Henderson daily dispatch., 1938-03-07
[A.CASE EQRgl8g Detectives
e 8C E c. ,I B F. 2n,I Is; :I65,uo, "
L ED BRUCE
COPYRIGHT By LEO BRUCE ASSOCIATION

cept stan, who had shown him
there.
"She went up to bed. At her
door she hesitated, startled, not
unnaturally, to find Mr.. Rider
awaiting her in room which had
been partially darkened by Stall
in the hope that the murder might
be committed before the MUIR
derer's intention was apparent to
the victim, and the alarm raised.
what crazy appeal the poor
man made in those 10 minutes we
shall never know, or what were
the unhappy lady's answers. But
at last the thing was done, and
thereafter the vicar followed
Stalls instructions infinitely. He
seized the rope, pulled down the
window, and swung, a giant
spider on his thread, to the win
dow which did not open. There
he stood, gripping the masonry
above him while Stall pulled in
that first rope, and descended to
the door to prove his alibi.
"Yoii all came, you broke in,
you searched, you left the room,
and Stall, on the plea Of fetching
brandy for the hysterical girl,
went to draw in the second rope,
on which Mr.. Rider had now
swung back to the open window.
He said afterwards that he had
gone to the front door in answer
to the bell, to admit Mr.. Rider.
At first, thought that, had that
ben rting, it would have been a
peal Of joy for it would have
proved this unfortunate mans in
nocence. But then I found that
all the bell-pushes Of the house,
including those Of the front door
and Mrs. Thurston's room, oper-
ated on the same bell, SO that had
it sounded it might have been q
summons to Stall from Mr.. Rider
in the bedroom as well as Mr..
Rider at. the front door. It might,
as I said at the time, have shown
that someone was not outside the
front door, as well as that some
one was there.
you know the rest. You came
upstairs and found the murderer,
who, / prefer to think, was but
the weapon Of the murderer, ID
the room beside the dead woman"
$50 you think" I asked breath
lessly, that he cut her throat be-
cause he thought it was q duty?"
"I think" said Mgr. Smith.
blinking at me, that he cut her
throat because he thought it was
q canker."
It was at this difficult moment
that DR.. Thurstofi came into the
room. !.
II hope" he said quietly, chat
you have finished your deliber-
ations. You haven't yet made
your arrest, sergeant? 2"
mot yet, sir"
"The truth is, Thurston," said
Sam Williams, that there Is q
little difference OF opinion among
these gentlemen"
Thurston looked puzzled. He
evidently found this hard to un-
uSISCduU OI CIcOAI. ouI
haven't you discovered who ID
guilty ?" he asked YEARLY.
ayes. Well, that is - Will
| Hams was in an uncomfortable
predicament. At last he turned to
Sergeant Beef. "Look here, ser
geant, you, after all. represent
| the police, and it is your duty to
make an arrest. You have heard
all these gentlemen. What do you
| think about it?"
Sergeant Beef looked from one
to the other OF the three i11vesti.
gators with evident appreciation.
"Wot do I think about it? I
think wot these gentlemen ave
| told us is remarkable. Remark
able! I shouldn't never ave be-
lieved it possible that anyone
could ave been so ingeenyus.
And the details they thought Of!
It was wonderful, sir, and treat
to ear them. I shan't never for
get today. 1t will be Something
to tell nay grandchildren. TO think
that i've been privileged to ear
all that!' His eyes, usually g
trifle glazed, glowed now With
honest admiration.
(TO Re COrtinu06\