The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-11-27
CHAPTER FORTY.

cred, sWarthy chap whom he in
PRODUCED as Sergeant Doyle, Of the
Portsmouth force.
Tell us the story again. said
Nike. u been giving it to Doyle,
here, as I remembered it, but may
have left out something
So Larry outlined the situation
in detail, telling how the Jackson
gangsters had been traced to the
Engle farm, outside of Midlothian
and how a mysterious telephone
call had announced that they were
going TO French Petes
Have you any kind Of notion
where or what French Pete's might
be?" asked Larry. The call came
from Portsmouth, so I'm assuming
it might be somewhere in this
neighborhood. Ever hear the name
before?"
Doyle slowly shook his head. Il
wouldn't say I never heard the
name" he said 1T sounds sort of
familiar, somehow. But III be
hanged if I can place it." He was
oi4t4lL III Il IllDIltiIts liON mig ,
then he shook his head again.
Il can't help feeling I ought to
remember" he said, but I don't.
There's Just a chance" said
Larry, that we might get a lead
from Washington Before we left
Dover 1 called the Division of In
vestigation and asked them to see
if they had anything on it. They're
to call me here, tonight, if they
have. But it's slim chance
aWfully slim"
They fell silent for a time; then
the plain-clothes men who had been
sent to the bus station from which
the call had been made came in to
report that a careful check there
had failed to disclose any informa-
ton whatever about the fugitives.
Il didn't expect it would" said
Larry glumly. "HoW's anybody in
a place like that going to remember
who went to the pay-station booth
to make a phone call? You've got
one chance in thousand. -
The desk telephone buzzer sound
ed, and Doyle answered. He held
the receiver up to Larry with the
remark, For Washington"
Larry took the phone and held a
mCn0Syllabic conversation. At last
he hung up and turned to Doyle
and Hagan
We'll, for what it's worth-Which
isn't much-here's all the Washing
ton files have got" he said. They've
checked their list of gangster aliases
and they have one French Pete
listed He was a booze racketeer,
back in prohibition days. Used to
run whisky from Detroit down
through the Middle-West. Both
Portsmouth and Dover were on his
route, apparently.
But he was shot to death by
rival gangsters back in 1928. So
that's that"
MIKE HAGAN suddenly banged
I'VE the desk with his fist. Hey
Il remember now" he said That
guy-listen, Larry, maybe there's a
lead in this, after all Back about
1925 he was pulled in for numbering
a village marshal who stopped his
truck in some little town between
here and Dover. And Don Mon
tague of Dover was his lawyer.
Montague came down and got him
of. l don't remember the details,
except that there was supposed to
be something funny about it. Mon
tague was supposed to've got to the
local prosecutor, or something"
Doyle's face lit up with eagerness.
Sure. 1 remember, too" he said.
ut was a funny deal. The gossip
was that Montague took this bird
they called French Pete for about
everything he had in the way of a
fee"
He paused, frowning in his effort
to remember.
Il got it" he said at last. This
fellow French Pete-hiS real name
was RubidouX. He used to have a
sort of resort on a little lake, over
in Lvcoming County, before he got
into the booze-running racket. ANY
how. he held on to it, and the talk
was that Montague made him sign
it over to him as part of his fee"
Where is it?" asked Larry
quickly. so,d
Dovle. Il bet old Tom Thornton
would know, though. He's been on
this force for Is years and he never
forgot ANYTHING in his life
He opened a door into another
room and bawled, Hey, Thornton
come in here a second, Will you!
A grav-haired, mild-looking detec-
tive came in and faced them NJ
quiringly. ,o,,,
remember that bird RubidouX'
who used to have some sort OF a
resort on a little lake over IN Ly-
coming?" asked Doyle.
Thornton nodded.
where was it, exactly?" asked
Larry.
well" said Thornton, sit used to
he in the country home Of some rlcn
man from Dover. Later 1t was d
sort of country club. Then Rooldoux
got it. Anyhow, it's tucked way on
in the woods, about two-three mlles
south of the main highWay-O' D
12O-around 10 miles east OF here'
or such a matter.
Gould you take us to it?" asked
Larry. 500
Thornton pondered, then nodded.
It think could" he said. lhey
have relocated ore or two OF the
roads in there. but think I coulo
ind it."
Larry got up. Then let's CO." he
said. 1t may be bum steer-out
it's all the steer we've got. TAKE
me in and let me talk to your chle1'
Will you?"
60 Larry went in to talk with tlls
- Portsmouth chief OF police Wn'le
Tony LaRocco, at his instruction
hurried to telephone the Lycornlng
County sheriff; and both Of these
officials promised full cooperation