davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Killer Is Tall
And Crack Shot

"NO, because the murderer
came from outside the house
and used rifle. Neither man
was shot with the Colt, which
was fired and left there as a
blind. The killer is a fairly tall
man and a crackShOt-probably
from the naval air station"
How did YOU get all that -
asked the prosecutor.
well, the important thing
about the Colt is that only Jour
bullets were fired from II,
while there is evidence of five
bullets inside the house. One
killed Duffy, one killed Evans,
"A third struck Duffy's arm and
was detected out of the side
window where there Is no
screen"
Wait" interrupted Davis.
"The doctor said that the same
bullet could have killed Duffy"
But 1 say IL couldn't" ar
gued the detective. TRY plac-
ing your elbow over your heart
and then imagine yourself being
i'm that position I'm a fight"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

Questioning of MRS. AL
BERT DUFFY, above, wife of
the second victim, gave the
mystery a new twist, blasted
suicide theory.
another man. Instead OF get
ting some one TO go back with
her and stop the fight, she stays
overnight at her sisters. The
lady was remarkably calm, I'd
say.
The bungalow was in an iso-
lated place, some distance from
the next house, with a built-in
sun porch across one end. Next
10 the sun porch was the living
room and behind that a bed
room. The bodies had been re-
moved TO the bed, but an
ominous big Colt automatic lay
on the living room floor sur
rounded by four cartridge cases.
A glance assured the county
detective that the milling on
the butt would preclude any
decent fingerprints. The gun,
when opened up, still retained
one unexploded cartridge and
the muzzle reeked with recently
exploded powder.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Suggests q Visit
To Air Station

eyes. She's I'm this up 10 her
neck. i suggest a visit to the
naval air station as our next
step TO learn what we can about
the dead men,
All they were told there was
that both Duffy and Evans had
excellent records Duffy came
from the Bronx, New York City,
where he had a wife, and Evans
was his close friend. Evans had
been in the service for years
and had worked up to the grade
OF master electrician. He was
known as very quiet man who
never drank; he had saved his
money and bought the house in
which he died in preparation for
leaving the service-he was TO
be mustered out in a few
months.
1t was getting late in the aft
ernoon, SO Grant left Davis and
returned to his office at Toms
River TO consider all the data he
had. There were several lines Of
inquiry that seemed indicated.
the most important being along
the question of motive. Though
Evans had saved his money, it
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

he was not. But no one could
name a specific man.
Back at the naval air station.
when the ballistics findings were
shown TO the authorities ii was
their opinion that the bullets
were fired from a Marine Corps
rifle-the navy men used a dill
fefent type.
At Marine Corps headquarters
a list of names of all men who
had leave on the night of the
crime was obtained from the
records. These men were ques-
toned. and for three days their
afibis were checked, and one by
one eliminated. There remained
one marine-Lester Underdown
whose alibi could not be veri-
fed. He stated that he went to
the movies on the night OF the
crime with a sailor who had left
on the destroyer Overton which
had just put to sea for maneu-
NprS
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Grant AWditS
Experts Report

q The second line Of inquiry was
the bullets: they had already
gone to the balliStic experts in
Trenton, so Grant could only
wait for their report. The third
was the Colt automatic: this
would have 10 be taken to the
naval air station in the morning
10 see if it could be identified.
Still another possibility was
opened up by the Duffy angle,
and Grant sent two of his aides
10 the dead mans home in New
York City.
The following day Grant made
a personal trip TO Trenton. The
balliSticS men were certain the
bullets that killed Evans and
Duffy had not come from the
Colt. they were 30-06 bullets
from a service rifle.
Returning to his office he re-
ceived a report from his under
sheriffs who had been out on
Hattie Evans trail: they re-
ported that she had been seen
frequently in company with
other men while her husband
was at sea. and Sometimes when
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Third Shot Goes
Through Arm

