Newspapers / The Black Mountain News … / Jan. 17, 1946, edition 1 / Page 7
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■fc-sday, January 17, 1945 OVERNIGHT GUEST SYNOPSIS operator vacationing in the hills, ran into his former inspector Tope and Mrs. Tope. He that the Topes spend the i \CS a( Dewain's Mill. Later that night phoned Bruce to come out to the .Has once and to get Ned Quill, a state located nearby. vPTER II: Bee had rented a cot called Faraway to the Topes, tell «■. : It had not been occupied since bn It. When they entered the cot- Tope saw burnt matches, which had been niml. He sept las wile out Me investigated. Later he asked transferred to another cottage. \ PT.lt ill: Tope explained to IV: When Mat Cumberland ■ p r . Medford arrived, they held a and it was decided to leave , K in charge of the Investigation and the body to Amasa Dewain’s | investigation. As they were Mrs. Tope told her husband that the body as that of Mr. j ■j orge , head of New England utilities. V: Bruce went out to some ! quarries to see if he could lo- B a stolen car that might have been j by the murderers. He later report- car. The insurance company had j the car had been stolen, al- I ■j ;: h the police did. Mrs. Kell, house- j of the owner "1 the stolen car. had K seen driving' the car away. She was acquainted with Ledforge. ■npirn VI: Tope found out that j Kell was likely In the bottom of quarries in the stolen car. Mr. I had •! v i . J. and his employer B „n was found in a Connecticut hns- H unconscious from head wounds. on the tracks leading away from I indicated that they belonged i ■; ho had been with Holdom and | 1 CHAPTER VII exclaimed in a mild exas- j Bation: “Didn't the doctor know , ■ he was? Holdom must have ■ Hi letters, labels in his clothes, l Baething. A doctor that will keep ■ unconscious man for three days trying to find out who he is let his people know, needs look 'll into. Mat!” ■Holdom told his office he'd had ■ smash-up," Cumberland volun ■red. ■Smash-up! Smash-up!” Tope re nted exasperatedly. “That’s a lie, Bt! He and Ledforge started up ■e together, with Kell driving. Biforge came back to his office Bnday morning with no word of ■mash-up! Kell came home with B word of a smash-up! The car i Bwed no signs of a smash-up! It make sense, Mat.” ■Holdom told his office he’d be Bre tomorrow,” said Cumberland. Bope looked up at him. “If he was in this doctor’s hospital, ■didn't telephone from New York ■Saturday,” he said. Cumberland echoed. ■Some one telephoned!” Tope re sided him irritably. "Telephoned ■ police at Ridgcomb, and said he Hoidom and that his coupe had ■n stolen!” ■Hoidom must know something!” ■tberland said. ‘Til send for ■>’ get him up here, as soon as ■is able.” nodded. "Os course. I guess ■'d better send Dane,” he decid- Dane, as soon as Hoidom can j ■ Vel - bring him up here. He’s a i ■teriai witness, anyway. Make ! ■'i come.” ■lane protested: "No need of my 1 V l ?' Any policeman—” ■ ut . T °Pe urged: "Needs a re- ; man with a head on his i ■ u t derS| son.” He hesitated. ! a . he apologized, "I’m speak- ! ■ °ut of turn. After all, this is your ! ■w.” ■ T^ at s _ al) right,” Cumberland in- j ■ ea ; oe > you do what Tope ■V ne insisted stubbornly: "I ought ■gs •> fe ' Keep in touch with I ■ope touched his arm. "We want ■'now more about this doctor down L ’ sOl1 > he declared. "Maybe ' ne , f k e gang. You look him ■i ’ ask bim a few questions, size ■on. See w^at you think of him.” i ■tin an ° was flattered into con- i ■poa ‘Well, that’s so,” he ■ , q ' ‘'l’d better do that. I'll ■ up on him, and bring Hoidom . ißi' 1 see what I can get out of ■‘ 0f n on the way.” K ‘ lupe objected to this, and ■ ~? iqe violence. “Don’t you, ■ h i 0 comman ded. “Don’t you ■J' v 0,11 anything. Just tell him ■ e j ot orders to bring him up ■ce tin Ct stew U 1 bis own ■he’s 1 We re ready t 0 talk t 0 him ■av tv, 6 ? o . uncons eious since Sat ■ )'■’ e s a lot he doesn’t know. ■yb e ,* you £ ct him back hete, ■ j e " 'now more than we da ■, ■ ‘ ‘ ' c ' ! ) ask him some ques- , I, ' " an 't anever.” 