The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-01-01
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

I'D give a good deal 10 know
Il which OF those two suggested
that it would be a good idea to get
married the first thing this morn
ing" Dundee unused aloud, as he
put down the second extra which
. the Hamilton Morning News had
had occasion to issue that Thurs
Aday.
1t was Q o'clock, and Dundee sat
across the desk from Captain
Strawn, in his former chiefs Office
in police headquarters.
The first extra had screamed in
its biggest head type: Second
Bridge Dummy Murder and had
carried, in detail, Captain Strawn's
comforting theory that Dexter
Sprague's erstwhile friends again
had been made the victims Of a
New York gunman's fiendish clever
ness. in committing his murders I'M
er circumstances which inevitably
GOULD involve Hamilton's most
iglnly respected and socially promi-
ent citizens in the police inveSti-
cation.
But the second extra had a more
romantic streaner headline: Ham
mond Wedding Delays Murder Quiz.
The story beneath a series Of
smaller headlines began:
cat the very moment-9:05
o'clock this morning-when Celia
Hunt, maid in the Tracey Miles
home in the Brentwood district of
Hamilton, was screaming the news
of her discovery Of the dead body
of Dexter Sprague, New York mo-
ton picture director, in what is
known as the trophy ROOM Miss
Polly Reale and MIR. Give Ham
mond were applying for marriage
license in the municipal building.
'At $50, when Miss Beale and
MIR. Hammond were exchanging
their vows in the rectory of st.
Paul's Episcopal church, of which
both bride and bridegroom have
been members since childhood, Capt.
I'M Strawn of the homicide squad
S listening to Tracey Miles ac-
4unt of the strange disappearance
Dexter Sprague from the i'm
pmptu bridge game, after he had
ilounced his intention of taking
vantage Of the fact that he was
lrnrny' to telephone for taxi.
And at 10 o'clock, when the new
Us. Hammond called her home to
eak the news of her marriage to
sr aunt, Mrs. Amelia Beale, the
ride in turn was acquainted with
he news of Sprague's murder and
the fact that both she and her hus-
band were wanted at the Miles
home for questioning by the police,
since both had been guests of Mr.,
and Mrs. Miles last night, although
Mr., Hammond did not arrive until
about IL o'clock"
n n
FTNHERE followed revision of the
4 murder story as it appeared in
the first extra, with additional de-
tails supplied by Strawn, and with
a line drawing Of the scene Of the
crirne-.the trophy room itself and
the forked driveway with its tall
yew hedges.
A dotted line illustrated Strawn's
theory of Sprague's plan to elude the
murderer who had followed him to
the Miles home. Because of the
curved sweep of the driveway to-
ward the main entrance of the
house, the tall hedge was less than
two feet from the window with the
partly opened screen.
Captain Strawn's theory" read
the extra below the large drawing, els
that Sprague had good cause to fear
that he was being followed on his
way to the Miles home; that he
telephoned for taxi to wait for
him at the foot of the hill, and that
he planned to leave the Miles house
by way of the trophy room window,
so that his lurking pursuer might
have no knowledge of his departure.
The drawing shows that his