The prosecutor tried an d
nodded.
"All right then" the detec-
tive continued. 1.-THE third went
through Duffy's arm-the rico
chet bullet made "A big hole in
the side window pane and as il
was DETECTED downward IL ac-
counts foE-the difference
height. The fourth bullet was
i'm the door jam, and the fifth
went right through the house
making "A small hole in the bed
room window.
"NOw bullet entering the
sun porch So inches high and
reaching the bedroom door at
So inches would be about the
right height TO hit the average
man I'm the chest. If you put
YOUR eve TO the hole I'm the
screen and squint through. III
tell YOU what you'll see. You'll
find yourself looking directly ut
the hole i'm the sun parlOr win
dow. In other words. the bull
let that missed went right
through the house. The angles
are right for that explanation
and for no other"
But IL that's So" asked the
prosecutor. chow did the bullets
that did the killing get into the
house ."
"They all came in the small
hole in the sun porch" was
Grants astonishing reply.
That's why I said the murderer
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Bob Hits Duffy
With Blackjack

"Oh." she moaned, Bob hit
Duffy with a black jack"
Grant nodded grimly because
he had been over the Evans
home with fine tooth comb
and could find no signs of a
blackjack.
"Why didn't some one think
Of going over to the Evans
house ."
Because IL didn't seem neceS-
sary," the woman answered.
From what Hattie said every
body thought IL was common
brawl. I guess. At least that's
the impression I got"
go on" the detective urged.
"What happened i'm the morn
ing?"
II think 10 must have been at
Observation-Disclosures was still very
nervous when she got up, and all
OF n sudden she said. oh, I'm
afraid BOb's dead We were all
very much surprised and tried To
quiet her, but she insisted. He
must be dead" SO MIR. Dane got
in the car and drove overland
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Loses Confidence

What Ivanov wants Rubashov
TO do is to plead guilty TO being
an agent of the "counter-revolu-
ton" (which he is noD.
But Rubashov says in his
diary:
THE fact Is: i no longer be
lieve In my infallibility. That Is
why / am lost"
Yes, Rubashov is lost" and
so are millions of other Rus
slams who desire TO be honest
with themselves.
This book made such a power
full impression on me that it was
with something like a sob over
my heart that followed Ruba-
SHOW 10 his death. for here was
a glorious soul who at last barred
his heart and breast of all its
crimes to that mighty unseen
presence in us all - CON-
SCIENCE
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Prison Grapevine

7 give you a sample Of the way
II is done with taps in the Rus
sian prisons:
who: ." Knocked RubaShov
very clearly and slowly.
The answer came in agitated
fits and starts:
"None of your business"
as you like" tapped Ruba-
shep and stood up 80 resume has
wandering through the cell. TAX
inc the conversation TO be ended.
But the tapping started again,
this time very loudly and ring
ingly-No. 402 had obviously
taken off shoe in order 10 give
more weight TO the words:
"Long live ii. VI. the en-
peror!"
$50 that's it," thought Ruba-
shov. There still exist genuine
and authentic counter-revolu-
tionarieS-an we thought that
nowadays they Only occurred in
the speeches Of No. l as scape-
goats for his failures. But there
sits a real one. an alibi for No. l,
in flesh and blood, roaring, Just
as he should long live the mon
arch,
amen" tapped out RubaShov,
Crinning. The answer came inn
mediately, still louder if pos
sible.
"SwinPw
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Asks Commander
To Radio Admiral

Grant requested the naval sta
ton commander TO radio the
admiral of the fleet and ask if
the sailor might be questioned.
The permission was given and
word was radioed back that the
sailor had not been to the
movies with the marine.
In the meantime. deputies had
organized groups to search the
countryside for the rifle. About
halfway between the Evans and
the Dane homes was a sluice-
way. [ Using drags, one group
worked for a half hour when
they fShed up a Marine Corps
30 06Service rifle.
Whitman hour the rifle num-
Der was checked with the Ma
rine Corps records, and it was
reported that it oelonsesis~to
Lester Underdown.
Grant once again went to
question Marion Leary; and all
he had to ask her this time
was. Have YOU ever nearu
Hattie Evans mention the name
of Lester Underdown ."
Lester" she rcpea ted.
ayes, I've heard her mention
him-I never heard his last
name, but know that she
spoke about Lester often"
The detective was now con-
WINGED that he had the actual
killer, and he had Underdown
arrested.
Grant ordered Hattie Evans
brought into his office. "Mrs.
Evans, I just want to ask you
for n little amplification of the
statement you made the other
day. After you ran from your
home the night your husband
was shot, did you meet any
body on the way?"
She stared in silence.
Didn't you meet Lester Tn
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

