The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-11

food before him. was leaning for ward eagerly. Three nights ago the same night Scurlach wrote that letter-Carlotta was late get l ting home from the theater. She | works until the place closes at midnight. It was about 1880 when she got home and Herman was waiting for her.
 "I got all this from the woman | who lives across the hall. Mrs | Nicholai, her name is. She said Carlotta knocked on her door next morning and came in crying that Herman was going to kill her. She said he had gun and had threat ened to shoot her! Mrs Nicholai said Carlotta cried so much it was a long time before she found out what it was all about. As near as she could get the straight of it- l Mrs Nicholai I mean-Herman be- lieved that Charlotta had been with King and that's why she was late getting home.
 Well. by this time I guess the | girl saw that her little game had sgone too far. She tried to tell Herman the truth, that She didn't eveh know Tracy King. That only made things worse. They had a | terrible scene and once she | thought he was going to strangle | her, then and there. Instead he grabbed tip his hat, put the gun in his pocket and left. Now listen to this-Carlotta hadn't seen him | hot until Chn Wnnt tn headquarters to-day! Mrs Nicholai said some of the children saw him at the house once but it was while l Carlotta was at the theater. Where he was all that time and what he was doing nobody knows"
 "What about the gun?" Ban mister asked.
 "He didn't have it when, they searched him. at headquarters. don't know any more about it but I know he didn't have a gun then. Of course he had plenty of time to get rid of it."
 "But, Bannister objected, granted that Scurlach did have a gun and a motive for killing Tracy King, how could he get into King s apartment? The clerk at the Shell by Arms swore this girl they're | looking for is the only one who went up to Kings rooms" Gainey snorted. There's are | plenty of ways to get into a ho- tell" he said. "The clerk doesn't watch the servants entrance, does he? Remember Scurlach had had three days to brood over his troub- les. And they were real troubles to him, too. Maybe he'd been drinking. Maybe he got someone 1 else to help him-but I doubt that. r A jealous person wants to settle accounts with his own hands. There's a lot of it I can't figure out yet but I do know this-Car- lotta Scurlach thinks her husband killed Tracy King. I could see it | in her eyes, the way she talked and everything she said.
 That's not the worst of it-for her., he went on. "I think she really loves this dumb husband of hers. She wants to help him and | doesn't know how. The way 1 fig ure it, that's why she put on that scene at headquarters"
 How does it happen the detec- tives haven't heard this Nicholai woman's story?' Bannister asked. | "They will in time, I suppose. Down in that neighborhood they're all afraid of cops. Close-mouthed but" Gainey grinned again, well, we managed to get friendly. It isn't my idea to print all this right away. I'd rather hold it.
 Until they get confession from Scurlaeh ?"
 Gainey shook his head, Not that" he said. "I want to see how one or two other things turn out first"
 Bannister remembered then the story that the woman at the Shelby Arms had told him, the story of Melvina Hollisters dead canary bird. and Miss Holsters heated quarrel with Tracy King.
 Here's funny one picked up this afternoon" he said. Maybe you can explain this" He re- peated what Mrs Kenebec had said. Gainey asked questions but evidently was not much impressed. It appeared that, to J. Randolph Gainey, the King murder case had been solved and solved satisfac- torily.
 "Yeah,' he said, "lots of funny nuts like that around an apart ment hotel. They've got to live somewhere, l guess. Relatives won't have 'em. or they can't get along with anyone else.'
 "Do you think should tell Me- | Neal about it?" Bannister asked.
 "Oh, you might as well. What harm can it de?" To Gainey this line of thought was distinctly sec ondary. He returned to Carlotta Scurlach. You know" he said, tits queer how girl like that can marry an egg like Scurlach. Of course there are plenty of brighter people in the world but she's not so dumb! Darned good looking, too. She had that little place where they live all fixed up"
 "Did you talk to her husband ?" Bannister asked.
 "Yeah, and lot of good it did! Just a big guy with a head of solid bone. Kept saying over and over that he didn't do it, that he'd never hurt nobody'! Steve Fisher told me they haven't been able to get anything else out of him Iexcept when the girl was there, Iney le1t ScurIdcH anu tHe Slri alone together but of course the detectives were listening. Scur- lach broke down and cried and told Carlotta he was sorry he'd scared hef and he'd never do 1t again if only they'd let him go home. Then she cried too and told him not to worry. The cops had to go in asd stop lem for fear they'd flood the place with 1 tears"
 1T suppose Bannister said 4houghtfniiv. "it's not so nleas-