The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-05-04

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inside knob.
BETTER get on the phone" I
whispered to Harris. We've got
about everything we can get for
this edition. Tell Calhoun to
bear down on it and that I'll
be there in plenty OF time for
the home"
Harris nodded. Burglary, I
guess. The robber must have
escaped through a window"
At this moment Kornman came
back from the bedroom, shaking
his head. He overheard Harris
remark and glared at him in con-
tempt.
Escaped through a window, did
he? Well, he must have been one
sweet little Alpine climber then
Lieutenant" he said, turning
abruptly to CropSy, all the win
dows are locked except the two
in the bedroom, and one of those
is wide open. But there amt a
sign of fire escape on that side
of the building and it's a four
story drop to the ground"
CHAPTER III
An Empty Scabbard
But if Kornman thought his in
formation would furnish Cropsy
with a surprise he was dlsap-
pointed.
Cropsy paused in the act OF let
ting Bertha Ramsey go her way,
first admonishing her, however,
to remain in the building for the
present so that she might easily
be summoned. He smiled tolerant
" as he turned back to Kornman.
Sure, 1 noticed there wasn't
any fire escape on that side be-
fore we came in. It's in the rear
and opens off the hall"
We'll" Kornman sputtered.
chow in the devil did the muir
derer get out if the doors locked
on the inside this morning? Did
he sprout wings and fly out OF
the window or did he go up the
chimney like Santa CLAUSE"
He strobe toward the fireplace
as if determined to have a
thorough look, but halfway there
he paused and a crafty, trlum-
plant CLEAN appeared in his eyes.
OR" he demanded, was that
maid lying about the door being
locked?"
Whitacre, who had finished his
inspection of the lock, exchanged
grins with CropSy. =,
Wrong three times, Kornman,"
he said. THE murderer left by the
door and the maid amt lying
either You noticed it, didn't
you?" he said to Cropsy, and the
latter nodded. Whitacre then
went on to explain to Kornman.
Intricacies of Lock Described
In Detail
"The doors got a latch on IT..
Nothing unusual about it. You
lust press the button in the END
and it locks the door from the out
side but not from the inside. With
the latch on you can leave the key
on the inside, close the door from
the outside and there you are: a
door locked from the outside with
a key in it."
Kornman looked rather shame
faced. "All right, you don't have
to draw picture for me-"
Cropsy turned to Whitacre.
did you get word to Doc Saund-
ers?" he asked.
jackson said he was on his
way" Whitacre answered.
"Well, while we're waiting you
might as well get the manager in
here. There's a lot of things to
be found out and I'm for finding
them out"
He walked over to the daven-
port and stood surveying the body
stretched out before him, and a
worried frown creased his brow.
I took this opportunity to make
a more thorough inspection of the
apartment, first announcing my
purpose in a whisper to Cropsy
and promising not to touch any
thing.
The davenport faced the fire
place squarely, and adjoining 1t
on the left was an end table with
a reading lamp on it. This was
still burning and it shed pale
illumination on a group of books
beneath its wide shade. The vol
umes were supported by handsome
bookends of FURNISHED metal.
The fireplace itself was a small
affair. The mantel supported a
slender vase at one end, a bronze
figurine at the other, and heavy
clock in its center. The clock was
turned askew and standing peril
ously near to the edge. Either
someone had looked behind it or
had Jared it 1T of position in
ripping down the tapestry from
the wall above the mantel. One
of the four tacks that had held
the tapestry in place still was in
the wall, pinning beneath it a
small fragment of the cloth. The
others had been ripped out.
Near the center of the room lay
the overturned chair, a small lad
der-back with a rush seat; and in
the corner farthest from the win
dows and toward the bedroom were
a floor lamp and an overstuffed
armchair. Gauze hangings cut
off the living room from the small
hallway leading to the bedroom.
Along the wall on either side were
several small framed pictures. The
writing desk with it's spilled-out
drawers, stood between the win
dows, thanked on the right by a
bridge lamp. Between the left