The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-07-03
% WALTER G. RR0WM-

" -
TER 6. BROWN-
nook. linen q quIck jerk brought it
flying back over the wall, much like
cracking long whip.
However, the jerk wasn't quite
quick enough, and the free end Of
the rope dronned into the snow mo-
mentarily. Do you remember thar
odd cash we found lnthe snow when
we were checking up the footprints?
There wan our clue. but we couldn't
make anything of it,
Lafferty became pensive. That's
all right as far as it goes. but it
doesn't clear up everything. What
about Mr.. Dufresne-and Mrs. Du-
fresne-the ambush-the crank let
ters-the phoney alibis?"
Harper put the articles back in
the bundle. well clear all that up
later" he said. There must be a
fantastic kind of misunderstanding
between some OF the persons in this
house Bring Andrews and the Whit.
mores in here. viii you?"
In few moments they all filed in,
and Harper invited them to be seat
ed. They looked at Sergeant Harper
expectantly.
you know what has happened"
he began; there's no need to 60
into that. Now. which one OF you
was The last to see Joseph Donaghy
alive?"
There was a rapid interchange of
questioning glances, then Andrews
spoke up. Il believe that was"
Harper looked at them. We'll
consider it settled, then. that An
drews was the last to see Joseph
Donaghy alive. He left the hoHss
about six o'clock. Did any of you
see a light in his room during the
night?"
THERE was no answer. Harper
= leaned back in his chair. Tell
me about the discovery of the body"
Mrs Whitmore took up the tale.
I'VE are the first up in the morning"
she explained. Il came downstairs
few minutes after seven this morn
ing and John soon after that. There
are a number of things that need
doing right away, regulating the
thermostat and things like that. AT
quarter to eight rang the garage
on the house phone"
Was that usual?" Harper inter
rupted.
"oh. yes. We always get Joseph
up that way. He has to get cut Of
bed to answer the phone. and let
it ring till he answers"
How long did you ring this morn
ing?p
Quite a while. Then got angry
at him and hung up. When John
came up from. the cellar told him
to go across and get him up"
Placid John Whitmore nodded
sagely to this account. The detec-
tive turned to him. Tell us your
part
Il went BUT to the garage Whit
more began. never dreaming what
| was going to run into"
Were here any footprints in the
snow when you went THEREOF
mo. sir"
Was the door locked?"
''Of course. had taken the key
from the rack in the kitchen. went
upstairs and walked right into Joe's
room. When Isaw what was on the
bed guess | Just stood there dumb,
founded"
did you move the body? Or
touch anything in the room?"
"0h, no.. sir" John answered hast
lily. Il felt queer all over. sort Of
faint. | must have run down the
steps and back to the house" 1t
was Mrs. Whitmore's turn to nod
confirmation.
Il was there when Whitmore came
back. Sergeant" 0'Connell broke in.
He looked like he'd just seen a
ghost AS soon as understood
what had happened ran out to the
garage. There were only two tracks
in the snow. Whitmose's going and
coming back looked around the
room, saw the letter in the type
writer and read it. then / came hack
here and called yon up. That's the
whole story. Sergeant" q .tls q
Harper exhibited the :skeiH of
brownish rope with the metal rings
on the ends. "Can any Of you iden-
tify this piece of rope? Do you have
any ropelik this inlthe holse?"
The three servants passed the coil
from hand to hand Mrs. Whitmore
spoke far them. 1--WE never had
rope like this in the house. We use
the ordinary wash-line kind. never
saw rope like, that before"
The detective addressed his next
question to the Whitmores. did
you see Donaghy up here the day of
the murders? have reason to be- 4
lieve that he came here then. proba'
bly, late in the afternoon.
Both John and Martha shook their
heads emphatically
fCopyrf0ht. 1885. bu Walter G. BrOtonJ
Tomorrow, Harper finds a flaw In
Donaghy's "confession."