Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 24 February 1937 — Page 18

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By DENNIS WHEATLEY

(Copyright. 1937. by NEA Servi Ci: William Morrow & Cor I»

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Detective Officer Kettering’s Fifth Report, Continued

It closing this report I now have to confess myself completely at a loss. The situation has developed this afternoon in a most remarkable manner and it is even more baffling than it was at midday.

After the examination which 1 conducted this morning it was quite apparent that numerous members of the party had ample motive for wishing Blane dead. The trouble appeared then to be to fix upon the actual perpetrator of the crime, but, since then, so much new evidence has come to light I am now far more befogged than I was before. In the last stages of my examination this afternoon I had quite made up my mind that the Bishop of Bude was the guilty party, but the ship's carpenter, Jenks, confirmed his statement and it is quite clear that he never left his cabin between 7:45 and 8, when he went straight up to the lounge. The following is an analysis of what occurred according to my latest information, and in my opinion it would have been impossible to commit the murder, dispose of the body and partially remove the bloodstains from the carpet in less than 10 minutes. Mrs. Jocelyn. Could not have done it, because she was with “Slick” Daniels, alias Count Posodini, from 7:45 till 8:10 in his cabin, and from 8:10 till 8:30 she was with her husband, changing. Count Posodini, alias “Slick” Daniels, Could not have done it, because he was in his cabin with Mrs. Jocelyn from 7:45 till 8:10, and from that time until 8:25 when he appeared in the lounge, he would have been occupied in changing.

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R. ROCKSAVAGE. Could not 1 have done it, because from 8:10, when he came down to his cabin, until he went up changed at 8:35, Dr. Ackland was with him and vouches for his presence there. The Bishop of Bude. Could not have done it, because from 7:15 until 8 the ship's carpenter was doing a job outside his cabin and vouches for the fact that he never left it during the whole of that time. Lady Welter. Could not have done it, because her maid, Mildred Short, was with her in her cabin from 7:05 until 7:35, and from 7:35 till 8:05 she is proved to have been knitting the last sleeve of a jumper, which would have occupied her the whole of that time, until she went up to the lounge. Mr. Hayashi. Could not have done it, because, when he rang his bell at 7:50, the steward found him in his cabin still unchanged, and he was still unchanged when the steward returned at 7:55, with the notepaper. Eight out of the folldwing 20 minutes he was occupied in writing a letter and the balance in changing | to arrive in the lounge at 8:15. Mr. Jocelyn. Could not done it, because from 7:15, when | he went below, he was with Miss | Ferri Rocksavage in her cabin, un- | til 8:10, and from that time until | 8:30 he was with his wife changing. | Mss Rocksavage. Could not | have done it, because {from 7:15 | she was with Jocelyn in her cabin | until 8:10, and from thence

on- | ward she was occupied with changing in the presence of her maid, Nellie Orde. It seems to me, therefore, that all the parties under suspicion have in- |

contestable alibis, and as we know |;

4:55 p. m. 9-1-37.

Golden Gull. »n 2» ”

POLICE HEADQUARTERS, Miami, Fla. 5:50 p. m. 9-1-'37. MEMO To Detective Officer Kettering: Solution of murder perfectly clear on evidence submitted. Arrest Bolitho Blane, now posing as his secretary, for the murder of Nicholas Stodart. JOHN MILTON SCHWAB Lieutenant Florida Police.

8 # ”

