davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
World Of Ecstasy

with every subsequent breath
mankind would walk on wings
and forget its manifold woes.
With every inhalation n grand
roslness would enveIop the COS
mos and men and women would.
In their own sweet vision, be one
with the heavenly cherubim."
What q Utopia! OF course
such AathaH-eestatie world
would stop all wars. for / note
that nearly all professional WAT
mongers and psycopathic die
tators are teetotalers.
AS for the hangover. Nathan :
recipe for getting rid of 1t is
simple enough:
Either 20 on the water-wAgon
or keep tight all the time"
Simple, but not recommend
able. My recipe is, quit on two,
or three drinks at any one time
Nathan has no truck with
those intellectual la-de-das who
say: Il just can't create in New
York" lie gives us a long list
OF men and women who have
spun out their best stuff while
the riveters were rivetlng. the
creaky dumb waiter was creak-
ing its best. while the baby beat
the Christmas drum and the
next-door radio was bawling out
a speech by some political fog
horn.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Dual Personality,
He Tells Police

Anyway, when she mentioned
the basement IL reminded her
that she needed a hammer to
strsighten out q key she had
bent, 80 / went down and got it
for her. When i got back she
was coming out of the kitchen
with a glass of orangeade for
me and she stumbled. As she
lay there i saw my chance -.
VIII 1 get the electric chair ?"
he concluded with the question
killers always ask during a con-
fession.
well" the homicide man an
swered. you're pretty young"
EYES," agreed the youth con-
fidentiy, "thst will probably save
me-" They were both to be
proved right of October Il,
when the boy slayer was con-
victed and sentenced to 1879
years)
His face portraying only pro-
fessionsl interest, the confessed
slayer asked,
"where did I slip up:"
Mccormick answered slowly,
"when you asked about tho
fingerprints on the hammer.
Nobody told you that Mrs. Rof-
feis had been killed with q
hammer. Nobody but the killer
and the police knew anything
about a hammer"
The youth bit his lips in vex-
alton.
"Darnw was all he could say.
Captain Mccormick nodded to
Sergeant Duffy. , NN
"When the confession Il typed
have him sign II and take him
away to be mugged BY the
way, who was IL that said l
wouldn't start my vacation on
time? Tell Lieutenant Jensen 20
tsISe charge-Fm leaving NOW"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Several Hours
Locating Manager

As the carrier department OF
the tabloid n ew spaper was
closed il took several hours be-
fore the manager could be
located. He informed Duffy:
Zone Of my best carriers takes
care of that route Roland Mum
roe. He's a bright youngster
and II he saw anything he'll re-
member It,, he'll be glad TO help
because he has ambitions 10 be-
come n detective"
Duffy hurried to the address
furnished him by the circula-
ton manager and found the
youth asleep. When he learned
the reason for the officers visit
Roland arose (quickly and
dressed. assuring the detective
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Helpless Woman Slain;
Tabloid Clue to Newsie
Homicide Squads Clever Work
Obtains Quick Confession
Dual Personality Barred

Of the veteran officer she found
her tongue and composure.
'Mrs. Agnes Roffeis Is her
name. I've lived here with her
for three wears, ever since her
husband died. She was criuDled
In an accident and couldn't get
around very m u C h, not at all
without q cane. Her own suffer
ing seemed to make her kinder
to all living things rs time
passed.
81 left the house at $3.50 to do
some shopping and visiting, and
when I got back at $3.50 / found
-" the old lady, a d e n with
grief. broke down
Fingerprint experts fr ON the
bureau of Identification had ar
rived and their white powder was
spread everywhere in search ol
clues. Lights flashed as police pho
tographers took pictures from
various angles; and an Identified
ton expert handed the murdel
weapons TO Mccormick:
Tough luck" he said. "Not a
single print. They've been care
fully wiped"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Officer Sizes Up
Situation at Once

