The Coolidge examiner., 1933-09-08
CHAPTER III
The Oormitories.

following morning he found two i'm
pOrtant reports awaiting his con
sideration. The first report con.
tained Stuart Jordans scholastic
record, sent by the supervisor from
the office of admissions. AS Mr.. War
wick had asserted. il gave little per.
sOnal data about the dead boy; still.
the detective cleaned from II a
great deal OF his past history. It
was Howard Merrick. his uncle and
guardian. who signed for him the
bond required Of every student en-.
rolled at the university. as a pro-
lection.
With this Information came the
additional facts Rankin had re-
quested the previous night. There
were two other young men from the
victim section of the country en-
rolled at the college. One named
Ralph Buckley had ar one time lived
in Vandalia: he had gone to high
school in Jordan's home town and
graduated two years before. When
ne entered Philadelphia the past
September. IL was as a frst-year
student. Walter Randall, from Chi.
cago was the other boy. ard had
h,mself studied al Aberdeen.
The second report for the detective
was the autopsy report Only a few
experiments were needed to vindicate
she doctors choice of one of the vege-
table alkaloids. The poison was co.
nine. one drop of which would cause
death in two to three hours; and
almost four times that minimum
dose was injected into Jordan's sys-
ten in liquid form.
This amount was surely fatal in
half that period and probably in
much less The action of conine.
however, varies in each instance
with the individual strength and
resisting power of the person af-
fected; hence, the autopsy could not
set. within an hour. the time before
JOrdan's death il was administered
Its vagueness on this point disap-
pointed Rankin; he had hoped def
uitely 10 prove that the boy was
poisoned at ninetwenty, while his
hands were being united
Careful analysis showed there had
been nothing deadly In the wine
Used by the candidates.
The detective finished perusing
chis report and summoned an officer.
"A good many reporters are In
che anteroom. Wilson," he told him.
have the whole bunch In, now:
say I've something important for
Shem,"
Recognizing the sensational as
pects of the case. newspaper men
swarmed into headquarters. clamor-
ing for details. When they were
assembled. Rankin said: THE post
Snortem report has just come in. fel-
SOws. with a few special items. I'm
going TO make an extra concession
and tell you what they are. But In
return you've got to do me a favor.
TOO. All want Is for you to pub
fish the statement In the autopsy
about the exact cause of Jordan's
death. You see. he was poisoned
oy something called conine, which
IS extracted from the hemlock plant
sts characteristic is mousy odor.
As little as a drop or two grains
will prove fatal in a few hours, and
Jordan was given more than four
drops These are the facts | want
tn your newspapers"
Boyle of the Record regarded him
luizzically whats the big idea ?"
he inquired. you know darned well
THAT in these poison cases we never
print the name of the poison; we
call il deadly poison and let ii go
at that It's public policy to keep
people in the dark, rather than take
che chance of putting bug In some
readers ear to try II out on him.
self or some other fellow"
That's just why I'm asking you
20 make an exception to the usual
rule in this case" Rankin replied.
Il have hunch IL is going to help
me If the poison becomes known.
Conine isn't so easy to get; and the
criminal might have left some trail
IN producing it. which this open an
rouncement will uncover
Boyle shrugged. well. it's per-
fectly o. K. with me, if you think
it ought to be DONE" he agreed.
The other newspaper men ex-
pressed their willingness TO com
ply with the detectives wish. and
left AS they filed out of the of
flee. the policeman Wilson entered
Nth a telegram. II was addressed
- Mr. Warwick who had forwarded
il 10 the university; ii had been dis
natched from S35 Hunter street
Vandalia, al seven o'clock that
a,nTning. Rankin read the reply to
he suPsrv'&or's message notifying