Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-03-09
[ACASE EQRg8g Detectives
e &c. LE 90. I 6R erI ,9z.anm "

| to the more natural atmosphere Of
the lounge.
And indeed if further proof was
necessary felt that here it was.
What could be more conclusive
than the suicide of the protag-
onist? But it appeared that Beef
was modest.
"Wot theory?" he said. II 'adn't
got no theory"
ooh yes, you had," said Will
liams, land a very brilliant one,
and as it now turns out amazingly
true. Poor Mary! 1 wonder what
Thurston's motive was? expect
we shall see when we come to go
through her papers. It was a
fiendishly clever idea, though, for
Thurston to persuade her into that
pretense, and then, with his alibi
established, for him to go back
and murder her."
Sergeant Beef was standing be-
tween us and the door.
900 said anythink about DR..
Thurston going back and murder
ing 'er?" he asked suddenly.
For a moment I did not under
stand the implications of this ex-
traordinary question, then 1 was
Mortified to see that the sergeant
had pulled out a pair of handcuffs
and drawn himself up to his full
height.
Samuel James Williams" he
said, cit is my duty to arrest you.
You are charged with the murder
of Mary Thurston. You will be
further charged with the murder
of DR.. Alexander ThurstOn. It is
also my duty to warn you that
anythink you say may be used in
evidence against you"
Before I had recovered from my
surprise I saw that he had slipped
his handouts over the lawyers
wrists.
But but :" I said.
you've just been proving it was
DR.. ThurstOn.
II beg your pardon, sir, 'aven't
been proving nothink of the sort.
knowed it was i'm all through"
Sergeant Beef then did a very
commonplace thing. He blew loud
ly on whistle.
Really" said Lord Simon
whose sensibilities were touched
by the sound.
Two policemen entered.
"Take i'm along" said Sergeant
Beef. "'E won't say nothink, be-
ing a lawyer But 'e's for it,
bright. 'Anged by the neck till
'e's dead, ell be-"
The sergeant thereupon helped
himself to glass of beer, and
after thoroughly sucking the ends
of his struggling ginger mustache,
he said, "You see, gents, I 'adn't
got no theories, not like yours.
still think they was remarkable.
But did 'appen to know 90 done
it. It was simple enough. What
I told you about the lark was
true. That was DR.. Thurston's
idea-for a joke like. e never
'ad no intention but joke, if you
get my meaning. E took that
bulb out to 'elp the joke, not want
ing anyone to see she was still
alive and spoil it, and he shipped
the telephone wire in case anyone
should ring up the p'lice and i'm
get into trouble for giving us un-
necessary trouble.
'"Then it all 'appened just as I
said it did. Only when Williams
was searching the room e notices
out of the corner of is eye that
Mrs. Thurston's no more dead
than e is. Or p'raps he ears 'er
chuckling. And is brains quick.
E thinks, 'Ullo, 'ere's a chance
to do 'er in E gets rid of you
all out of the way like. DR..
Thurston as to act as though 'e's
cut up, for the sake Of the joke,
see? So the doctor stays down.
stairs. Then this ERE Williams
who'd said e was going to ave
another try at telephoning, slips
up and cuts 'er froat while you're
going out to search the grounds.
He throws the knife out of the
window, like I said. It couldn't
of been there many seconds when
you found it, Mr.. Townsend. No
wonder the blood was still wet"
(TO Be COntinued]