The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-08-03
CHAPTER XIII

hn lOuOWluS mOEuiuS AohsSy
i was dressed when Reagan ar
rived, and at his suggestion they
went to the jail and were admitted
to Max Vernon's CELL Harvey adj
dressed him In voice more stern
than Reagan had yet heard.
'I'm talking straight from the
shoulder, Vernon" said Jim firmly.
though not unkindly. "You're in the
hottest kind of hot water. It'd be
so easy to convict you of Pat Tray
er's murder that kid could do
It I'm going to get some definite ac-
tion today Heap quick, seer I'm
giving you this last chance. Tell the
whole truth from beginning to end
nothing held back. If you don't
do that we'll put you over the jumps
for the murder Of Pat Thayer. Think
it over. Kid, and tell me how It
looks"
81 didn't kill Thayer."
"No? Well, maybe not. But you
were mixed up in the robbery
Of the Marland National bank !"
The boys face blanched. and out
Of the silence came Jim's voice again
Infinitely gentle.
Robbery amt half as rotten q
charge as murder, Max"
Vernon stopped his pacing and
turned back to Harvey.
{. i. T. =
"You win," he said DULY.
"You'll tell the truth? All Of it,
Every bit?"
eyes,"
"All right, Son. Shoot!"
.I-In try to make 1t brief, Mr..
Harvey. I've been a id fool
but not a murderer.
"Pat Thayer and I have been
friends since he first came to Mar
land as junior last year. l didn't
suspect that his interest was not In
me. but In my money.
'Over period of almost two
scholastic years he has been trim
ming me. This year, 1t happened
that went crazy about q girl It
doesn't matter what her name is"
'You mean Ivy Welch?"
.'Yes, Ivy. I'm awful fond Of her.
And this spring Thayer took me for
my last cent. I had lost about forty
thousand dollars In two years to
him. He had my note for five thou
sand dollars. I didn't have dime
/ to pay him. and couldn't borrow.
Then, when Thayer knew l was
stripped, he did everything In the
world to show that he had con-
tempt for me.
ION May first had date with
Ivy. She stood me up. wasn't
happy anyway, and that made me
feel worse. Then when l saw her
coming up the hill with Pat Thayer
sort of went crazy. We had q
quarrel-Thayer and l. When i left
him was In cold sweat. II you
want to know just how ] felt, ]
guess / was mad enough to kill
him. Maybe I'd have done IT II I'd
thought about it-but l didn't. You
see, I'm telling you all the truth.
Every bit Of 1t, Mr.. Harvey"
"Go ahead, Son. You're doing
swell"
81 got to the fraternity house and
went straight up to my room. /
changed my clothes and | shaved.
Then l decided to take suit had
had on to the tailor. I didn't leave
my room until walked downstairs.
1 had the suit rolled up in bundle
and had It under my arm. Then /
was going down Archer street to
Oak, where the tailor Is. ! got to
the corner about half-past two
o'clock.
sThere Is traffic light on the
corner, Mr.. Harvey. and 1t flashed
red just as got there. stopped
for It, and II seemed almost as soon
as l stopped that shooting started
inside the bank. was scared to
death. Then all of a sudden the
door opened and little man ran
out. He was carrying satchel.
ssThis mamie was the robber-
Jumped In the back Of my car and
topped on the floor. / was pretty
near paralyzed. was so scared"
"Yes7 What happened, Maxi"
"That Teller in the back Of my
car stuck q revolver right against
my neck. I've just robbed that
bank. he said, and I'm d-n des-
perate. Now drive-and drive fast
And drove fast
Il guess 1t seems funny" con
tinued the young man, ''that I'd
help q robber escape, but / could
feel that gun stuck against the back
Of my neck. -. He told me to
drive around the city and stop at a
place by the Little Indian river.
It's about twenty minutes drive be
yond the city limits. got out into
the open country again and speed.
ed up, and not another word from
the back of the car. When | got
to the turn-off place by the Little
Indian, stopped the car and cut