window and the screen, and
Grant noticed also that the
bullet had penetrated the screen
a fraction of an inch above the
hole in the glass.
This point was So inches
above the floor. With the bed
room door open. the hole was
nearly opposite the spot where
the bodies were found. The
other bullet hole. in the side
window of the sun porch which
didn't have any screen, was
quite a big one; and il was 81
inches from the floor.
The difference in bullet-hole
heights intrigued Grant into Civ
ing the living room rug a close
scrutiny: and sure enough he
was rewarded with three small
leaves of sweet clover which he
picked carefully out of the nap.
Then the doctor rendered his re-
port of the autopsy:
Both men died OF bullet
wounds through the chest. Duffy
also had a wound in his left
arm just above the elbow which
might possibly have come from
the same bullet that killed him.
L have removed the Slugs but
can't tell you what kind they
are
I'll take them. Trenton's bal
listics experts will furnish a re-
port on them along with the
gun" said Grant But tell me,
could any of those wounds be
seif-inflicted?"
Evans could - but doubt
Duffy's on account Of the wound
In the arm. There are no powder
burns. But then, with these mod
ern flash powders there might
not be any"
Thank YOU, dOctOr--and now
I'm going TO get TO the Dane
house before people there have
a chance to change their minds.
And it was there that the de-
tective got his first break. He
was greeted by a woman who
identified herself as Marion
Leary. a friend Of the Danes,
who had been stopping with
them for a while. AT l1:30 the
previous night. she told Grant,
she was getting ready for bed
when she heard some one at the
door. Looking out she recognized
Hattie. that is. Mrs. Evans, at
the front door crying for Mrs.
Dane TO let her in.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

there they were. both shot
dead"
what I am anxious to know"
persisted Grant. els whether
Hattie said anything at all about
hearing shot the evening be-
force"
"No-nOr I'm the morning,
either; I am absolutely sure OF
that. We were all astonished
TO hear they were shot"
Thank you very much. Miss
Leary, you have been very help
full"
Rejoining Prosecutor Davis al
the murder scene, the detective
said:
This Is bad case-thoSe two
men have been murdered"
docs that mean that Hattie
Evans killed them
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
a Smashing BIoO

a. second, smashing blow hit
him on the ear. Then all be-
came quiet. There was the sea
again with its sounds. 4 wave
slowly lifted him mp. II came
from afar and travelled sedately
On--a Shrug of eternity"
But from page J 10 page 267
you are in an unbelievable world
the world Of RubaShov's mind
and the mind OF the working
forcmen OF the Communist rcvo-
luton. You have unveiled be-
fore YOU the psychology Of ter
TOR and the cunning diaboliSm
Of that innoce sounding
phrase. .eHT'ffe- end tdstifics tire
means" a phrase that "justi-
fies' and has Justified" every
crime that has ever been COM
mitted by the state. theological
fanattrIsrn and social neccs-
sity.
In n cell next to RubaShov
IS white Russian prisoner.
one Of the most dramatic Sc
quenctS in the book is the grape
vine conversations between the
Red and the White. The latter
is known as "402."
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Find I Sailors
OF Ldkehurst
Air Base Dead

Is an expert markSman. He put
five bullets through pane OF
glass so accurately that il looks
like "A single shot. It's easy To
reconstruct what happened; the
killer posted himself outside
the house, across the road there
i'm that sweet clover, of which nc
left samples on the living room
rug when he came in to assure
himself that his victims were
dead. Then he evidently went
outside and fired four shots out
of the Colt which ne planted.
"That puts Hattie Evans right
In the middle, doesn't it," quer-
led the prosecutor. "She told Of
hearing only one shot white
there must have been nine-fiVe
rifle and four pistol shots"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Sees UnderdOWn
Leave House