Capt. Martin Mccormick. one
of the shrewdeSt sleuths who
ever handled murder case, ar
rived soon after and his sharp.
wordly-wise eyes took in the
situation at a glance. As he
looked at the victim, he heard
Sergeant Duffy say:
Heard you were going on va
cation Monday, Captain. Sorry.
this had 20 happen to spoil IL.
But this is n bad one :"
ooh. hello. Duffy. Yes; this Is
"a bad one. She's been murdered
three times over. From the
head wounds. two different
weapons were used as bludgeons,
and a fine picture wire was used
10 strangle h amy one of
these three attacks would have
been fatal From the tempera-
ture Of the hands, I'd say she
was killed about three hours
ago."
As the homicide officer con
cluded. the uniformed patrolmaI
standing guard at the door per
mitted a white-haired. mother ap
pearing woman to enter the room
I'm Mrs. Bailey" she began,
but stopped as her eyes we're
drawn as if by hypnotiSm to the
broken body on the floor.
The captain stepped quickly il
front of the tottering woman an
gently escorted her to an adjoining
room where he left her with on
of his mon
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Box of JeWelry
Only VdIudbies

Her face frightened:
ooh yes-nOw remember.
One day last week Agnes went
out with a friend to see n real
estate dealer about selling this
house. a half hour after they
left I heard n scratching sound
on the cellar door, and without
thinking / went down and opened
the door. A young man dressed
In gray stood there, his cap
pulled low over his face. He
seemed startled upon seeing me,
and before I could ask him what
he wanted ne turned and ran. 1t
struck me at the time that some
one may have seen Mrs. Roffeis
on the street and thinking to
find the house unoccupied tried
20 break In. That's why Agnes
had the door nailed up"
did your friend have any
thing OF value in the house ."
"only = box of jewelry that
she kept In the dresser-pres-
ents from her husband. And l
don't think they were especially
valuable"
please sec whether the Jew
eIry is stIn there" said the cap
tain. and he followed her TO the
slain woman's bedroom. 1t was
in perfect order. Mrs. Bailey
pulled open a dresser drawer,
saying, "She always kept IL
under these stockings"
.Ne prewier has been here, "a
observed the officer. He'd turn
the. place upside down-empty
drawers on the floor, strip the
bed. rip up rugs and jerk down
the pictures"
But some one has been here :"
cried the woman. THE iewelry
Is gone"
On the floor Of the parlor. a
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

INSTINCTTVELY, Officer Ed
Il ward Erickson's boot pressed
the sccelerator as the radio
blared:
squad twenty-four--"
"A job for u.s." muttere d
Sergt. James Duffy. cooking his
ear toward the speaker.
Dead woman at 1865 winona
avenue. Squad twenty-four -
With wailing siren the police
car roared north on Chicagos
crowded Broadway on Satur-
day, Aug. 20, 1886. The stream
Of vehicles ahead parted like
the sea before a speeding de-
Stroyer.
A small crowd had already
gathered when they arrived al
the two-story frame house on
Winona avenue. a young woman
cried excitedly:
ITS Mrs. Roffeis on the nrst
floor; she's crippled and can't
walk! She must have had q
terrible accident"
Not waiting for the speaker
20 finish. Duffy raced up the
short flight of steps and into the
apartment. where an elderly
woman lay sprawled across the
carpet OF the dimly-lighted par
Tor. As the sergeant leaned over
the PROSTATE figure. Erickson
pounded into the room.
us II an accident?7 he asked.
"No accident" answered Duffy
with a shudder. IT'S the most
brutal murder I've ever seen!
fv.u a. Anx,.f~IHa sNs.d -
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

ne was most interested and
eager TO help In any possible
way.
I'm interested In crime de-
lection and want TO assist In
bringing tho slayer of my friend
10 Justice"
At the station, the boy, obvi-
ously more intelligent than the
average. answered all Of Captain
AMcCormick's questions promptly
and clearly:
II called for my money when
Mrs. Bailey was shopping. Mrs.
Roffeis invited me In rs she
usually did because she took an
interest In me. She gave me
glass of orangeade and we sat
and talked a while about my
future. I arrived at 1880 and
left the house a half hour later"
While he was in the house.
Roland related. no one had
called. Mrs. Roffeis seemed in
excellent spirits.
81 left the paper with her."
he said. AS I went out she fol-
lowed me TO the door and said
goodnight. 1 called hack, Good
night, Mrs. Roffeis'-and now
she's dead -
He paused; then:
"When 1 finish high school I'm
going into the government serv-
ice as q Department of Justice
agent. BY the way, were there
any finger prints on the ham
mer?"
"No," replied the detective.
Mccormick rose and signalet
Duffy to follow him into an ad
joining room.
when you brought that kid
In did you mention anything
about q hammer ?" ne said.
EMO, captain, I didn't say
word about how she was killed.
He talked so much about him
self i didn't get word In edge
wise"
"Good---this case Ii as good as
closed" and with that he re-
entered his office and faced the
boy.
"Stand up!' shouted McCor-
mick, and the startled youth
struggled TO his feet. you killed
Agnes Roffeis."
The words dashed the boys fac
into crimson.
"No, no! Don't accuse me Of
that! She was my friend" he
cried.
"QuIt lying and don't try TO
act before me-" the captain
snapped. We've got the goods
on you. You thought you COM
mitted the perfect crime, didn't
you? 1t was q good try but you
overlooked an important point ;
and that point will show beyond
the shadow of n doubt that you
committed the crime"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
She Has Something There