1 • ■ . ’ oded, remembering: "By ■ : . ' want you toi tad out ■ ; ‘ tor me: A.-.k Medford ■ v ’ m the exhaust, and ■ '} ccul, > get into the rtimHle ■ wil, - l her this utau man ■ vial H: dany ofit :,nd 'v'lSther ■ ‘bgged. And seg if you can find out" where Mrs. Kell and Ledforge went last week-end.” Joe and Cumberland turned to ward the door; but there they met Bee Dewain. The girl’s face was white and strained; she would have spoken. Tope, with a sudden vio lence of words, urged Dane and Cumberland toward the car; and J only when they were gone did he i turn to Bee. “Now, Miss Dewain,” he said gravely, “I judge you’ve got bad news?” She nodded. “I telephoned Ed Priest’s camps,” she said unhappi ly. “Mr. Eberly’s not there. They don’t expect him. They haven't heard from him.” Tope whistled softly. “That's going.” Tope wagged his head. “Child,” he said gently, “I hadn’t ought to have asked you to telephone up there. It’s just a bad habit of mine, ; working on a business like this, { whenever anyone tells me anything, to check up and see if it’s so. I’ve no notion that Mr. Eberly has any j thing to do with this. As far as wondering where he is—” He chuc , kled, touched her arm. "Don’t ever | wonder about a fisherman,” he urged. “You can't rely on them : any more than you can on trout in the brook. . . . Did you think to fetch ; that letter?” It was in her hand. “Here it is,” she said. Tope unfolded the single shbet. he looked at the letterhead, then read the scrawled words. Dear Carl- How about some fi-hing this week? Trout ought to take hold, j Shall we try the pond? I’ll be home sometime Wednesday aft ernoon. Come about half-past four. That will let us catch the evening rise. You’d better plan to stay the night in case we keep at it till dark. No need of answering this, because if you’re not there by four-thirty, I’ll go ahead alone. Here’s luck! Leddy The old man asked: “Carl is Mr. ! Eberly’s name?” “Yes.” "Ledforge wrote this, eh? That the way he signs himself?” “Yes.” She watched him almost fearfully. And he returned the letter to her, j touched her hand. “Now, don’t you I worry,” he urged again. “Mr. Eber ly’s all right.’’ And he asked: “Earl Priddy has disappeared, has he?” Bee answered him in some sur prise: “Why, yes. How did you know? Mrs. Priddy wanted him to come and peel potatoes for supper, but he’s gone! Just simply van ished into thin air!” Tope nodded, chuckling: “Earl’s 1 out spreading the news,” he assured her. “I guess the excitement is due to start,” he predicted. “Country folks have tongues like a tot of dom inoes. You set one of them wag ging and you wag them all.” "I’ll go after him,” Bee prom ised. "Find him, make him be still.” She hurried away. Tope sat down on the edge of the bed. “I’m getting old,” he con fessed. "Going to catch a nap be fore supper-time.” i He lay down, and Mrs. Tope cov- ’ ered him over and made him com fortable. ! As Tope had guessed, Earl Priddy : was busy. When Joe had asked for Inspector Tope, Earl was startled j Into a curiosity that would no long ! er be denied. An hour later, after ! various investigations which includ ed a secret survey of Amasa’s | farmhouse, he came almost at a run to the store in Madderson village. He went directly to the telephone I and called the District Attorney’s j office in North Madderson and i “Sh-h-h!” he whispered, “Sh-h-h!” | asked for Joe Dane. Os Cumber land himself, Earl stood in some awe; but not of Joe Dane. Joe was not there! "Well, you tell him Earl Priddy’s j got some news for him,” Earl said vehemently. "Something mighty important about this case out here. He'll know what I mean. You tell him to see me, quick’s he can!” And only then did he turn to re cite his tale to the audience that while he phoned had been quick to i gather close behind him. While Earl thus brought the news j to Madderson village that there was | a dead man in the