That was enough TO involve
both her and Underdown; 1t
placed him on the scene at the
time of the killing-and she
didn't know, naturally, that her
interrogation knew that the muir
derer shot his victims from the
outside of the house. 1t also
contradicted her previous story
so seriously that she would
never be able TO patch IT up
again. Grant called in two
women who were waiting.
"You know Miss Leary, don't
YOU, Mrs. Evans? And also L
want you to meet Mrs. Duffy,
wife of the man who was killed
with your husband"
When Mrs. Duffy fatty ac-
cused Hattie Evans of killing her
husband, it seemed to be too
much for the woman--she went
all TO pieces and admitted she
had been carrying on an affair
with Underdown for months and
was afraid it would be broken
up when her husband was mus
tered out of the service. So she
arranged with Underdown to Kill
her husband. The unfortunate
Dug ~Ss slain merely because
bf happeHsd to be there at the
time.
Underdownl though adamant
at first, finally broke down and
confessed. I'D admitted his rela-
tons with Mrs. Evans and told
how they carefully planned the
murder of her husband TO take
place on the fatal night. When
Duffy unexpectedly appeared the
marine wanted TO postpone the
execution-but his paramour in
sisted that he 60 through with II
and blot out Duffy as well
AT their trial the jury felt
that Underdown had been the
tool of cruel, designing woman
and gave him a life sentence.
They held Mrs. Evans most re-
sponsible for the cold-blooded
murders and sentenced her I'd
die in the electric chair.
But some women'S groups got
up a long petition on the prison.
er's behalf. and through their in
fluence her sentence was COM
nuted 10 what. today. Hattie
Evans considers the harsher sem
tence life Imprisonment Ii,
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Hole Near Spot
Of Dead Bodies

Grant found n bullet hole in a
sun porch window which meas
ured So inches from the floor.
Then he poked around the walls
and found a bullet in the door
jam that led into the bedroom;
ii was Sc inches from the floor.
Taking the bedroom next, it
appeared that a bullet had gone
through the glass, smashed
through close-mesh screen,
bent one of the heavy mesh
screen wires outside that, and
then disappeared. There were
fine slivers of glass between the
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Arrives at House
As Shot Is Fired

whats wrong: Isn't her
story right: She arrived at the
Danes just as she said; I've
checked on that already"
81 believe that-but what i
don't understand II that she
turns - Mt her sisters house
after hearing shot fired; and
when she knew her husband
was having q fierce battle with
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Radek's ShadoW

Nevertheless 10 any one who
closely followed these trials,
RubaShov. the intellectual eX-
commiSsar who is the central
character in the book, is none
other than Karl Radek. and
NO. l. is OF course Joseph
Stain.
RubaShov was one Of the big
men of the revolution. The
story opens with the words:
"The cell door slammed be-
hind RubashOV."
The last words OF the book
are.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Revived
Maybe Grant Laughed
at This Army Joke
International News service Wire


SCOTT FIELD. Ill, July %
They've revived this one from the
World War, or maybe it was the
Civil War.
Anyhow. they're telling the story
at the Army Air Corps station
here about newly arrived
Selectee who had been assigned to
sweeping a squadron street with
a huge stable broom.
Becoming tired and thirsty, and
Spotting a running hose near by,
he turned TO a neat appearing
military man standing in the
street and said:
Hold my broom minute,
will you, bud?"
I'm an officerw the other
told him stiffE.
The rookie grinned in a friendly
fashion.
ooh. that's all right" he said.
81 trust you"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
County Police
See Evidence
Of Murder

JAMES M. DAVIS, the Ocean
d City, N. j., prosecutor heard
of the crime first and he lost no
time in informing Wood Grant,
the county detective.
1.-TWO sailors from the naval
station at Lakehurst were found
dead this morning I'm a bungalow =
about three-quarters of a mile
from the dirigible hangar. IL
looks like murder and suicide!
One Of the men, Robert Evans,
lived I'm the bungalow with his
wife; the other, Albert Duffy,
was a visitor.
According to Evans wife the
two men were drinking and got
into a fight. She ran out of the
house In fear, and when she re-
turned this morning found them
both dead, with an automatic on
the floor between them. 1
brought her along--she's waiting
outside"
Mrs. Evans, a matronly woman
from weeping, was ush-
cred into the office.
"What was the cause of the
quarrel, Mrs. Evans asked
Grant.
my husband and his friend
were drinking, and they were
friendly until Duffy put his arms
around me and tried to kiss me.
Bob got mad and called Duffy
all sorts of names. That started
n fist fight 80 i ran out OF the
house and down the road TO my
sisters house. On the way 1
heard a shot--sO decided to
spend the night with my sister,
Mrs. Dane"
After a few perfunctory ques-
tons the detective arose, in
clined his head synpathetically
and ushered the woman TO the
door. Then he turned 10 the
prosecutor:
II want to see that bungalow"
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
A Masterpiece

say it calmly: Darkness at
Noon" is a tremendous master
piece.
Koestler states in a fOreword;
"The characters in this book
arc fictitious. The historical cir
cumstances which determined
their actions are real. The life
of the man ~. -. Rubashov il
a synthesis of the lives OF "A
number of men who we're -xic-
Tins of the sO-called Moscow
trials. Several Of them were
personally known 10 the
author.o
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

derdown, the marine. for In
stance?" II was obvious that
the woman was revolving new
story in her mind; and then
she began to talk
Yes, she had seen Underdown
when she left the house; but
when she heard four or five
shots she was afraid and asked
Underdown 10 60 part way
down the road with her.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