bed early tonight and In few
sleep here talking to you longer
will half of Brooklyn out of action and Ethel well
your business II
thing winter he would not have anything to do and he
sponging again. well beautiful
got something there maybe better be thankful
keep guy my and
Ethel that's the right spirit joe love winters myself
when get will spend them in Florida won't
good night Ethel
truly
JOE TURP
Copyright King
Distribute dsy Int.ns ionsi Nevsse
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
QudiIs at Mention
OF Fingerprints

Turning to Sergeant Duffy, Nc
Cormick asked that a fingerprlnt
ing outfit be brought in.
sW-whys" asked the youth,
shifting from one foot to the
other.
ITO take your fingerprints, of
course"
But you told mo there were
no prints on the hammer" he
protested.
"Not on the hammer, but
there was a perfect print on the
cane. You forgot TO ask about
the cane"
The lie did the trick. The sus'
pect sank weakly into his chair
he pushed back his bushy hair anc
DARN
Just II hours after the body
OF the slain woman was found
Roland Monroe began his amaz-
ing confession:
az called at the house about !
and the old lady invited me In to
tell me that she was thinking
about parting with her valua-
bles. She also told me that she
had the cellar door nailed up be-
cause OF scare Mrs. Bailey got.
well, that was me. dress
pretty shabby when I'm working
for the newspaper, but for other
business 1 have a swell gray out
fit, gray suede shoes, shirt and
tie to match. Nobody would ever
suspect that 1t was the. same
person,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

BY DAMON RUNYoN
BROOKLYN, March II.

Mr.. Joe Turp writes;
BROOKLYN March IL
DEAR sir last night when home from work wet ana
~ cold and while eating ses to my wife
guess winter had in Brooklyn
and she Joe there have been lots of winters that were
My pops when the
higher than his head all town and well Ethel
higher than his head when he
beers and fell down and lying flat the sidewalk
Ethel does not drink beers in the winter time
toddies they make him fall down
and besides be bad hmor tonight What
the matter and tired of
cold sh and wish there such thing winter
sunshny all the time and Ethel why
terrible thing We have got to have winters
especially n BROOKLYN.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23


long list Of tones.
In fact, the b ok might well be called
"Swankey-Doodle-D Dandy" But 1t isn't.
II is entitled THE Bachelor Life" (Rey-
nal & Hitchcock for Nathan is. as you
doubtless know, the most recherche. the
dernier cri Of bachelors.
Nathan, however, seems TO have had
a twinge or two in putting forth at this
time a book of trihes for he garnishes
the front of his book with this inscrip-
ton from Herr Nanny Kant, the famous
German philosopher Of the Transcen-
dental Aesthetic (of which Nathan him.
self is the high priest:l
"In time Of grave stress and deep
concern we seek a moments nepenthe
An the Soothingly trivial"
Well 20 my way OF thinking. al
though like Nathan best as the surgi-
cal drama critic, he need not apologize
for being trivial, for his book is chock-
ful OF real hidden brains, uncommon
sense and barbed invective-all yelled be-
hind a brassy "smartness."
He no doubt recalls that NietZsche
said. in effect--that he was naturally OF
such a tragic makeup that when he went
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

few feet from where the body
had lain, was a crumpled copy
Of a tabloid newspaper.
did anyone call at the house
before you went shopping,
queried the captain.
mo, I'm certain of that"
"And you're sure Mrs. Roffeis
didn't 20 out?"
I'm certain OF that, too, be-
cause she couldn't go without
assistance" answe cred Mrs.
Bailey. puzzled at the detective S
persistence.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
The Spirit World"

