Nogales international., 1928-09-18
SIXTH INSTALLMENT

John Drane. There may never
have been a John Drane-"
you bet your boots there was'
declared Simon Judd. "Johr
Drane and me was chums, / tel
you, when we was boys back there
in Riverbank. Regular boys and
no mistake, and don't you forget
it, misterl You can prove that by
me any time you want to-"
There was John Drane then,
said Brennan. 'You knew him
"And l knew him blame long
time, black my cats!" Simon Judl
exclaimed. why look here-Jolln
Drane was born along about when
/ was, along towards 1853, and we
chummed together, thick "a
thieves, for long time, Yes, m
til '&3-that was when he went n',t
West. He was thirty then. Al
that time we hung together, ne
and John. Thirty years-wc was
born together as you might say
Sure there was John Drane!''
Il was going to ask you a few
questions later" Brennan sugges-
ted
Excuse me for buttin' inr"
Simon Judd said with hearty good
nature. GO right ahead and I'll
shut up till you want me-
II was saying Miss Drane,"
Freeman said" that I am only try
ing to gather some details of the
life of John Drane as he was known
here, and matters that might have
some bearing on this murder I
know nothing, you understand.
and ! have to ask questions. You
say you did not know your mother
that means she died while you
were too young to know her"
Eyes" Amy said
you're about how old?"
"I'm seventeen"
"Do you know when\your uncle
Ito call him that-came to West
cote?"
Eyes, remember hearing that.
It was in 1892. He bought this
house then. He said not long ago
he had owned it thirty-two years"
''And you were not born here?"
ooh, mol" said Amy. II was
born in California. You see, I'm
uncle Johns brothers sons child"
What did you say?" asked
Brennan, turning to Simon Judd:
"I'm not saying a word" Judd
said. Excuse me! I forgot my
SELF"
"But you said something" Bren.
nan insisted. what did you say?"
"All l said" Simon Judd said,
was which brother?"
well, which brother was it?"
Brennan asked Amy, showing tho
first impatience he had shown.
"It was Daniel" Amy said.
Daniel went to California and
married Mary Organ there, and
they had one son-Thoman Drane,
who was my father. He married
Mary Gartner, but just after / was
horn they were drowned in a food.
Some river overhowed and they
were drowned. Grandfather was
dead then, too, and grandmother
had died before that. So | was
put in an orphanage and that was
where uncle John found me-"
"He went to California? When
was that?"
81 wasn't a year DID," Amy said.
"It must have been in 1908. Uncle
John said he had always cores
ponded with father and when the
letters stopped he was worried
He wasn't we'll that year and lie
thought California might do him
good-it was in the winter-aud
he went West for the two reasons.
He wanted the warmth and he
wanted to find father if he was
alive. He found only me"
"And he brought you East?"
mo: not right away. He found
a home for me there, lovely people
who were always so good to met
They raised me; uncle John used
to send them money for my ex-
penses and he wrote me letters
"You have some of the lettersl
They're in the same hand that this
uncle John writes, or did write:"
eyes, exactly the same-a big
round, hand" Amy said $50 then,
when l was old enough, was sent
to school near Pasadena. stayed |
there until I finished, last year.
Then uncle John had me come |
East. He wanted me to live with |
him, he said"
"She told me all that" Bob
Carter said.
Eyes; it was not a secret" Amy
said. She waited for Brennan to
ask his next question.
Can you tell me anything that
would throw any light on this mur-
der?" he asked
IT don't think so," Amy an !
swered. Il may think of some
thing but it's all SO horrible still
"You don't know anything out
Of the way about this William /
Dart?"
~ AF HKY