The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-20
READ THIS FIRST:

READ THIS FIRST:
|, Bill Strickland, am suspected
in the murder of my friend, Alfred
Markham, rich young jeweler, al
a party at the Rio Vista clubhouse
Captain of Detectives Clyde NC
Donald is convinced of my lnno'
cence. but young Coroner Silver
Sill doubts me. The coroner is sur
orised to find that hobnailed boot
orints in the garden where Marx.
lam was killed match prints founo
outside the house where a boy com
nits suicide the following mid
hight. The boy was the cooks help
er at the Rio Vista club.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
II told you the servants we're
mixed up in this!!" exclaimed Cap
ain Mcdonald, triumphantly. I'VE
should have suspected something
when Pappini, the cook, SAID MS
,elper went home early"
I thought of the weeping motner
downstairs. The boy was lnno-
cent" I told the officers. "Obvl-
,usly he killed himself because ne
,ad fallen into the power OF thls
nan who tossed the note OF warn.
inc tn him through the window.
Coroner Silver agreed with me
II think Strickland has something
here, Captain. The boy had kept
his drug addiction from his moth
~ This man knew of it, and was
holding it over him to force MN
nto a life of crime. Rather IMAM
ave his mother learn his terrible
secret, or become a CRIMINAL ne
chose this way out
The captain shook his head.
Good theory, but we should SUCK
10 facts. This is too early TO r
theories. The fact is that this poy
is linked, somehow, to the killing
of Alfred Markham. You can't get
away from that
The boys name was Robert WI,
hams. we discovered. He was 10
wears old. There was little more TO
be learned from studying Ills iooiii
and his belongings.
I'VE a question his mother TO-
morrow the captain SAID. "Nllgn.
as well call it a night. Time we all
cot some sleep.
Riding back to the police station
after picking up Sullivan and MS
equipment Captain Mcdonald ask
cd. by the way, Silver, since you
are SO sure the servants at tne
Flo Vista club weren't mixed up IN
Markham's death, just what is
your theory?' There was a note Of
in his voice, but the cor
oner didn't seem to notice it.
There was a quarrel" said Cor
ooer Silver slowly. He was looking
al the river front lights we were
nassing, but without seeing them
1T took place in the rose arbor
The assailant, l believe, tried te
use Strickland's pocket knife. Fer
haps it was stolen out Of Strlck
Iands's pocket earlier in the night
Markham grabbed his arm, ant
the knife dropped. The killer thel
grabbed the stool and swung
over his head to knock Markham
to the ground. The stool caught OF
the wire and broke it. Perhaps tn
men fell together. They would b.
unbalanced. The killer grabbed tn
mallet off the ground where the,
fell, knocked Markham uncon
scious and, to make doubly sure
stabbed him with a dagger of som'
sort. He threw the dagger and tn
wire and the stool into the river
He was in a hurry and he eithe.
forgot or couldn't find the poke
knife, and the mallet. He dragged
the body along the walk TOWARD
the north wing of the building
where the moonlight was bright
He wanted to search the clothes
oct he was interrupted. Whateve
ne vas after-perhaps the jewels
ne lever found, for at that momen
Jerry Moltcalm opened the doc
nd thu killer ducked for cover.
The captain brought the car t
halt av the police station. Yer,
cleverly thought out" he admitted
but now do you explain all thi
struggle without some sort of CT
that would have been heard by tn
people inside the clubhcuse?"
They were playing The plan
and singing" the coroner remine
I'd him. And a brave man seldor
makes an cutlery. He is too bus
lighting"
Il have another election to tt
theory" I told Coroner Silve
You think the killing was dor
PEJ.A