Koestler is a native Of Buda-
pest. Before they were abol-
ished he worked for a chain of
liberal German newspapers. as
correspondent in the Near East,
i'm Paris, and then i'm Russia.
1t was in Bolshevist Russia
that he got his intimate knowl-
edge of the background, both
political and emotional. Of the
celebrated Moscow confession"
trials, of which this book, thinly
disguised as the trial Of one n.
S. Rubashov, lays bare the
mechanism, and, in fact, the
whole workings of the cold
blooded Bolshevistic mind.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Amuses Himself

Rubashov was amusing him.
self. He took off his pince-nez
and tapped with the metal
edge. in order TO change the
tone. with a drawing and dis
tinguished intonation:
Didn't quite understand"
No. 402 seemed 10 go into a
frenzy. He hammered out "houn
-" but they did not come. In
stead, his fury suddenly flown,
he tapped;
"Why have you been locked
ups"
What touching simplicity!
The face of No. 402 underwent
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
BOOKS OF
HE w EEK
Darkness at Noon
A Real Masterpiece
By BENJAMIN DECAssEREs

books of fiction that mirrors OF the truth and
books that read like fiction In either case that Is
the highest art of writing
Darkness at Noon (Macmillan) has
His book by far the greatest
year and yet is the truest-the most COM
Communist Russia that has been written
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
Reuulsion Maize

this sudden revulsiOn against ex-
perimenting IL rather naive.
Every year several million
people are killed quite point
lessly by epidemics and other
natural catastrophies. And we
should shrink from sacrificing a
few hundred thousand for the
most promising experiment Tn
history. Not to mention the
Iegions OF those who die OF
under nourishment and tubercu-
Iosis I'm coal and quicksilver
mines, rice fields and cotton
plantations. No one takes any
notice of them; nobody asks why
or what for; but II hero We
shoot n few thousand harmful
people, the humanitarians all
over the world foam at the
mouth. Yes. We liquidated the
parasitic and let IL die of starva-
ton. II was n surgical operation
which had to be done once and
for all; but in the good old days
before the revolution Just ~
many died I'm any dry year
only senselessly and pOintlessly.
The victims Of the Yellow River
floods in China amount some
times TO hundreds OF thousands.
Nature is generuos in her sense
less experiments on mankind.
Why should mankind not have
the right TO experiment on it
.olTov
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27
CNIARLENE DIETRICH gives Private Scott
WI handshake," says caption under film maga'

WI handshake," says caption under film magazine news
photograph
they democratic handshake2 are movie
supposed look at soldiers through ognees VINO anu
what do these think stars are mat
they can being democratic attitude toward members
of fighting forces.
you takes time to boil eggs In some cites
than others? boiled minutes is practically
Mont takes minutes for medium poed eggs
Denver Butte don't ask Tor 5nlnue or 4-ue
state whether medium hard-boled
QUERIES by at Fort King Ca 18th Engineers
Q arguing worlds automobile speed record what
is it. please?
1889 John r. Cobb at Bonneville, established
worlds 3697 miles per hour
QSay you get horse and buggy to beat the gasoline
shortage. you travel?
Al think with good horse rubber tired buggy and on
highway could II miles hour Tor snort
distances racing otter in So minutes
long figure 10 miles hour would be best couo
my buggy But then think OF the nun would
enjoying the scenery.
Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-27

Finding Of a gun near the
body of ROBERT EVANS,
above, made the case appear
at first to be one of murder
and suicide.
didn't seem that he had enough
TO make this a money crime.
Fear also seemed out; there was
nothing he could know about
any one in the navy that would
make him so dangerous as TO
make his removal necessary. The
woman motive offered the, most
likely clue. Grant detailed a
couple of officers to gather all
the gossip they could in the
neighborhood, particularly any
thing that involved Hattie Evans
with another man.