What Nathan says about "the
Spirit World" will interest par
ticularly the Barrel-House BOYS
and the Hangover Ogod. Ogod.
bibulii:
THAT alcoholic refreShment i
one OF the great Blooms of the
higher civilization only teetotal-
ers-those inscrutabIe and self
depressed fowl--cAn deny. An
old colleague of mine once inn
pressiyely contended, indeed.
that the world would be thrice
blessed place 20 live in II only
some scientific genius could fig-
ure out = way to charge the
circumambient atmosphere with
alcohol.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

nong people he had to put on
he mask OF a clown.
For. make no mistake about
Il. George Jean Nathan, like
Henry L. Mencken. Don Mar
quis and James Huneker. lives
a somewhat tragic life. That is
true Of all intellectual ''kidders. +"
wits and gay jacket-dusters.
Their laughter is often hair
shirt brain-sweat.
Well, anyway. this Is what
Nathan says about his main JOB
that is, being q bachelor:
"The bachelor Il not synony-
nous with n bartender, n guide
30 the night life of the city, n
confidential directory of all the
great stage beauties since Lily
Lsngtry. "a prestidigitAtor of
sandwiches and a sweet repro
bate generally.
No Special Blessing
There il no foundation for
the notion that bachelor II
especially blessed by Providence
and il combination of Will
lam Wycherly. Casanova and .
maitre d'hotei. with slight over
tones Of T1orehL Ziegfeld. Basil
Zaharoff and Meet and Chandon.
"Only the uninitiated hold 90
the idea that a bachelors domi-
Gle is conducted largely on the
pattern Of q sorority house and
that the moment a fair creature
shows up In II she Is piled with
absinthe. shown n reproduction
OF Leda and the swan. and then
peremptorily offered the Alterna-
tive OF something worse than
death or being kicked out"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
BON ViUant at Home
George Jean Nathan
Writes of BaChelOrhOOd
BY BENJAMIN DE CAssEREs

THAT intellectual Berry WALL George Jean Nathan raconeur
gobotter dramatic critic master of all arts bon WANT
OF Huneker called the Unfair
Sexwel he's written another book has George and II Is the
ee the smaest and the most Brilliantly unnportant OF his
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

their lesser girls and hostesses
n single rose, accompanied by a
quotation from Tennyson or
keats-or, II they went to col
lege, Karl August Nicander--
but the average bach of any in
como at all il lucky II, after the
fireworks are over, he has
enough money lot for a lead
pencil with which 10 inscribe
Not At on the envelopes bear
ing him his bills"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Sad at Christmas

The tragic touch:
There Is. however and iRdubl-
tabiy, something about Christ
mas that does make the bach
eIor sad. and that Is the recur-
rent thought that, for some
inscrutable reason, he Is eK-
ected 20 hand out much more
epensive presents than his mar
ried brothers.
ANY bachelor who gets
around a bit and who hasn't
holes I'm his shoes IL somehow
strangely suspected of having
money buried I'm the backyard,
and n he doesn't cough up
pretty munlficently at the Yule-
tide season he is likely TO be re-
garded as an ignominous tight
wad.
There are. true enough.
bachelores skilled in the art of
foxy sentiment who can get
away with II at Noel by sending
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Uncommon Sense

This is uncommon sense
Nathan:
81 often wonder n some OF the
writer's who 1--we I'm New York
or have lived I'm New York and
who have done a lot of their
work there are entirely sincere
and without posture when they
subsequently claim that they can
work well anywhere but in New
York. and that the muse starts
10 operate for them only when
they are adjacent to an Ohio
glue factory or residing at Prov
lncetown In a shack that hasn't
a bathroom.
THAT there are places other
than New York where writer
can do his writing TO his COM
pletest comfort and fullest sat
isfactiOn no one. certainly, will
deny; there are unquestionably
many such places.
But the best place for any
man or woman's work IN gener-
ally the place, whatever IL is
where he lives and has his home.
Where The Desk Is
"And that place, for any
Yorker. Is New York. II isn't
France, as the New York ex-
patriates discovered and belat-
edly t6nfessed. It isn't the gas
house district in Chicago, or n
tepee In New Mexico. or n log
cabin In the Maine woods, As
the remainders on the shelves Of
cut rate book dealers richly
testify.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Interest Lacking

