The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-13
a. 90 uWE 90 es Ss::
'XANAKY" mU[KDEK CASE
by :. SWAN Dine AUTHOR 9e THE BENSON MURDER CASE
" .of THE BENSON MURDER CASE

miss all the fine distinctions in
psychology. This man was an
noyed by a certain person. aud set
to work. masterfully and reasona-
bly,. to do away with the source OF
his annoyance. Aud he did it with
surpassin' cleverncss.
ITO be sure, his act was 4 bit
grisly. But when. il ever. YOU get
your hands on him, you'll be
amazed to find how normal he is.
And able, too-oh, able no end"
Again Markham lapsed into a
long thoughtful silence. At last
he spoke.
"The only trouble with your in.
genious deductions is that they
don't accord with the known cir.
cumstances Of the case. And facts.
my dear Vance, arc still regarded
by few of us old-fashioncd lawyers
as more or less conclusive"
"Why this needless confession
Of your short.comings?' inquired
Vance whimsically. Then. after a
moment: LET me have the facts
which appear to you aatagonistic
to my deductions"
well, there are only four men
Of the type you describe who could
have had any remote reason for
numbering the Odell woman.
Heath's scouts went into her his.
tory pretty thoroughly. and for over
two years-that Is. since her ap-
pearance in the 'Follies'-the only
welcome ones at her apartment
have been Mannix. Doctor Lind
Quist. Pop Cleaver. and. Of course,
Spotswoode. The Canary was a bit
exclusive. it seems: and no other
man got near enough to her even
to be considered as possible MUIR
derer."
1T appears, then. that you have
q complete quartet to draw on"
Vance's tone was apathetic. "NNhat
do you crave-a regiment"
NO." answered Markham patient.
". II crave only one logical
possibility. But Mannix was through
with the girl over q year ago;
Cleaver and Spotswoode both have
water-tight alibis: and that leaves
only Doctor Lindquist. whom
cant exactly picture as a stranger
and burglar. despite his Feasibility.
Moreover, he, too, has an alibi:
and It may be a genuine one"
Vance wagged his head.
There's something positively
pathetic about the childlike faith
Of the legal mind.
1T does cling to nationality at
times. doesn't it," observed Mark.
ham.
my dear fellow!" Vance re-
buked him. ''The presumption i'm.
piled In that remark is most i'm.
modest. II you could distinguish
between nationality and irration.
atty you wouldn't be a lawyer
you'd BIO . god. No: you're
going ct this thing the wrong way.
The real factors in the case are not
what you call the known circum.
stances, but the unknown guam.
tities-the human rs, so to speak
the personalities, or natures, OF
your quartet"
He lit fresh cigaret, and lay
back. closing his eyes.
Tell me what you know Of these
four cdcGlieri serrenti-you say
Heath has turned in his report
Who were their mamas? What d.
they eat for breakfast? Are they
susceptible to poison.ivy?. Let's
have Spotswoode's dossicr first
Do you know anything about him?'
I'm Z general way, returned
Markham. "old Puritan stock.
belisve-governors, burgomasters. ,
few successful traders. All Yauke'
torebears-no intermixture. As ,
matter Of fact. Spotswoode repre-
sents the oldest and hardest Of tn
New England aristocracy-althougl
! imagine the so.called wine Of tn
Pufitans has become pretty wei
diluted BY now. His affair viii
the 0lell girl Is hardly consonan
With the older Puritans' mortified
ton Of the llesh."
ITS wholly consonAnt. though