Lieutenant Schwab’s Analysis of the Foregoing Evidence. HE time of the murder was set | between 7:45 and 8:30, owing to a message, supposedly in the victim’s handwriting, appearing on a leaf torn from Stodart’s diary, which was not in existence until 7:40, Compare the share quotations supposedly written by Stodart, however, with other examples of handwriting known to have been written by Blane. The word “Rocksavage” in the share list also occurs twice in Blane's letter to Stodart and twice in his letter to the Bishop. The similarity of the first to the other four immediately springs to the eye, only the “gs” and the “g@” differing to any extent. Other similarities appear on closer inspection and there can be no doubt that all three documents were written by the same person. Not the victim, but the writer of the share quotations therefore wrote the alleged last message, so that there is no evidence as to when the murder was committed. The alibi of the man presumed to be Stodart begins only at 97:25 when he entered the lounge. If the crime was committed before that his alibi falls to the ground. Examination of the evidence brings other points to light showing that the man known as Stodart throughout the investigation is in reality Bolitho Blane, These are as follows: First—Photograph D of Blane’s bathroom shows a safety razor on the washstand, whereas photograph E of Stodart’s cabin shows a cutthroat razor on the washstand. The protograph presumed to be of Stodart, flashed by Detective Officer Neame on the morning after the crime, shows a razor cut on the man’s face. It is obvious that he had always been used to shaving

| through the hoop.

could not get at this, and had to do the best he could to-shave himself with the cut-throat razor that was in Stodart’s cabin. Second—On examination of the photograph presumed to be of Stodart, it is apparent that the coat he is wearing is too big for him, as the sleeve is overlong, and the garment must have been built for a slightly taller man, It is obvious that Blane, having changed identities with his secretary, had to wear his secretary’s clothes, which did not quite fit him.

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HIRD—It will be recalled that on the night of the eighth when the man presumed to be Stodart dined with Kettering, he complained of an abscess which was causing him trouble with his false teeth and, as the upper set were slipping badly, he was unable to eat any solids. An examination of photograph D of Blane's bathroom, shows a tooth brush and a plate brush, the latter being an indication that Blane had false teeth, whereas in photograph E of Stodart’s cabin there is on the wash basin an ordinary tooth brush only. Further, in the inventory of Blane’s belongings there appears a bottle of gum tragacanth powder, which is useq for sprinkling upon dentures in order to keep these in position in the mouth. As suite C was locked after the crime, Blane was no longer able to get at this powder, hence his difficulty in keeping his false teeth in place on the following night. Fourth—It will be recalled that, at the end of his first examination, on the morning after the crime, the Bishop of Bude fainted. At that time it was assumed, upon the Bishop's word, that his faint was caused by a weak heart and the fact that he had no breakfast. It is clear, however, that the true reason was the shock he sustained upon the man, presumed to be Stodart, coming into the cabin. As the Bishop had not breakfasted with the others it was the first time that morning he had seen the secretary and, as he knew him to be Blane, he must have thought at first that he was seeing a ghost. The reason was Blanes letter, written from New York to the Bishop, warning him that some very strange things might occur once the vacht put to sea, and that whatever might happen the Bishop was to keep his mouth shut for his own sake, now becomes apparent. Blanes confession on his arrest | confirms the above deductions. JOHN MILTON SCHWAB, Lieutenant Florida Police.

® ”n n Confession of Bolitho Blaine

ES, all right then, I killed him. Little sycophant, what use was he, anyway? I've known since last December that I might have to get out any minute. In fact, I suppose I've realized it might have to come sometime ever since I started business. Big business is like that, but

have | you wouldn't understand with your | between doing a thing just well and

safe little job and pension at the |

end of it. 1 suppose that’s why I| never let myself come in personal | contact with my staff, that and the | fact I hate people ... most people, | anyhow. All IT wanted was peace, and I knew if I could find someone to step into my shoes and leave me his to step into I could have it. I started looking in January for someone whom my shoes would fit. It was only a question of patience. Someone of the right height, build, age and with no friends would turn

Stodart turned up in Ipswich— about the fifth place I had spent a week in, advertising and interviewing applicants. He was ideal, no friends, no family—just the sort of man I wanted to become myself, so I decided to let him do the first big thing he'd ever done—go out with a bang. When Rocksavage asked me to his conference I thought there was a faint possibility of pulling things together, and Stodarts could have gone back to his clerking. By the time we got to New York, though, I knew my position was hopeless and I decided to put Stodart