Here is another revelation Of
the bachelor life"
"out of every so women OF all
les and conditions whom
bachelor meets, ne Is lucky II he
can find one of sufficient charm,
intelligence and loneliness TO In
terest him In the slightest. That
Is, for any length Of time and
presuming him 20 be moderately
intelligent and OF any experience
and accuracy OF taste.
more bachelors spend eve
nlngs alone at home. or at their
clubs. OF having dinner with
other lonely bachelors than the
generality of legend lovers
imagines, and II isn't always be-
cause they wish to.
ut IL because, against their
will. they do ID rather than sit
around with nine-tenths of the
women available to them and
listen 10 the same old routine
feminine chatter on all the rou-
tine subjects from sex. Dorothy
Thompson and the novels of ID.
III. Lawrence, on the one hand,
20 the ineHable delights of the
conga and the deep problem
dramas of Noel Coward on the
other, not forgetting, OF course,
how come such n charming and
interesting man, as ones self
(that II, II one has ordered 81
worth of caviar and a bottle of
vintage Bollinger and has
brushed ones hair that day. has
never married. but how wonder
full IL must be, anyway, not TO
be tied down 20 any one woman"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23

Mr.. Joe Turp writes;
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-03-23
Ethel Explains About Winter

especially In Brooklyn.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-18

photo by Clarke Studio
MRS. EDWARD EARL
SINGER, before her marriage
in Shaarey Zedek Synagogue,
was Miss jeanette Crispy. She
is the daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Ben Crispy of Monterey
avenue, and the bridegroom
is the son of Mr.. and Mrs.
Jack Singer Of Oakman blvd.
ter euler and Mrs. Robert Sum-
ner.
LIEUTENANT DON FAR
kAS, instructor in engineering
in the marine corps at Guam
tico. Va. is spending a two
weeks furlough with his par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene Far
kaS of West Morcland road.
RoSedale.
Mr.. and Mrs. FarkaS gave a
dinner party for their son.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-18

MRS. DONALD KISKAD-
DEN, smart in Dublin green
dress and little matching hat
with brown accessories. was
seen at the Boat Club party.
TERRIFIC CELEBRATION
slated for Saturday at Oakland
Hills Country Club honoring the
clubs president. M. NJ. Burgess.
Bert Rogers is chairman and
has lined up golf, bridge, dinner
dancing. floor show and we
wouldn't know WHAT all.
MR.. AND MRS. WALTER
CHAIR went to Toronto for
the weekend to visit Mrs.
OHair's sister, Mrs. Reginald
Jones and 10 bring back Mrs.
O'Hairs mother, Mrs. George
Watts. and Patsy O'Hair who
have been visiting Mrs. Jones
for several weeks.
Sunday was Mrs. O'HairS
birthday anniversary and Mrs
Jones gave birthday dinner al
one o'clock in her home in For
est Hill Village. a suburb Of
Toronto. The OHairs and Mrs.
Watts left by motor, arriving in
Detroit in time 10 have supper
AT the OHairs' new home in
Burns avenue
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-18
Miss Dossin
Given Coma
Away Party
By BILLY THE BACHELOR

A GOING away party recently
was held in honor of Miss
Sidonie Dossin. daughter of the
Russell A. Dossins of Trombley
road.
miss d. is leaving this very
day for her studies at Arlington
Hall College in Washington,
-. c.
The affair called for some 20
guests hidden 70 delectable
buffet supper with centerpiece
contrived 10 resemble a minia-
ture school house with diminu-
tive students surrounding
same.
Favors were small suitcases
filled with sweets and a for.
tune" for each and everybody
had a whale of time.
SHIPMENT OF college lads
for Kenyon:
Gilbert Collamore, son Of Mr..
and Mrs. * w. Collamore; A.
SturgeS Crawford, son Of Mr..
and Mrs Albert S. Crawford:
Pierce II Mcleod. son Of Mr..
and Mrs Donald Gray Mcleod.
who'll he joining his brother.
Donald Jr,, who's Junior down
there this year; NJ Richard
Mari. son OF Mr.. and Mrs.
Maurice S. Mari. whose brother.
Robert. is a sophomore there:
George 3 West Jr., son OF the
G. Il Vests.
The freshman class, largest
ever enrolled AT Kenyon. repre-
SentS 20 states, with Michigan.
we hear ranking third