The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-11-22

cab driver.
 Meyer mind the idea," Griff told him. "It's important that you fol- low instructions. I want to be up here where can see whats going on."
 He climbed into the front of the cab. Blocker leaned forward and said authcritatively, ''It's all right. I'm Blocker, one of the publishers of The Blade. This man is a de- tective."
 "Okay by me-" the cab driver said. Just so I get the meter.'
 You get twice the amount of the meter," Blocker said. But don't lose that other cab"
 They swung out into traffic, moving at a reasonable rate of speed. The cab ahead turned to a side street and made time. The driver shortened the space between them. The cab turned once more to the left and ran along a resi- dential thoroughfare which was almost devoid of traffic.
 Blocker leaned forward and tapped on the glass.
 'This is the same street where Shillingby was murdered" he said.
 Grin nodded.
 A car swung around a side street behind them.
 Pull into the curb as though we were stopping" Griff told the driv- CT. Let that car behind us get ahead"
 The car pulled into the curb. The | nfh h nh Gx,AN Nf out and stood by the side of the cab, his head bent forward, his right hand in his trouser pocket as though reaching for change. | The other car slid smoothly by with constantly accelerated speed. It was a gray Cadillac coupe with a dented left rear fender. | "Quick!" Griff shouted, spring ing to the running board of the taxicab. "Go after that car. Give it everything you've got"
 He reached to the shoulder hol- ster which was suspended under his left arm-pit and pulled out a heavy calibre automatic Blocker eXcitedly tugged the gun which the crilminologist had given him from his hip pocket.
 The cab went swiftly through the gears and into quick acceleration. The big Cadillac ahead was still gaining, overhauling the first cab in which the girl rode.
 "Faster!" shouted Grtff.
 "I'm giving her all she's got" the driver said.
 The cab was built for quick &C., celeration in traffic and, momen- tarily, it increased it's speed, at first holding its own with Cadillac, then creeping up on 1t just as the Cadillac was creeping up on the first cab.
 "step on it!" the criminologist implored frantically. Hes got too big a. lead"
 The cab driver said nothing.
 Griff, standing with one foot on the running board, clinging to the rod of the windshield support with his left hand, held the heavy cali bre automatic in his right.
 The gray Cadillc drew abreast of the first taxicab. It swerved in to the right, until it's right run the running board of the cab. The lone figure in the drivers seat shifted its position.
 
 The first cab slowed. Flame spat from the side of the gray Cadillac. Griff pressed the trigged of his weapon. The automatic crashed out three shots. The taxicab in which Stella Mockley was riding was braked to a sudden stop. The gray Cadillac swept on, wobbling slightly. There were two more flashes of fire from the Cadillac, two more laundering shots from the criminologist's automatic. The Cadillac swerved sharply, climbed a curb, crossed a sidewalk, crashed through shrubbery swung drunk enly back to the street, slammed against a lighting fixture and went over on it's side with a crash.
 Griff swung from the running board with the grace of a brake man jumping from a moving rail- road coach. He was just abearst of the first taxicab.
 As the criminologist's feet touch- ed the pavement, the cab in which he had been riding swayed and swerved as the driver applied tho brakes. Blocker tugged with the catch on the cab door. The driver of the Mockley cab pushed his hands high in the air, staring at the glinting reflection of light on Griff's gun with wide eyes and sag ging jaw. His face showed white and pasly.
 "Are you hurt?" Griff shouted to Stella Mockley.
 She seemed as one in a daZe. For a moment she didn't answer, then her hand fumbled with the door catch. Griff jerked the door open.
 "1Ie hit me once" she said. T don't think it's serious"
 Griff inspected the streaming blood. "Just through the upper shoulder" he said. "We'll get you to hospital. You'll be all right"
 She pitched forward in faint. into the arms of the criminologist. Griff carried her across to the taxi cab, put her in the rear seat.
 "Stop beside that Cadillac" he said. and pumped to the running board.
 The cab moved slowly forward. Listen, boss" said the cab driver, T don't know what this is all about, but ."
 They came abreast of the Cadil- lac. Grin pumped to the pavement Blocker was behind him. A figure lay twisted under the steering wheel of the wrecked Cadillac, Griff produced fiashlight. The beam struck the calm features. It needed but a glance to see that the man was quite dead.
 Good heavens!" Blocker ex- claimed. "It's Charles Fisher-the lawyer!"
 Griffs voice was quick with inn patience. "Who the hell did you think it was?" he asked.
 There was the sound of siren as a police radio car came roaring down the avenue,