The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-05-22

nature OF the wound. II the doctor
had any curiosity about the canse
OF the wound he gave no sign Of It.
He promised to be over in less than
half an hour.
With that detail out of the way.
Sergeant Harper turned his atten-
tion to the major matter in hand. He
called together Onicer Clymer. De-
tectlve Lafferty. and the two plain.
from Headquarters. $50
far we have found no clue to the
Identity of the man who has been
killed here" he began.
"For some unknown reason he
chose to impersonate the master OF
this house. II this same man wrote
the threatening letter and shot at
Mr.. Dufresne. the chances are that
We are dealing with a lunatic. There
will be traces and want you to look
for them. We haven't found this
mans hat and oYercoat. for instance.
Look for signs of forcible entry. too.
but don't go outside. ] want the snow
left undisturbed.
The men scattered to their tasks.
Harper and Carlin were alone with
the dead men. and the Investigation
into their strange death was on In
earnest.
"WelI. Professor: it's time we got
down to brass tacks. What do the
stars in their course tell you about
this?" While he asked this CUES.
ton. Harper was carefully looking
over the man In the armchair.
The bailistics expert smiled at the
pleasantly. "Dr. Miller has emptied
the pockets" he explained. "Oyer
there you can see all that was
found" On corner of the buffet
was folded. unused mans handker-
chief OF good quality. On 1t was
seventy.nine cents In change.
what has taken place here. Ser
geant, Is plainly written" He point.
ed to the body in the armchair.
THAT man is seated there. He has
been drinking. He is smoking a ciga-
rette. The policeman enters. Two
guns are lifted simultaneously and
fred. Both men are dead-they have
killed each other. That is the story.
The reason why all this happened?
That Is your job. Sergeant. and you
are welcome to III"
Harper nodded. 1.-THE reconstruc.
ton Of the scene h quite obvious.
But suppose. Carlin. | told you that
I don't believe everything | hear
and moi always what see?"
A Fl. then, that makes a differ.
ence. We can talk more about
this simple story" CarIin's tiair for
the dramatic was being fed" by the
detective with admirable results.
There are certain parts Of this story
I tlnd hard to swallow. The most ex.
eellent craftsmanship displayed. for
instance--it IL almost too perfect.
Zone shot-right through the
brain. II Is true that the man In the
chair needs two shots-but one goes
straight to the heart. the other not
two inches away. A man does not
Ore after he has been shot through
the brain. nor after bullet has gone
through his heart"
yet each man died where he was
found" Harper unused. There are
the stains on the rug to prove It."
Consider this" Carlin went on
excitedly. now al full tilt with his
subject. "considtl the absolute non-
chaiance Of these men. This one did
not risu from his chair. an instInc-
tive movement where danger threat.
ems. lie did not even drop his ciga.
rette. Il burned on and on between
his fingers until Il was consumed,
soaring the iiesh."
He screwed a jewelers. glass Into
his ere and examined q mls-shapen
bullet under direct light. This Is q
IS calIher. and have no donbt that
the rltilng win prove II to have To-
sued from otiicer tiamili's gun. And
when ths other two bullets are
probed out have no doubt they WIN
prove 10 have come from this other
gun
"Both deaths were instantaneous.
jet We cannot readily admit 50 In
credible a thing a. an absolutely
simultaneous exchange Of shots. for
the man In the chair here fred twice.
.But what disturbs me most is
thls." he went on. pointing 10 the
circular bullet mark In the strang-
er's forehead. The bullet went In
through the LEFT frontal. passed
completely through the skull and
made it, exit wound In the base Of
the brain. II we did not have tha
bullet. and you asked me- what had
caused that wound. | would answer
without Q moment's hesitation-a
IS atsaliacket. But Il seems that I
would 10 wrong. Tor there b thar
mark On TIE waiEscoting where our
IS bullet lodged itself.
a have Q strange reluctance 10
asserting that these men killed each
olher IN The manner Indicated. Jet
there are the fActs staring ~ In the
iacA- q
ecssswssAs. Issa. ~ Raitsr g. BfssAl