The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-10-13
BEGIN HERE TODAY

Usher of The Blade, learns that
Charles Morden, police reporter,
has been mysteriously killed he
determines to employ Sidney
Gritt, famous criminologist, to
solve the murder.
! Morden had been assigned to
learn all he could about Frank
B. Cathay, wealthy and promi.
nent. who had threatened to sue
The Blade because the newspa.
per reported Cathay had been ar.
rested. Later it was proven that
the man arrested, giving the
, name of Cathay and accompanied
by a girl called Mary Briggs,
was an impostor. Mrs. Cathay
assures Blocker her husband viii
drop the charges if The Blade
publishes a retraction. and this is
done.
A day later Morden is found
dead. Shortly after that comes
news that Cathay is dead-pos'
sibly of poison. Blocker goes tc
oSS SidhSy
NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
CHAPTER TX
Blocker spoke slowly. "You
understand" he said, chat Nor,
den was investigating Cathay's
life. Cathay isn't what he:
cracked up to be-"
{ How do you know that?
Griff asked.
Because" said Blocker, "I've
been in the newspaper business
! too long to accept any small town
celebrity at his face value"
"Riverview isn't exactly a small
town." Griff pointed out.
"The same principle applies, .
Blocker said. ~It's a suburb, and
as far as that's concerned | won't
accept any man at his face value
Not unless he's a gangster, or q
crook. That's one thing you find
out from being in the newspaper
business. You're a criminologist
Griff, you know crooks. | am &
newspaper man, l know people
And this man Cathay is simply
too good to be true. The presi
dent of the luncheon club, The
president of the chamber Of com
merce. director of the bank, can
didate for city councilman on {
reform ticket. And his wife hat
fear in her eyes"
"Fear?" asked Griff.
! Fear" repeated Blocker. Ssh,
was afraid of something"
Afraid of the newspaper
asked Griff.
"Perhaps," Blocker said. "Bu
1T looked to me as though sh
was too adept at covering up tn
fear to have recently acquired it
i would say it was something sh
had been living with for weeks o
months"
"And there was some talk abou
Cathay's death being due to poi
SOM"
apparently there was" Bleek
err said, "but it's being hushe
up. Cathay was an influentia
man in Riverview. The famil
have influential friends. Their
were two doctors on the case
IOneoof the doctors thought ther
> were circumstances surroundin
the death that made it resembl
: poisoning. The other doctor a
tributed it to natural causes. He
= signing a death certificate"
= "There'll be no autopsy?' asl
: ed Griff.
"There's going to be an al
: topsv." Blocker said griml!
t "I'm going UP to interview BecE
, lev, the editor of The Rivervie'
Chronicle. That was the new!
; paper that was on the opposit
. side of the political fence frol
E the Cathay side. Beckley and
, have exchanged favors in tn
, past. He started in investigator
> the Cathay death and then telt
phoned me that he was going t
. have to lay off because of pre-:
sure that was being brought t
bear on him by members of tn
chamber of commerce, of tn
luncheon club and various bank
ing influences. :.
an other Words" Griff sai'
"Cathay's friends are trying
stop a scandal"
Blocker nodded. =,
Subject. of course Grit
went on, ''to the fact that there
> a strong probability that this wa
| due to natural causes, and ths
. the younger doctor simply mad
| mistake in diagnosis"
"That, of course, is a posslbl
lty," Blocker said.
Getting back to this woma
angle" Griff told him, 81 take
you feel Morden was murdere
, because he was on the trail O