Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1944-01-14
CHAPTER XVIII

SuhH AEh avn
In the presence Of Senior LON.
bardo and realizing the implication
In it that you killed Chesebro?"
For only a fraction Of a second
did she hesitate. then she answered
calmly. YES"
Senior Otilio Lombardo. tefe del
policia. came up the Orizaba's lad
der the next day but one. followed
by DR.. Miguel Cruz. On the heels
Of the doctor came the barefooted.
ragged mariachis. Felipe and Pan
eho. Mazatlan, the incredible.
drowsed on it, peninsula all but sur
rounded by the deep blue sea. The
high tawny promontory with its
lighthouse. the small adobe houses.
tan and pink and green. clingins
to the slopes were like q painted
backdrop under a hot cobalt sky.
We met the party on deck and
Dwight pointed aft to the chairs I'm.
der the awning. The women had
not yet come aboard. Berta was
going north with W in the yacht.
and Elsa and Margaret were on
shore with last minute preparations.
Reed Barton. who had been read
ing. got to his feet and put down
his book, a. Dwight, Rogers and
brought the party back to the com.
fort Of deck chairs and cooling
drinks. Rogers had promised the
day before to have something to say
At this time. As a matter Of fact II
was necessary. or the Orizaba
would not sail as we had planned.
Il have puzzled much. gentle
men, remarked Lombardo in Eng
lish after cigarettes had been light
ed, about the confession Of Senorita
Chatfield that she killed Senior Cheese
bro. I do not understand it, and
take no action. / had come that
evening persuaded that it was bet
ter. despite your promise, that I
keep Senior Barton in jail for the
murder of Senior Rumble. But when
Senorita Chatfeld speak l am con-
fused, senior. and do not know what
is best to do"
A faint smile twitched at Rogers
lips and he looked away across the
bay to the shore where the coco
palms seemed to shoot like bursting
green rockets into the sky.
There are many confusing things
In this affair, senor," he remarked.
They have puzzled me too. but I
believe that can explain them all
now"
II would be very glad II you
would"
-Four persons have died. Senior
Observation-Disclosures Chatfield in
California; James Chesebro. Sam
Chatfield and George Rumble, in
Mexico. The explanation must in
clude all four. 1t must be logical
and there must be proof"
yes, Of course"
Might before last you and Doctor
Cruz heard Elsa Chatfeld tell the
story Of an amazing persecution.
With that in mind we can discuss
what has happened. You have not,
Of course, heard all the facts Bar
ry Madison and have gathered
about the death Of Katherine Chat
field. I shall give you the story Of
that night as we have pieced 1t to-
gether. 1t will have an important
place In the picture" Rogers
reached for his glass of limeade on
the table and slipped 1t, He went on:
Sam ChatAeld and his wife. Ber-
Ia, arrived in California for their
annual visit year ago last winter.
They stopped at a hotel in Pasa-
dena, and, unlimited, went to spend
the night with his sister. Rather
ine-Elsa's Aunt Kitty That night
Katherine Chatfield was murdered.
The method used was an overdose
Of morphine, to which drug she was
an addict, taking 1t hypodermically.
A very faint odor Of chloroform de-
tected the next morning by only one
Investigator furnishes the single clue
what happened. A few drops Of
chloroform on a handkerchief, be-
lieve. suddenly held to the unsus-
pecting victims nose, and kept in
place during the brief and violent
struggle which probably followed,
and the victim was unconscious.
There was necessary only to load
the hypodermic with an overdose
Of morphine and shoot 1t into the
unconscious victim, wipe away all
fngerprints from the syringe and
the supply bottle, and press the
prints OF the victim on these things.
Simpler"
1T is most simple, Senior Rog'
ers," said Lombardo, a serious ex'
preston upon his round, brown face
EITHER a man or a woman could
have done that, senor," Rogers be-
gan again. Now. consider these
facts: Present in the house, besides
the servants. who do not figure in Il
at all, was Sam Chatfeld. He knew