The Coolidge examiner., 1931-12-25
CHAPTE 9
Dead Man Number One.

Mill dance restaurant on the near
North side of Chicago. 1t was Sat
urday night, with its usual filling of
the Mills space, but because of un-
usual circumstances, of which the
murderer evidently took quick ad-
vantage, only one person was found
who could or would say he had seen
anything of the man who fired the
shot.
1t was assumed that, whatever its
intention or motive, the murder
stood alone, which it did not. 1t was
not strange, to people who knew
Clayton, that his life should end
with a pistol shot; but there was
no apparent reason for the place or
the time of it, and such an explana-
ton as arose from the circum-
stances and the coincident events
could not be sufficient or satisfac-
tory.
The Dutch Mill was a place of eX-
pensive amusement, but it and its
kind were too garish to have been
in Clayton's habit for at least a
year. In pOst-meridian life he had
settled down TO an exemplary re
spectability which was impressive
against the turbulent background of
his past. He never had been known
TO have much money until this ap-
parent retirement when he indicated
by his way of living the use of a
considerable income. (The relation
of this to his death became appar-
ent later.)
He was a powerful, handsome
man of resOlute and reserved ap-
pearance He had chosen a good
tailor and a good hotel. He had
been seen occasionally at the opera,
only at the best prize fights, and
of Sunday now and then, when it
was pleasant walking on the Drive,
at the Fourth Presbyterian church.
If he was with a woman compan-
ion at the theater she was in eff
feet irreproachable. Clayton was
a person of complete respectability
even if it were new, as were his
spats.
AS the story of his death at the
Dutch Mill was pieced together on
the spot and at the time, it appeared
that three men had entered the
dance restaurant shortly before
midnight and had been given a
table at the wall, one by the wait
ers' door to the kitchen and, be-
ing in a poor position, not accept
able TO anyone who could avoid TAX
ing it.
At an interval between dances,
just as the dancers had returned TO
their tables and were again seated.
there was loud command for every
one TO remain quiet. The three
men had arisen from their obscure
table and with pistols in their hands
were moving TO the center of the
floor.
"All of you put your arms on
the table," said the spokesman.
Both hands. Don't move them
Don't anyone be dumb or fresh and
no one will be hurt"
All of the guests and employees
questioned later by the police said
that their first thought was of en-
forcement officers. Even that was
disturbing. Evidences of liquor law
violation we're on nearly every
table. This conjecture was i'm
mediately proved wrong. The shot
which killed Clayton was fired, not
by one of the three men who had
the center of the scene, but by a
fourth man who had been almost en-
tirely unobserved. 1t was probable
that no one had seen him.
The diversion was startling and
its effects instantaneous. There
were screams, the breaking down
of a tension. shifting of many bod
les invOluntarily. and the men with
pistols. as yet unexplained. broke in
a run for an exit.
a police squad car was passing
as three men without OvercOats or
hats ran from the restaurant door
to an automobile in which a fourth
man sat at the wheel. The engine
was running, but the police were
able to stop the car and hold all
four men.
One of them excitedly tried 10 ex-
plain that they were getting away
from fight in the restaurant dance
hall-an explanation not without
plausibility-but it might not. have
been satisfactory even if at that mo,
ment the door of the Dutch Mill had
not become the vent for people in
hysterical fright. Women without
their wraps and men without their
OvercOats or hats rushed forth, as il
popped out by pressure, ran a few
feet or half block and then stood
uncertainty. conscious Of needing
the possessions they had left be
hind Also walters and other house
employees in their work clothes
were 5000 outside shouting. The po
lice took the four men back into the
Dutch Mill.