The Coolidge examiner., 1933-08-18
CHAPTER I-Contlnued

RANKIN was not aware, however,
Of any connection he might have
With the university or fraternity.
But though st a loss to account for
his presence he accepted 1t for the
moment without comment.
The supervisor waited until the
living room door was closed and
all were seated.
Il regret very much, Mr.. Rankin" !"
he began. that what has occurred
here tonight makes IL necessary TO
summon the aid of the authorities.
Briefly, these are the facts. An initi-
alton was held In this house tonight,
to admit new men into membership
in this fraternity. And just as the
final rites were being administered,
one of the candidates, young third
year student In the architectural
school. named Stuart Jordan. was
killed"
"Killed;" Rankin pursed his lips
grayely. That's very tragic. 1t
was an accident, of course?"
But Mr.. Warwick negatlved the
detectives supposition. I'VE can't
say how 1t happened, but it was
scarcely unintentional. Young Jor-
dan was poisoned"
"Poisoned?' Rankin repeated; the
unexpected statement startled him.
''How?"
by a subtle, quickly acting
drug" Doctor Thompson explained,
that produces sort of muscular
paralysis. Death follows from OBJ
structed respiration"
Have you any idea. Doctor. Of
the nature of the poison?" the de-
tective asked.
Il can only guess; the autopsy
will have to decide that accurately.
But l am led to suspect vege-
table alkaloid-that Is. the poison
Gus juice of some plant 1t might
be aconite or nicotine or perhaps
gelsemin. :"
"Gelsemln?" Rankin queried curl
ously.
Yes. the juice of the gelsemium
plant Or 1t could be conine."
How would you say the poison
was taken?"
1T is difficult to determine that
until the autopsy" Doctor Thomp-
son replied. 1T might have been
swallowed; but in my superficial
examination. | found no indication
of that. Perhaps 1t was injected
with hypodermic needle, under the
skin"
Gould 1t possibly be self-admin-
tstered?" Rankin put the suggestion
tentatively.
Evidently it had never occurred
TO the doctor, but he considered 1t
carefully.
Yes, / know of nothing to con-
tradict that idea" he admitted
slowly; 'in fact. I'd rather that
were the case. But 1t seems most
unlikely. doesn't it? After all. fra
ternity initiation is a singular place
10 commit suicide"
The detectives tone held the per-
pleXity his words expressed. But
no more so, surely, than as the scene
of a murder. And If someone else
Injected the poison during the cere-
mony. the boy would have felt the
stab of the needle and made some
disturbance" He paused. "You
were called in, Doctor. at nine
thirty"
ITO be exact, at nine-thirty-five
that was shortly after Jordan col
lapsed in the initiation room, and a
fruitless effort to revive him made.
arrived fifteen minutes later. but 1t
was then too late to help him.
Given a large enough quantity of
poison, IT must have taken effect a
few minutes after entering his sys-
tenn"
$50 that 1t probably did so at
nine-twenty-five or thereabouts, ''
Rankin commented. "rll have to
send for Doctor Sackett, the cor
oner's physician"
Summoning one of the policemen
from the hall. he instructed him to
communicate with the city official +:
also to arrange for the dispatching
of a photographer from headquar-
tiers. That done, he turned to Mr..
Warwick.
And now. sir, the quickest way
for me TO proceed with my inves-
tigatiOn is to hear exactly what
took place in the initiation room.
Preferably from some one who was
both present and had an active part
in the ritual; I'll want the facts
clear"
I'll have the president of the fra
ternity in. He probably directed
the ceremony and should know
more about Jordan than anyone in
he house"