The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-11-19

i, Malone. He has undoubtedly made | a study of the life and habits of II Frank B. Cathay. Why, 1 do not
 know. He cashed @ small check
 while he was masquerading as Ca- thay. I do not know the reason for
 that unless it was, perhaps, to test
 out his signature.
 "I am commencing to think that this scheme is something that has
 been years in brewings that for some sinister purpose Peter Ma lone is about to confuse his identity with that of Frank B. Cathay."
 But" Griff pointed out. rCa- they is dead. A live man could not very well confuse his identity 1 with a corpsC."
 "That is true" the lawyer said. "But let us not lose sight of the salient and significant facts. Let Lme check them with you First, Peter Malone takes steps to iden- | tify himself as Frank B. Cathay, | He goes to the trouble of perfect | ing his signature so that it is an almost perfect forgery of the sigma ture of Frank B. Cathay. He goes | to the trouble of picking the pock- | ct of Frank B. Cathay in order to secure identifying. cards. He goes to considerable expense in connec- l tion with the renting of an auto- mobile and getting a room in a hotel where he can masquerade for a short time only as Cathay. While he is making this masquerade he cashes small check. ask you therefore. what can possibly be the motive of such a crime?"
 {! Griff suddenly gave an exclama- | tion. By jove!' he said, land see if your conclusions check with mine."
 q was thinking" Griff said slowly, "that cashing the check might be much more important than the amount of cash received '
 Blocker frowned at the two men.
 T confess" he said, T don't fol. low you"
 Fishers nod became gloomilJ emphatic. Beyond any question, he said, ..that is it..''
 .What is ?" Blocker asked.
 The attorney turned to him. You are a newspaper publisher MT Blocker. am acting as at. torney for Mrs Cathay and for tho Cathay estate. My duty to my client probably requires me to keeI silent and yet we have been throwr | together in this investigation suffi ciently so that I feel it is, in { measure, a joint undertaking. am, therefore, going to outline thii theory to you-a theory which
 feel certain will be amply sup ported by proof. I am going tt ask you, however, for your word O. l honor that you will allow no rumol of this to crep into you pape' until we are ready to make the an nouncement."
 Fair enough" Griff said t, l Blocker. Promise him.
 "I'm making no promises l Blocker stubborply insisted. "I'l listen to what you have to say ant then I'll decide when it will b. l published"
 Griff reached out to press tht button which would call the ele' vator.
 l Don't do that just yet" Fisher said. T want to think"
 He moved slightly apart from the two men, started pacing I thoughtfully up and down the car peted corridor. Blocker caught Griff's eyes.
 T make no blind promises" he said. What is your theory?" | "I'd prefer you hear it from the lips of the attorney" Griff said, 'but evidently we're faced with a l conspiracy of murder. l think Fisher is going to tell us about 1t. To wouldn't have hurt you to have given him that promise. I can as- sure you you won't suffer by ii" I'm not relying on your assur- ance," the publisher said. I'm making no promises"
 Fisher apparently reached a sud- den decision. He turned and strode the two men. "Gentlemen,' The said in tones of quiet determination, promise or no promise, I am going to tell you my theory of this case. It is a theory which is amply substan- tiated by the facts. In the develop ments which are bound to follow we will have ned of some friendly newspaper that understands what is back of the entire situation. l can justify the disclosures which am about to make upon that ground. It is vital to my client that she have some newspaper that understands the complete situation. ,"For some reason this man, Peter Malone, wishes to take the identity of Frank B. Cathay, not for some thing that is to be done in the future, but for something that has ben done in the past. He has over a period of years, perfected signatures so that it resembles that | of Frank B. Cathay. However, he knows that there is likely to bt | some question as to the signature | Therefore, he desires, to have ar Identical signature for purposes oi l comparison, which handwriting ex' perts can uncover among the sup posedly genuine documents o | Frank B. Cathay.
 "For that reason it becomes i'm perative that he cash a check un' der the forged signature; that sucf a check be found among the effects of Frank B. Cathay as unquestion' ably a genuine check. He take' the trouble to go, therefore, to
 hotel. He knows he will require some cards of Identification. H'
 takes the trouble to pick Cathay'!
 pocket of these cards. With tha as a background. he cashes a checl
 at the hotel. That was all that h' intended to do. That was the pur
 pose of his impersonation. H' then intended to disappear.
 unfortunately, however, he wal of an amorous disposition as is st frequently the case with criminal
 of his type. He allowed himsel
 to become involved with a yount
 woman who, according to her owr
 account, made things very easy fo him. Tn fact, considering her story
 she was perhaps the aggressor il
 making the acquaintanceship. Th'
 man saw no reason why he should
 not yield to the temptation of thu