small back room at Amasa Dewain's, Inspector Tope was still asleep, Mrs. Tope on guard beside him. He did not stir till the supper-bell roused him; and a little later he and Mrs. Tope came down j to the Mill. Bee met them apolo- j getically. • i don’t know >vhether we’li get much supper, or whether it will be fit...to eat” she explained. "Earl didn’t get back till a little while ago, and Mrs. Priddy had to peel her own potatoes. She may take it out on us! ” , , , Tope guessed: "Priddy probably went to spread the news.” I W/m*# 4 Y\ x i hi And when the others appeared, it was immediately apparent that if they did not know the truth, they at least suspected many things. Vade stalked in and maintained a stony silence; Mrs. Murrell and her hus . band ate without a wq£d, their heads bent low over their plates. And then they heard some small up ; roar from the kitchen, heard Mrs. Priddy’s irate tones. "You get out of here and stay out! If you can’t be here when you’re needed, you needn’t show up at mealtimes!” They heard Earl protest, heard him overborne, and heard then the | slam of the outer door. Bee rose i uneasily. “Well, 1 think we’re all { finished,” she decided. “Shall we j go into the other room?” She herself went to the kitchen, presumably to mollify Mrs. Priddy. The others moved into the living room; but Mrs. Murrell without a word, in a silence that was signif icant, led Isaac and the twins away. : Vade followed. Adam and the In spector and Mrs. Tope were left alone. When Bee returned from the kitchen, her eyes were troubled. “Mrs. Priddy says Earl knows all about it,” she confessed. “He saw the dead man up at Uncle Amasa’s —peeped in the window.” And she said with a rueful gesture: “I don’t know how he knows, but he told Mrs. Priddy the dead man was found in Faraway!” She added, looking at Adam, her eyes twinkling faintly: “Earl claims j he has some important information that he’s going to give Joe Dane! So if you and Inspector Tope don’t hurry, Joe will be the one to—read the riddle, afer all!” Adam grinned. “Joe couldn’t read the alphabet in large type,” he told her confidently. “And Earl wouldn’t know information if he saw it.” “I’m afraid you’ve always under rated Joe,” she retorted. “But then you don’t know much about real ; criminals. You’ve spent your time annoying innocent men!” Mrs. Tope watched them, amused; and Adam protested: "Bee, I never claimed Eberly had committed any crime, done anything wrong. But the bank had to be closed to protect all the depositors. Those Utilities bonds—” He checked himself, looked at Tope in a startled way. "Inspector, I forgot about that. It was Ledforge stuff that ruined Eberly’s bank. Do yo»« suppose Eberly—” Bee uttered an indignant exclama -1 tion: “Adam Bruce, if you try to pretend that Mr. Eberly—” Adam shook his head; he grinned at her. "No, Bee,” he said. “You’re a stubborn young hussy, and no one can beat any sense into you; but— Eberly’s all right, Tope. He threw all his own money into the bank, made every sacrifice possible to help save the depositors.” He looked at the girl in sudden concern. “Bee,” he asked, “you don’t think it possible that he would—” “No, no,” she whispered. “He’s too—” She was interrupted. The door burst open, violently. Here was Earl Priddy, his eyes wide and gog gling with excitement, his hands shaking. He leaped into the room, and banged the door behind him, and set his shoulders against it, his hands outspread to press hard against the panels. "Sh-h-h!” he whispered. “Sh-h-h!” Bee said reproachfully: “Earl, you’re drunk! Don’t be a nuisance! Go out of doors!” “Not me,” said Earl Priddy hot ly. "I don’t go out there again to night! No sir, not me.” Some one pushed at the door from without, and he fought to hold it shut. The door bulged, and Adam THE BLACK MOUNTAIN NEWS | leaped that way. There was sud ! denly a weapon in the young man’s I hand. He thrust Priddy aside, and I Earl stumbled and fell, and Adam 5 jerked wide the door, his gun