I had a nasty shock in New York

when I learned the Bishop of Bude was to be on board. Very few people know me by sight and it was rotten luck that one of them should chance to be among this party. Fortunately, however, I knew more about him than he did about me—a nasty business during the war which everyone's forgotten now and I knew that the Bishop would rather that they weren't reminded, so I wrote him a little warning that there was real trouble coming to him unless he kept his mouth shut. = on ” DON'T suppose you want to know how it was all done. It's pretty obvious now, but if some very bright bird hadn't been a little too clever I should have been in the South Sea Islands by this time. The details. Hele they are: I got some closing prices from New York by long distance before coming on board and wrote them in a disguised handwriting I had been practicing a long time on a page of my diary. I wrote a message to Stodart in my own writing on the other side, and put it in my pocket. As soon as we were on beard I gave Stodart some work to do in our drawing room and went to see the Bishop. I found my note had had the desired effect, and although I told him nothing, I could see that as far ag he was concerned I could bump of the whole Church of England so long as I didn’t dig up that nasty business out of the past. Then I went back to the drawing room and gave Stodart a little knock on the back of the head with a hammer I had with me for the job. He was sitting at the small round table, so I moved the writing table away from the window and dragged him across to it and popped him out. It was quite dark by then so no one could see from the deck. Then I threw the hammer and the gloves I wore while I was arranging the room to join him. I found I'd cracked his silly thin skull, so I had to sponge out a spot of biocod on the carpet before I changed into evening dress in his room. ” » n GOT up to the lounge at 7:30 and introduced myself as Stodart and after a while wrote the closing prices in my diary again in front of everyone, and in the same kind of handwriting. I told the steward to push it under the door of the cabin and stayed in the lounge until the bugle sounded for dinner. The Bishop, who was among the people who came up while I was there, showed he was safe for anything by not turning a hair when he was introduced to me as Stodart. After that everything went according to plan. At 8:30 the Steward came up with the note I had left addressed to Stodart and I hurried down with him to the cabin. While he was in the bathroom I exchanged the note I had rept in my pocket with the one that had been pushed under the door. That proved the missing party was alive at 7:45, and you see although I'd worked this thing out pretty carefully, the difference

doing it properly is to make allowances for the unexpected. I didua't see why the suicide story shouldn't be accepted without question, but if they did prove a murder I didn't want to be in on it, It's one thing to go down for killing Stodart; it would have heen very disagreeable to have been charged with killing Blane. You know, it's almost worth it ic have seen the Bishop's face when he saw me the next morning and realized I hadn't committed suicide. After thinking he was rid of me he must have realized what I had done. That's why he fainted. , Well, that's all, and since it hasn't come off IT want to see it finish with as little delay and formality as possible. BOLITHO BLANE. Witnessed: KEYS KETTERING on S. Y. Golden Gull, 9-1-37. Detective Officer Florida Police.

The End.

“Her Name in Lights.” The Times new daily serial, begins today on Page 12.

HER NAME

&, MARIE BLIZARD © 1037, NEA Service, Ine.

(Continued from Page 12)

road, but this one looked strong. Perhaps he . . . He let himself down from the wall before she said anything further and, with his eyes still on the house, he said, “Thanks, and what might your name be, my pretty maid?” “They call me Daffy,” she said crisply, and picked up her broom. “You might earn that lunch by tackling the weeds in the west garden. This place has got to look like a well-kept garden by 3 o'clock. Prunella will give you your lunch in the kitchen.” “Fair enough,” he said, and tucked his pipe into a pocket of the coat he discarded at once. Daphne forgot him. There were many things to be done. There were the bowls to fill with flowers and Daphne herself to transform from a scullery maid into a cool, charming hostess in a smart frock to give the appearance of a gentlewoman reluctantly renting her family estate for the summer. “But we want to lease it for a year!” Mrs. Snyder said. ” 2 ” YEAR at a hundred a month! Daphne, all too conscious of what that sum meant, couldn't rise to acceptance while her eyes and ears were assaulted by the ravages being wrought by the small Snyder brood. Determinedly she kept her eyes from the mahogany table where she could hear the rasp of a scratching spoon. She resented the kicking, destructive twins. 8he didn’t want these people living in Her house, but how else was she to meet her need? Feebly, she heard herself saying, “I didn't wish to rent for more than the summer months. Also, there is . . . someone else who has asked me to give him a little time to decide.” Her voice trailed off weakly. There was a distinctly cold silence. And then a firm footfall sounded on the gravel path. A long shadow fell

