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

udu lOOhSu lhS uOu . poNu
mighty little attention. Then I re-
called the man at the wheel-and
it seemed to me that even In the
brief glimpse. 1t was Vernon"
aYou couldn't swear 1t. thought
.CertainIy no. But investigated
and now. Harvey. comes the rotten
part of my chain of evidence. That
night Max Vernon did not return to
his room In the Psi Tau Theta
house. He did not come back until
late yesterday afternoon
"Yes. 2" IT,, ~ ,.s
Fiske frowned, then looked up at
Hanvey's expressionless face. "I'm
trying to be fair to the boy-and
to you. He went to his room at the
fraternity house. But. Harvey. there
was something else that didn't
hear until this morning" i
"What?" -e- ID .-N.@
HE didn't come back In. the car
he was using day before yester-
dayl" ~ a.
Jim blinked slowly. lighted a fresh
cigar and blew a cloud of the ran
cid smoke across the table. BE
"No?" he asked with depressing
lack of interest. "What did he
come in?" .a5 -s=s- @~-
"A new car" said Fiske "A
brand new and very expensive one"
"Hmm. ;" Harvey pulled
thoughtfully. but said nothing. To
the banker it seemed that he was not
even bothering to think. Just a
great human bulk occupying space
Fiske was considerably irritated.
II don't want to be misunder.
stood, Harvey" he said. with hint
of acid In his tones SIN fond of
that boy. don't believe there's
anything radically wrong with him
I've told you everything. hoping that
I've overlooked some point which
may prove to be in his favor"
Maybe" suggested Harvey soft
ly. maybe yon have"
81 hope so 1 don't want to see
Max Vernon get into trouble"
'Gosh!' u Harvey increased his
legs with considerable difficulty. 1T
seems like what you've told me
indicates he's In trouble enough
Everything lilks him with bank
robbery"
Il realize that" Randolph Fiske
spoke in low. strained voice. "And
perhaps I'm doing him favor"
"How?"
Because" explained the banker
I'D rather see Vernon convicted of
completely In holdup than electro
cuted for murder"
Harvey scratched his head. "Tm
all up in the air. Mr.. Fiske. You're
talking about murder. and don't
know anything about any murder.
Who got bumped off. and what has
Vernon got to do with it,"
SIT happened at the college-Mar-
land university-jusf before this
bank was robbed day before yester
day. Max Vernon was arrested for
the killing the minute he returned
to the campus yesterday evening""
II see. Who arrested himp
"The local police"
.Mm. hmmI They sure are HI on
maxim arrests. Guess they fee
they've got to keep in practice.
Whose murder was Vernon arrested
for?"
"A man named Thayer-Paterson
Thayer. They call him Pat"
college student?"
"Yes | guess you'd call him that
He came to Marland two years ago
and entered the Junior class. He
would have graduated next month
Ugly rnmors followed him here
They said he had been invited to
leave the two northern colleges
which he had attended. He was a
picturesque figure: tall. handsome.
suave, worldly-nothing collegiate
about him."
slow old?"
.About twenty-three or four"
"And his connection with VernOnr
THAT'S what worries me- They
;; became friendly from the start
Max looked up to Thayer and !
think Thayer had supreme con
tempt for Vernon. But that didn't
prevent the Older man from bleed
ing Max"
"H0w?"
"Cards believe. And II any
credence is to be givea the runners
which followed Thayel, to Marland
he was quite expert In manipulate
ing them. In the pas, two years
Harvey. about forty thousand dol
lars worth of checks drawn by Yer
non in favor of Pat Thayer have
passed through this bank."
"And 1t was because of this that
Vernon has been arrested for Thay
er's murder?''
moo. You see no one but my
self knows how deeply involved Max
Vernon was Financially. that is
He was arrested largely on circun