Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1933-12-07

IT imagine 1t was Doctor Prince who
sought for such a student In those In
the vicinity of st. Louis; as a former
college man himself, he could do 80
better than she. l have no idee how
he finally located Randall, but when
he did, the boy agreed to go through
the formalities of entering Philadel.
phia for him."
"Wasn't that running the grave risk
the supervisor queried. ''that you might
inquire at Randall's home about him,
much earlier than this? And easily
hear that the real one was in Chicago
all the time, instead?"
Rankin nodded negatively. "As long
as didn't suspect his Identity" he ex-
! planned, 81 was not likely to investi-
gate him at his home. And even II
did. I could hardly ferret out the dis
crepancy. Remember, his supposed
absences at the university were COM
paratively brief; two weeks in the
fall and the last six weeks. For the
rest Of the year, as would find, he
was supposed to be home anyhow.
mo doubt, too, he was cautioned to
keep out of sight while his substitute
remained at Philadelphia; and his
family and relatives coached, in case
they were questioned, to testify he was
away at school during those same few
weeks"
He paused to light another cigarette
and take several puffs. When Mr..
Warwick waited silently, without any
comment, he continued his account.
1.-THE disadvantage of using Randall's
name for the trick was that he had
gone to the same college as Stuart
And much worse, before his ostensible
transfer, he once lived in the dorm at
Aberdeen Of which Jordan was mon
itor. After the crime, that was bound
to attract my attention to him-as in
deed happened. On the other hand.
1t enabled Mrs. Jordan when l inter-
viewed her, to volunteer the story OF
Ralph Buckley's grudge against Stuart
and the cause of their feud. That
falsely set me on Buckley's trail and
involved me in a tangle of circum.
stantial evidence. She also suggested,
Mr.. Warwick, how he must have de-
frauded your officials here to be ad-
mitted after his disgraceful dismissal
from Aberdeen. The fact that she knew
far more than any ordinary student
should about how to falsify records
and enter the university through them
ought to have placed me upon my
guard and made me doubt her own
bona fides."
The supervisor frowned suddenly,
his expression doubtful and shook his
head uncertainty.
But where did Mrs. Jordan ever
hear of Buckley or his dispute with
Stuart7 Though the real Randall
might know of It, he had no reason
to inform Doctor Prince"
OBVIOUSLY then she must have got
the facts from Stuart" the detective
responded. ut occurred last spring,
during their short married life; nat
urally, they would talk about his ex-
periences at school. He probably re-
lated to her the entire incident and its
results"
"Still she was scarcely at Philadel-
phia long enough to discover Buckley
had also registered; especially since
she couldn't have been acquainted
with him. And that would he her only
cause for revealing his enmity."
"As a matter Of fact" Rankin stated,
II told her Of his presence myself. At
our first meeting. as I recall, she cas-.
ually mentioned his quarrel with
Stuart; then, when let the fact slip.
she was shrewd enough to turn II to
her own advantage. Her story sup,
piled him with a motive for the muir
der and cast suspicion on him." He
hesitated, refectlvely. Looking back,
I realize now why she extracted my
promise that she would never need ia
confront Buckley personally and tes-
tify against him. II was barely DOS.
sible he knew the real Walter Ran.
dali by sight from Aberdeen and would
Immediately recognize her as an i'm
postor."
why didn't she and this Doctor
Prince merely obtain the record OF
some high-school graduate, who never
intended to go to collegei He would
have been just as eligible and easier
to find; and also safer. His applica.
ton would have served the same pur.
pose."
The detective shrugged. Hardly
Mr.. Warwick" he pointed out, "since
Mrs. Jordan would then be compelled
to begin as a freshman. That would
have necessitated entrance examina
lions; whereas upper classmen were
accepted without them II they had
marks as creditahle as Randalrs
Too, Jordan was an upper classmar
and the dormitories for the two classes
were widely separated. That meant
she could not secure rooms close
enough to his to complete the essen
tial steps Of her design. She had Il
learn his schedule to ascertain wher
she could safely search his quarters
and belongings. She had to place
TIM '-tacks in all his shoes to identlf,
him at the initiation. The letters sh,