The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-07-22
Chapter II
CHECKING LUMsDALE

A MOTHER half pint. please" In.
spector Hylton said. sin a
tankard." and he smiled amiably at
the pretty fiuffy-haired girl who
was serving him.
Anything more to eat?" the
Crown barmaid enquired.
"No. thanks. my dear. I'm afraid
OF my figure. but IL you can stand
the smell of cigar smoke I'll light
this thing"
"Oh. love the smell Of a cigar"
the girl assured him. seems so
posh like. doesn't it?"
1t was nearly two o'clock and he
was seated in the bar of the Crown
Inn Morechester and his morning
had been a busy one. 1t had been
a morning devoted entirely to Mr..
Andrew Lumsdale.
He drew a pencil from his pocket
and began to tick off points on the
back or an envelope.
I'd Captain Reeves says that he
left Enderton Court at or ten past.
and that A. B. was then alive-this
may or may not be true.
ca Lumsdale's story-here the
Inspector paused and considered
afresh' all he had done that morn.
ingss
The West Sussex Transport Sys-
tenn Limited had imposing head of.
fees in Morechester. and Hylton's
official card had very soon brought
the entire place at his disposal. Be-
fore long he was interviewing Fred.
erick Warner. the conductor of the
2:40 bus from Hope Enderton to
Morechester on the fatal Monday.
Fred Warner was a broad-shoul.
dered. healthy young man of TWEEN.
ty.two or three. Yes, he got to know
the regulars on his bus pretty well.
Yes. he knew Mr.. Lumsdale. Mr..
Burdett's man. well by sight. Mr..
Lumsdale nearly always came on
the 2:40 bus on Mondays: he GER
tainly did last Monday; he came
over the fields in front Of the Court,
and the bus had to stop especially
Tor him by the stile.
Warmers evidence was straight.
forward and unhesitating and car.
ried conviction. At the Regal ("the
big place in the Square" as Andrew
Lumsdale had described it, the In.
spector's luck petered out. on then
to the Crown where the production
OF his card had worked wonders
with the Landlord. The presence of
a big pot from Scotland Yard re.
duced Mr.. William Trotter to hu-
initiating depths of servility.
The Crown was famous for its
billiards room and Jimmy Pratt, the
marker. was a character in the
town. He answered all Hylton's
questions like the sharp little Cock.
ney sparrow that he was.
Mr.. Lumsdale? Certainly, he
knew Mr.. Lumsdale: one of his reg.
ulars. Monday? OF course he came
in on Monday. About half past FIVE
as near as made no matter that was
his time for coming in. and played
until seven. Positive? Certainly he
was positive. The fiuffy-haired lit.
tie creature in the bar had been the
next link in the chain: she. too,
knew Mr.. Lumsdale by sight, he had
acquired some degree OF local no.
toriety by reason of the celebrated
ecceutricities OF his master. Usual.
ly came in for something to eat on
Monday nights. On last Monday he
certainly did. she remembered dis.
tinctly. Time? About seven, coinci.
dent with the arrival OF her own
supper from the kitchen.
GO FAR all this tailed exactly
" with Lumsdale's own story and
Il seemed pretty clear that he had
not left the Crown in dorchester
until say quarter to eight on Mon.
day evening. Even If he walked
back. according to his own state.
ment, arriving say at nine. there
was nothing inherently impossible
In the supposition that he went in,
murdered Arthur Burdett straight
away. and then reported the matter
to Sergeant White.
Against this theory was the Doc.
tors very definite opinion that
death had taken place some time
before eight. Hylton realized that
what Chambers had said was, after
all. only an opinion. and he won.
dered -.
He gently eased the long ash on
his cigar and considered again the
one small point in which the results
OF his enquiries had deviated from
Lumsdale's own statement.
Frederick Warner, the bus con
ductor. had not only noticed I.ums