Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-11-18
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FCRTY-EIGHT

WHEN TINKER threw me 10
the ground, my head must nave
struck a rock, for knew no more
until 1 opened my eyes to hnd my
self lying on a davenport III the
Hill House lounge, around me
circle of anxious faces. In NealS
ewes was an expression which sent
the blood leaping joyously IN my
veins. That look was one had nun
gered to see.
Gently they told me that just
as Captain Lancy and Chief For
rest. accompanied by troopers, ar
rived to make an arrest, Thinkers
furious outburst brought them all
to the scene to find me unconscious,
Coral dying and DR.. Paul Ruther-
ford dead. His throat torn out by
the powerful jaws of the dog who
in his slashed shoulder bore mute
evidence that his onslaught was all
that saved me from CorapS fate.
An hour later, Captain Lancy
and the chief entered and, after
hearing my story, told us-only
poor Pauline and her mother were
absent-the sordid truth underly-
ing the tragedy of Hill House.
Captain Lancys face was sad
and grim. Miss Easton is dead"
he said gravely. Had we been a
few minutes earlier, she would now
be alive, and Miss Gordon would
not have been subjected to the at
tack on her life. Had it not been
for the dog"
That brought it back so wildly
that 1 clutched Meals arm in gen
uine panic. His understanding: It's
all over, DEAR" restored my self
control, and I listened intently to
every word.
Part of what 1 tell you, I have
iust learned from Miss Easton,"
Lancy went on. 1--WE were sure that
DR.. Rutherford killed Mrs. Peake,
but proof for which we were wait
ing was so delayed that we ar
rived too late to prevent the Sec
ond tragedy.
''Dr. Paul Rutherford was one of
the cleverest, most cold-blooded
murderers l ever have tracked
down. When I tell you that he was
heartless enough to give doped
whiskey to his own mother merely
to draw everyone away from Hill
House and enable his accomplice to
search the house, you will under
stand why say that am glad his
career is ended before it was fairly
begun. But I will go back to the
beginning.
1--WE suspected DR.. Peake, Bruce
Orion, Alan Murray and Joseph
Barry before we realized that we
must look to Dr. Rutherford, who
from the first tried to blind us
with much useless information. His
position here as close friend, and
apparent lack of motive, deceived
us at first. Yet it was obvious that
he could most easily hope and dis
pose Of the Whiskey. It was not
until we investigated Joseph Barry
that we discovered that DR.. Ruth
erford was more closely linked
with Coral Easton than either DR..
Peake or Joseph Barry, himself.
During the second search Of
Hill House we learned Barry is a
devoted philatelist. In one of his
stamp albums were several en-
velopes addressed to Jose Barrios
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In his
trunk was picture of himself with
which Miss Dutton told her. Name
white hair
Miss Gordon related story
ly, that Joseph Barry had had his
hair re-dyed in beauty salon in
Hyannis. BY wiring Brazil we
found that Joseph Barry and Jose
Barrios were one and the same.
That, in Rio, Barry was associated
with a Coral Estes; in America,
with Coral Easton. The two names
applied to the same woman.
continuing the investigation we
found that Coral Estes or Easton
was close friend of DR.. Ruther-
ford's before she met DR.. Peake.
DR.. Rutherford posed as a wealthy
man, and undoubtedly was one up
to a year ago. But he had dissi-
pated the money which his father
left him, also his mothers and sis
ters shares, which he handled, and
was in desperate financial straits
when he met Coral Easton.
we knew that the blow which
killed Mrs. Peake was a powerful
one, as it required considerable
strength to penetrate through the
layers OF fat to her heart. DR..
Rutherford< habitually carried a
small scalpel in his pocket, an ideal
weapon for the crime. Coral Easton
was a slight, unathletic woman. DR..
Rutherford was our choice for the
murderer.
But we could not step up to him
and say: You answer all the re-