Nogales international., 1928-09-11
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE

,simon Judd, amateur detective, and
William Dart, an undertaken, are visiting
the Drane place. Suddenly the household
is shocked to find that John Drane has
been murdered. The dead man is first seen
by Josie, the maid, then by Amy Drane and
Simon Judd. The latter faintS.
Police officers call and Investigations
begin. DR.. Blessington is called, and after
seeing the murdered John Drane, makes
the astounding revelation to Amy Drane
ths. her uncle is not a man but woman:
Dr. Blessington discounts the theory Of
murdered DR.. Blessington comments on
the fact that all the servants In the house
hold OF Drane are sick, and that Drane has
never discharged servant for i'll health.
Dick Brennan, the detective, arrives 80
investigate the case.
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
Yes. DR.. Blessington made the
examination; victim dead several
hours, cause of death stab wound to
heart. Suicide theory untenable,
Dick, because the old lady couldn't
lave used so much strength And
there amt no knife around, either,
D;xk. She's been murdered, all
right. Well, the queer part is she's
t..;g old John Drane that's been
living here, see? He was she all
the fine: wouldn't it jar your"
rs. Hang around. I'll just take
i ok or two.
re went to the bed and looked
Il, n at the victim OF the murder
a4l. turning, surveyed the room:
II walked across the floor and
o{.tned the door OF the closet. Hero
hing many suits OF mems garments,
a; proper hangers each on its own
hook. while dozen pairs OF shoes
stood in a neat row on the fioor:
He stood on a chair and examined
the shelf, taking down several hats,
looking into each and noting the
makers marks in them. He moved
the hanging clothes and tapped on
the inner wall of the closet.
His next act was to open the door
leading into John Drane's private
bath. Here the walls were tiled
to the height of man and the
porcelain tube was built in, as was
The shower. The whole was immacu-
lately white, as was the wall above
the tile and the ceiling On glass
shelf stood the few toilet articles
any man might use-a safety razor
in its gold-plated case, talcum, bay
inrn, and so on. There was no
toening out of the room except the
door into the bedroom and mar
row window the lower part o.
which was in loaded glass,
"The door wasn't locked, huh?
Brennan asked.
No. This maid Josie came ul
r. G.. lie old lady and when no.
b96 ;wered she opend the door
e; ated. Door couldn't have
bl ciled. 1t don't look like the
& was expected to be killed
L )es it,"
,i:ls stolen out of here that
ye card Off" As
!: shat | know Of" the officer
81, We didn't ask. We waited
f. YOU"
I'll right" Brennan said, going
to the Gc.or. ''I'n through here, l
guess. %ou better telephone the
coroner, Henry, and .yoe--you look
around for a knife or something.
Iou might keep your hands off
anything smooth, i'll case of finger
prints. Reach iii under the mat
tress anil around and anywhere you
think knife might be- Sometimes
these killers shove things in under
when they get panic. I'm going
down. What did you say the girls
name was that saw in here frstT
Josie. But she amt downstairs.
She's in that room across the hall.
She's sot a weak heart and they
took her in there to bring her to.
There's an old dame with her-the
housekecper." 6
"I'il see them," Brennan said.
His interview with Josie in Amy's
room yielded him, however, moth
ing we do not already know.
"And you?" Bremen demanded
of the maid Zella.
II don't know anything" Zella
said, II was down in the kitchen,
along with George-he's the chauf-
feur-and Maggie Nancy, the cook,
and we heard Josie screaming and
heard her fall. So we came up as
quick as we could She was tainted
on the floor, and Mr.. Judd, too"
"Mr. Judd? Fainted?" Brennan
asked. who's Judd?"
"He's a visitor, a friend of Mr..
Drane's, / guess. He come last
night and stayed over. He saw the
blood and tainted"
"TIe reached the room before you
did?"
eyes, but after Josie, didn't he
Josie? Josie was first, then Miss
Amy cIme-"
"And who is Miss Amy?"
"The grand niece like of Mr.
Drane-of her we thought was Mr.
Drane," Zella explained. Him and
her was the family-the rest of us
was just the help"
"Then Josie was the first to oper
the door, and Miss Amy was the
first to follow her, and then this
Mr.. Judd came. Who else after
that"
! "Norbert-he's the colord house.
man. Mrs. Vincent-she's the
housekeeper. Maggie Nancy, ths
cook George, the chauffeur. AnC
Kinter-$10O,000 bonds to be