The Washington times., 1937-06-10

after all.
Side Issues Detract
From Genuine ClewS
What 1 mean to say is that
those who have been compelled to
work on all the day-to-day develop
ments have encountered nothing
but distractions and side issues.
Others may be in better position
to focus on the main features OF
the crime. There are a lot OF queS-
tions about the murder of Margie
Shannon that have never been an
swered, the most important being,
who killed her? That, Of course,
we can't answer now, but from the
facts we know we can be reason.
ably sure that it was committed
by someone who, after the crime,
went to considerable pains to
throw suspicion away from him
self. First of all, the apartment
was torn up as if there had been
. struggle and then a violent
search. At first glance it appeared
to be a. murder committed in the
commission of robbery. After
ward it occurred to the police that
the aspects of burglary were too
artificial, It was committed, they
believed, by someone who covered
I'D his real motive behind a fake
robbery. Now they have jumped
back to the original theory again,
connecting Pink Flint with the
murder.
1.-THE second point is this: Al
though the weapon with which
Miss Shannon was murdered was
found outside her door by Janice
Fowler, no one, apparently, has
raised any question about the
strangeness of that fact. I sup
pose the reason is that Janice
Fowler was arrested almost lmme-
diately and it was taken for
granted that she had lied about
finding it there. But that is where
she found it, nevertheless. Ana
why was it there"
because the murderer put it
there, I suppose" said Sparks as
Brant paused.
But why did the murderer put
It there? We don't know, but we
can venture couple of reasonable
guesses. First-although not nee
essarily most probable-because he
knew something of the movements
of the other tenants on that floor
and he purposely placed it there,
figuring that someone else would
pick it up and be seen with it. This
not only would divert suspicion
from himself but would implicate
someone else. We have seen how
it did.
Second, he never intended to
put the weapon where he did. He
intended to leave it at the scene
Of the crime, but after washing
the blood and his finger-prints off
It and eradicating any traces OF
his presence on the scene, he
found himself outside the locked
door with the misericorde still IN
his possession.
Brant Advances New
Theory About Dagger
"Take it with him and run an
added risk? No, better to get rid
of it at once. No time to lose, so
he lays it in front of the door. A
wise precaution, that. but a dia-
holical one, too, in view Of the
trouble it brought to an innocent
girl.
Then there's third suppose
ton: Namely, that he intended
carrying it away and it dropped
from his hand to the carpet as he
left the apartment. But this seems
least plausible. All of them are
gueSSes. anyway"
Embarrassed at the silent inter.
est of his hearers, Brant fumbled
in his pockets and brought forth
his pipe, which he proceeded to
fill. Flint" he said, directing an
apologize smile toward Sparks, as
though he expected to encounter
disagreement there. didn't muir
der Margie Shannon. Murder
wasn't his style. He was sneak
thief and a second-Story worker
His record shows it. He didn't
make his calls when anyone was
at home. SO if you favor him as
Margie Shannon's murderer yoC
must have him in the apartment
when the girl and her escort re
turn. He hides. The escort leaves
What does Flint do-murder hel
TO get out? And if he had, woulc
he have fingered. to tear all tn
bedding off the bed and LITERAL!
throw the apartment ups i'd
down? Hardly"
Sparks nodded and spat tobacco
Juice.
Flint" said. Brant more boldly
'rhad no more to do with the muir
der than we did. 1t was just coin
cidence that brought him II
Janice Fowler's rooms on bur
glary mission at the same TIM
that murder was being commit
ted next door,
Calhoun brought up his heaC
quickly. He reached for a cigaret