Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-04-04
CHAPTER xIiI--contlnued

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There Is another very vital
clue which we must not overlook.
That Ia the revolver. Unless w be-
ileve that Franklin thought his life
was in grave danger. 1t Is ridicu-
ious to suppose that he carried a re-
volver to his own wedding. l pre-
fer to think that he had no warn
ing of his danger. In the first place,
II be had, he would never have
permitted his assailant to approach
him near enough to stab him, with
out firing. He was stabbed from
In front, remember. not from be-
hind. Again let me remind you
that Royce was only = few feet
away in the next room.
mo, II Franklin had been armed.
1t would have been because he sus-
pected danger. And In that event,
he would have used his weapon
when the murderer entered the
room. / am convinced that the re-
volver was carried to the church,
not by Franklin, but by the MUIR
derer himself. who intended. by
slaying the man with his own gun,
thus to escape detection. You
will argue, of course, that he used
the knife, instead. l believe that
was an afterthought, suggested
when he saw the knife hanging on
the wall as he entered the room
1t suggested a silence, and greater
time for escape, that he could not
hope for II he used the gun.
Another point which puzzled me
was why the revolver should have
been discarded In the shrubbery OF
the garden. OF course, the murder
er had already taken the precau
ton to leave Franklin's OWE finger
print upon 1t, but nevertheless, thii
revolver has been a significant clue
In the case, and marks an appar
ent mistake on the part of the mai
we seek. My only explanation FOL
this action is that the murderel
Joined the throng In front Of thu
church, after the crime, seeking
safety In the crowd, rather than Ii
flight. I think 1t probable that b,
even entered the church. That Il
quite likely, az ! am sure his &C
Q%uaintance with Franklin was sucl
that he had been Invited. That be
ing true, he could not afford TO hav,
the murdered mans revolver In hi
possession. That explains thu
point, but 1t does not explain hov
and when he obtained that revolver
THAT" declared Peter, witt
allow emphasis. @is the most sig
nifcant point Of all. Fletche
claims Franklin never kept a gul
at the apartment The man
telling the exact truth, or else b
10 protecting the murderer. AM
yet. we can find no motive tina
would cause Fletcher TO pursu
such a course. I think the fellov
might protect the identity Of
woman who had been indiscreet-
don't think he would protect tn
murderer. We have proof Of 1t. |
fact Had he been In league wit
rranklin's slayer, 1t would not hsv
been necessary to search the apar'
ment, as was done. Fletcher coul
have accomplished such q scare
without any difficulty and withou
knowledge.
'sThat means that Franklin ker
the weapon elsewhere. Whersf A
the apartment he kept for Cho
Choo Trainf In another posslbl
apartment kept for the woman |
bluef At his oficef
Sergeant" Cardigan spoke wit
evident conviction, this evidenc
led me. ultimately. to two clues |
which / did not at first attach su
ncient Importance. And those tw
clues. I believe, will prove not onl
the identity, but the guilt. Of th
murderer. They are the revolvs
and the key-ring We found In th