The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-06-08
CHAPTER v-continued


into our little robbery
Burke hobbled forward and ex-
tended his hand. The detective re-
garded him in amazement. s5
'You and the robber fought 1t
out?" he questioned.
"Yes, sir" Ess.s-.-T ...@s2
"You don't look like q gun
fighter" H..
The little man looked up in sur
prise. .~->
"T'm not" 81 !.
.'Hmphl Tell me what happened,
II you please"
"Well-" Burke was speaking
meticulously 81 went out to lunch
Immediately after two o'clock.
went out the back way and used
the same route back: | suppose Mr..
Fiske has explained that we always
do that. returned exactly at two
thirty because we were to be very
busy that afternoon putting up the
pay roll for the Marland mills.
tllc UdCh dlu saw
q man putting currency into q
satchel He was holding revolver
In his right hand | couldn't see Mr..
Fiske or Miss Seward. immediate
ly suspected that something was
wrong"
"a rather natural supposition."
agreed Harvey. "And what hap
pend them"
"He y,lled something at me-"
"What?"
81 don't know. l didn't pay any
attention to him. jumped behind
the counter and grabbed my revol
yer. He fired at me but the bul
let struck the marble counter. He
didn't hit me until came ont into
the open again."
The wizened cashier spoke as
though gun battles were matters of
everyday occurrence.
"You came out p
"Oh. yes. sfrl I5couIdn't shoot at
him from where was | ran around
the corner of the counter just as
he started for the front door
fired at him and he shot at me- That
was when he hit me. was very
sorry about that because fell down
and that kept me from following
.'And after you fell DOWN.
prompted Jim.
81 fired again."
'Good Lordl After he had hit
your
"Yes. sir. was very lucky, too. ]
hit him.
"YOu are sure about that?''
"Quite positive, sir. You see, we
found blood on the floor where he
had been standing. And there was
q trail of blood to the front door
and across the sidewalk to the
curb"
aThe robber ran away?
.'Yes. sir. regretted very much
that had not struck him In more
vulnerable spot"
"You did a-plenty. Now, Mr..
Burke. what happened after thaf7"
The little man flushed with EN-
barrassment.
81 tainted"
"Golly I" breathed Jim. at was
about time"
Randolph Fiske faced Harvey
proudly. "Quite hero. Isn't he
Hanvey?n
miami You said I'll Mr. Burke. is
that all you know about the rob
bery?n
"Yes. sir"
..Had you ever seen the robber be
fore?"
"Not that can remember"
"No suspicion, chr"
'.NO. sir" ,@.@ -e-
Harvey rose. "Thatll be all, MIR.
Burke. And I'm really proud to
have met you"
Harmon Burke bowed stiffly and
hobbled away When the door closed
behind him Hanvey turned to the
banker. (.
.'T'hink of little runt like him
pulIin' a stunt like that His story
of the gun fight is accurate?"
"Absolutely-as far as could
see from the safe"
"Whaf did you do while this was
going on?"
"Nofhing. I was frankly fright
ened. and. at the time didn't even
know IL was Burke who was shoot
ing. From where 4 was couldn't
see anyone but the rOhber."
aBurke was correct In stating
that the man was hit?'
.sThere,s no question about that
There was q good deal of blood on
the floor. He must have been bleed
ing rather profuseIy. too. because
the trail seemed to get heavier as
II approached the curb. A car was
waiting there for him."
anybody else see the robberyF
"NO."
sAnyone see the esecaper
.No one. a negro boy who WORKS
nj the gus station across the stree
a. n