The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1933-06-01

Indyer QedQs STABBED III Inc tuIodIs
II guess not. But can't you see
how much easier it makes thingsT
"You say they don't lie to your"
swell, the high class crooks don't.
Only the .bums.'
"Good Lord I" Fiske leaned back
In his chair and regarded Harvey
with wide-eyed wonder. "You are
quite the most remarkable man I've
ever met"
"And the fattestw
For the first time Fiske smiled.
"And the latest"
Hanvey's eyes twinkled fer a mo-
ment. He fumbled In the breast
pocket Of his coat and produced two
thin and vicious looking projectifes.
He extended these toward his COM
panion.
"Have a cigar?"
Fiske thanked him and accepted
one. Harvey bit the end from the
other, held a match to it and In
hailed with vast relish. He blew a
cloud Of smoke across the room and
Fiske turned startled eyes In his d.
rection.
'They are kind of strong" said
the detective genialiy. "Some folks
like 'em."
Fiske struggled heroically against
the asphyxiating effect Of the vio-
lent fumes. Then they got the bet
ter of him.
"May l open another Window" he
inquired weakly.
"Sure. That'n be fine" Harvey
eyed the second cigar which lay un-
lighted on the desk. saint you GO
ing to smoke yours?"
''I'll try one of my own. II you
don't mind"
As the banker moved toward the
window, Jim sighed relievedly. He
rescued the unused cigar and tucked
1t back In his breast pocket with
real affection. Jim's cigars were a
source Of perpetual worry: he was
always afraid that some day some
one would smoke one Of them.
Fiske seated himself again. "You'd
like to hear about the robberyT he
asked.
"Yeah-if you want"
"Isn't that what you came fort"
Reckon So"
"Then why don't you ask me some
questionsY
"Gosh! Mr.. Fiske-ho do I know
what to ask? I'm waiting for you
to tell me, and you're waiting until
you're sure I didn't escape from
some ZOO"
Randolph Fiske threw back his
head and laughed. "You win, Ham
vey. Now-shoot!"
Jim's face did not change.
"When?"
"Day before yesterday-May first
at ten minutes after two o'clock"
"How much ?''
"The robber got away with ap-
proximately one hundred thousand
dollars In currency"
Harvey blinked. "Lot Of cash
for a little bank like this"
"Plenty. We were making up the
pay roll for the Marland mills.
They pay on the third"
"Stick-up?' queried the detective.
EYES,"
'Tell me all about it."
Fiske rose and invited Harvey to
follow him. They passed from his
private office into the bank proper.
Under the amazed eyes Of Miss
Helen Seward, Fiske conducted
Harvey to the front door and ges-
tured to the broad thoroughfare
passing east and west.
"That is Archer street." said
Fiske. "The north and south street
is Oak. Oak is shopping street,
but Archer is the main traffic ar
terry. Lots of cars going by here all
the time. You will notice that this
bank is the only commercial estab-
lishment on Archer street. Do you
follow me?"
Easy" grunted Jim. "You sure
do talk explicit"
Fiske stepped back into the bank.
"Our banking business starts at
nine in the morning and stops at
two. At two O'Clock daily-and on
Saturday at twelve-we get rid Of
our last customer. Then we con-
ceal the interior of the bank by
pulling the shades-sO."
He stepped behind the open door
and pulled a shade which rose up
from the bottom of the door. The
heavy green shade rose along the
glass surface until it was higher
than q mans head.
There are similar curtains on
both windows," he went on. "As
soon as we get the last customer
out, we pull the curtains up, and
then all of the employees except
two or three go out for bite of
lunch. They invariably go out the
back door. That door, which is be-
hind my Office, opens onto little