Evening star., 1932-04-24


Il no kill her"
He could afford to be confident.
Had he not been alone with her on
the abandoned trail that night? Was it not
fact that none had seen the flash of his knife
nor heard the screams of his dying victim out
there by the canyon?
True, he had confessed the crime to his
brother -in-law when the latter saw blood
his shirt, but he felt no uneasiness on that ac-
count. Gatewood knew how to keep his mouth
shut, especially when threat of death sealed his
lips The Federal officer leaned back in his
chair and blew smoke ring to the ceiling.
Special Agent James A. Street of the United
States Bureau of Investigation was too well
acquainted with ways of the redskin to be
disturbed by the Indians taciturnity. These
Apaches, he admitted, were harder to figure out
than most other Indians, but there are ways
Of breaking the reserve of even an Apache.
The officer suddenly bent forward and ga2ed
intently at the expressionless, swarthy counte-
nance of the 21-year-od buck
"You killed her, all right, Mac. know all
about it," Street said. solemnly and positively.
The Indian did not flick an eyelash. The
agent put his hand to his forehead in medita-
ton. When he dropped his hand there was
a queer esoteric light in his eyes, as though
his mind were conjuring up some evil vision.
You are at the white girls house." the Off
Ger said in a slow monotone that heightened
to lend her a horse with which to ride to
the dance TO be held at Canyon Day. You
tell her you have only one horse, but will let
her ride with you to the dance. She accepts
the offer. tells you to come by for her later"
k IAc sEYMoURs black eyes were WIDEN
lNI ing. The agent continued his "seance"
"A little after sundown you called for the
girl at her home. She got on the horse in
front of you, and the two of you rode off.
When you arrived in the little canyon where
the fume is you stopped the horse and pulled
the girl from the saddle. She struggled. You
killed her with rock and knife"
The ''seance" was broken by a cultural
ejaculation from the Indian, who suddenly
threw up his hands and nearly collapsed IN
front of the paleface medicine man.
-I might well tell you everything" the
awed Apache exclaimed. You have talked
with the dead"
Agent Street cannot talk with the dead but
the reputation for omnipotence which has
come to him as result of his solution OF the
Henrietta Schmerler murder mystery Is likely
to increase respect Of the Indian for the
white mans law
In the past, when police were investigating
crimes among the tribes, it has been common
for the Indians to remark: Indian no talk,
white man no find out nothing" The saying
now has been changed to Indian no talk,
white man find out everything"
The Fort Apache murder case was one Of
the most puzzlng of its kind ever to come to
the attention of j. Edgar Hoover, director of
the Bureau Of Investigation. The Usage
murder cases Of a few years ago were notable
because of the ramiications involved, but there
were no Apaches to deal with In those cases.
It Is more than a coincidence that Agent
Street solved the Usage cases, also He Is
recognized as the Indian expert Of the Bu-
reau of Investigation of the Department Of
Justice.
Director Hoover assigned Street TO the
Apache case after a month of investigation
as other officers had failed to produce the
murderer of Miss Schmerler. When Street took
over the investigation the case at a virtual
Standstill. All clues had been exhausted, all
suspects cleared. 1t appeared that Apache
silence had triumphed over justice. Street was
placed at the disposal of r. H. Colvin, special
agent in charge Of the El Paso branch Office
OF the Bureau of Investigation, in whose juris-
diction the crime had occurred and who re-
quested the services of the Indian expert.
Street studied every angle of the case thar
oughly before proceeding.