The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-06-19


 pieced together"
 Just that. Follow this closely and see if it doesn't cover all the known points. The masquerader arrived at the rendezvous ahead of time. The storm Is in it's early stages and he would not want to leave plain tracks around the place. He went to Du- fresnes room. shaved. changed into one of Dufresne's dress suits and put on his disguise"
 "Why the disguise?" was Laf- ferty's terse interruption.
 "l don't know" Harper admitted. "That is some evidence of mania. l am dealing with physical move ments now. not motives. The mas querader made himself comfortable. He got out the liquor decanters. per. haps filled them. lit the hearth fire, and sat back to enjoy drink and a smoke. With the snow coming down thick and the double curtains drawn, it was safe to light the fire and the candles"
 "Why bother with candlesw Laf- ferty questioned again.
 "Ah, they explain one of those odd points that are so troublesome. You remember that the electric current was cut off at the switch? Mrs. Whitmore didn't do that. fig ure that every time those persons met here at night they threw that switch. Why? Because if the Whit mores, or any one else. came back unexpectedly. they could not make a light. Hence the use of candles" T AFFERTY approved with nod L of the head.
 Then the killer came to the rem dezvous. The snow was not yet deep enough to retain the tracks very Hong. They sat in this room and talked. There was drinking and smoking. At the predetermined mo- ment a gun was whipped out and bang! the masquerader went out like a candle.
 And now the murderer had to work swiftly. because any interrup- tion would be fatal. The killer need ed more light, for nothing must be overlooked. The fire was stirred up to increase the visibility in the room. Unknown to the killer. a shower of sparks went dancing up the chimney.
 Now that pistol shot in closed room must have sounded like can non. With the sound still ringing in his-or her ears," Harper amended with smile. "the thought came Had any one heard 1t? The killer stole to a rear window to look to- ward the garage. All quiet there. He went to the front window. Damna- tion! A policeman Is approaching. The murderer thought the shot had been heard and is momentarily thrown into a panic. What to do? Meantime. Hamill had turned in at the gate. ! 'The killers first thought was that the game was up. Talk the of ficer out of looking around? That meeting would be remembered whenever the body was found. Then came the inspiration and Hamill was doomed from that mo- rhent. This cold-blooded killer de- cided to take the bull by the horns. He opened the front door to Hamill and invited him inside. Hamill. no doubt recognizing the killer as one of the rightful household, went in. unprepared and unsuspecting. You remember we wondered why Hamill went directly up the steps to the front door instead of reconnoiter- ing and why he wasn't shot down on the threshold or in the hall? "The reason was that the killer instantly grasped the value to his plan of having the policeman die at the proper spot. Had Hamill not known the person who opened the door to him he certainly would have had his gun ready and reports of his superior officers show that he was not the type to be caught fiat footed if there was the least reason to be wary. To my mind his death in this room is the strongest evi- dence that some person in this house did the job.
 "So the stage was set. Dufresne's gun had been used to kill the first man, then the dead mans own gun was used to kill Hamill. The orig inal murder gun was put back in Dufresne's drawer. The gun used to kill Hamill was wiped clean and placed in the masquerader's dead fingers.
 ''Then the killer dug the .45 bull let from the wainscoting and used the fire-tongs to hold it in the flames, but it wouldn't melt. He went down into the cellar. found the roll of old carpet, and fired one shot from Hamill's gun through it.
 "The fact that he thought of the hole under the steps as good place to hide the betraying bullet shows again extreme familiarity with the house. He carried Hamill's bullet upstairs and dropped it in position" fCopyri0ht. 1881. by Walter c. BrownJ 5l Tom orrow, Harper suggests the
 treason for the mystery of fhe hand