
mot an assumption, but fact"
declared Vanc:. "Consider: had the
person not been an expert shot, he
would not-at distance of five or
six feet-have selected the fore
head, but a larger target-namely,
the breast. And having selected
the forehead. he most certainly took
celebrate aim, what?
Furthermore, lad he not been
an expert shot, and .lal ne pointed
the gun at the breast without TAX
ing celebrate aim, he would, in all
one shot"
Markham pondered.
I'll grant that OH the face Of it,
your theory sounds plausible" he
conceded at length. ION the Other