with a safety razor but, as suite © wag locked up after the murder, he

IN LIGHTS

had last encountered in her garden greeted them smoothly. “I've come back to tell you I've decided to accept your terms, Miss Brett. A hundred and fifty a month is quite agreeable.” Daphne's dark eyes met two bright twinkling blue ones with a question in them. She started, recovered, and hesitated in that one brief second. “Oh, how do you do, Mr. . .. Mr. Van Dusen. I was just talking about you.” She said it very fast.

(To Be Continued)

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A—It has a historical back-

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THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES OUR WAY

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PLEASE LEAVE ME A PLACE TO GET OUT OF THIS STRAIGHT JACKET~ / | AND GET OUT OF HERE | 30 1 CAN GET SOME

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—By Al

N-NO HANNIBAL. HOOP Ss a ABOUT (+808) LI'. ABNER /

FRECK HASN'T SEEN THIS NEW BOOK - SHALL 1 SHOW IT TO HM?

ALLEY OOP

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HER? I MISS HAN / BEING AROUND

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WE LUCKY THAT) £0, OUR ONLY CHANCE T'KNOCK ‘IM

= HERE WE ARE, { MEN - HOLD EVERY: 2 THING! WE WIN OR LOSE TH WORKS IN TH’ NEXT JIFFY}

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THERE'S A COUPLE OF GLYS LOOKIN OUT AT US FROM BEHIND THEM ROCKS =

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- fr , TRIS KING ) DISAPPEARED, AN’ THEN, ALL AT WUR AN’ HIS MEN? ONCE, TH’ LEMIANS JUS UP AN® WHERES THEM WENT HOME =AN’ LEMIAN THUGS? | TH SAWALLIANS /~ THERE AINT . NOBODY HERE

IN MOO, NOW, BUT YCUR LOYAL SUBJECTS)

NOWHERE!

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Answer to Previous Puzzle

MAIN | | ON {

pleasure. 9 Prevaricaton,, J 10 Indian. 11 Entrance. 12 Naked. 15 Epochs. 18 Perfume. ; 20 Fortified work) 23 To step on. 25 Tooth. 27 Auctions. 30 Pertaining to dower. 33 Living in mountains. 35 More modern, 38 Situated near | the back. 40 To venerate., 42 Networks. 44 Number 10. 45 Bad soft coal) 46 To marry. 48 To permit. 49 Portico. 50 Morindin dye) 51 Dyestuffs. 53 Carmine. 55 Frostbite. 57 To accomplish)

HORIZONTAL 1 Fifteenth ‘century IA painter. 7 He was wee | by birth. 13 Female sheep. 14 Doleful. T 16 Native of Hindustan. ‘|ARMS OF IH 17 Small tablets. [RU 19 Fervent. H %

21 Sour. | 22 Region. M VU UH 24 To pierce. UICIH 61 Free theater ticket. \

26 Lazy persons. VERTICAL

28 Hill slope. 29 Scythe the old ——s, 1 Crawling 54 An unknown animals.

handle. painting of his 2 Final

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LINIAITIE

45 To scatter. 47 Flat. 49 Sorrowful. 52 He is one of

31 Food container. 32 Type standard. f 34 Eagle’s claw. Was wae judgment. 36 Negative. discovered.’ 3 Foot levers. 37 Turf. 56 Not aided. 4 Paid publicity. 39 To turn aside. 58 Proportion. 5 Before, 41 Neither. 59 Tissue. 6 To jump 43 Cut with a 60 Loved to 7 Peaceful. saw. excess. 8 Sound of

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