ready, i 5 expecting anything. I But he saw only Vade, and Isaac !) Murrell, and Mrs. Murrell and the • twins clustering curiously there, j pale and alarmed. They recoiled before Adam's weapon; and Earl, scrambling to his feet, cried: “Come in! Come in, quick, every body! Shut the door! Lock it! i There’s a man in Faraway!” Half a dozen people had heard ! Earl’s announcement. Tope regret ted this; but regret did not impose on him inaction. He said briefly: “Adam!” And with young Bruce beside him, he started up the drive toward Faraway. There was never in Tope any par ticular capacity for fear; if he knew danger lay ahead, he was ndt above taking precautions, for there was no arrogance of folly in this man. But tonight he had—or seemed to have—no feeling that it would be iangerous to surprise the intruder In Faraway. He made haste to " come to the cabin; and before Adam j could intervene, he had thrown the door open and stepped firmly in. Night had by this time almost ful- j !y fallen, and the i: >o: or of !he i cabin was dark. Yet there was light I :hat bed under which a body once i nad been bestowed—all in disorder, j A'ith blankets and coverlet and mat- i :ress in a heap upon the floor; and ! a man, with a lighted match in his land, staring down through the springs at the errfpty space below. The man, at their entrance, whirled, and the match went out; *>ut Adam snapped on the lights. Then Balser Vade came up on the porch behind them, and Tope turned and saw him, said curtly: “Vade, go tell Miss Dewain to call Mat Cumberland. Tell him to come here.” He added: “And Vade, lon't you come back!” The violinist moved reluctantly ! away along the path; and Tope ] I closed the door. Adam Bruce, with | a business-like promptness, had held ;his intruder here at gain's point j while he made a brief search of the ] ether’s garments. He turned as the loor closed to say: “No gun on him, Inspector!” The man standing here before i ; hem without speech was tall and 1 bulky, with heavy black mustache, : and a box-like head set on mas sive shouldei's. His clothes were plain. His hands, the Inspector not ed, were blunt-fingered and heavy, with a fine network of dark lines about the finger-tips, like grease .ong ingrained. dope’s attention ; ixed on those hands; he nodded as \ hough satisfied. “Hello, Kell,” he said. The big man twitched as though tome secret agony tormented him, put he made no move nor sound. “What are you doing here?” Tope asked. The answer came stammeringly. “I —wanted a place to sleep. I’m lunting work, walking—” Tope looked at the other’s shoes, j low wet with dew, though they had aeen faintly dusty. Then Adam 1 ;ouched the Inspector’s arm, whis pered in his ear. Tope nodded. “Os. course,” he assented impa liently. “This is Kell, all right.* He laced the mustached man again. ‘Go on,” he said then. "You’re out if work, tramping the country, look ng for a job; you thought you might iteal a night’s sleep here. You have 10 money. Is that your story?” And when the other did not an iwer, Tope said: “Adam, turn out lis pockets!” (Continued next week) Key City Wins Two From Swannanoa 0 Black Mountain high school won a double-header from Swannanoa I high school Friday night. The boys’ score was 25 to 22 and the girls’ 19 to 9. Girls’ lineup: Swannanoa (9) Rlack Mtn. (19) F—Gibbs (1) Simmons (4) ; F—Webb (2) Swayngim (10) F—Edwards Rondthaler(3) G—LeMasters . McDougle G —Lytle Fortune G—Nanney A. Burnett Subs: Swannanoa, Whitaker 1, Owenbey, Wilkerson 1, Ingle 4, Ammons, Ramsey, Jones, Hensley, Black Mountain—Anders, M. Bur nett 1, Goodman 1. Boys’ lineup: Swannanoa (22) Black Mtn. (25) F—Burgess Willis (8) F—Strahia (8) Edwards (4) C —Sides (8) Britain (8) G—Mills (2) Turner (2) G—Rainwater (4) Pence (3) Subs: Swannanoa McClure. Black Mountain—Gragg. Beer Taxes Increased 0 Beer taxes yielded the State of North Carolina $3,287,793.50 in taxes for the calendar year 1945, according to the North Carolina Committee-United States Brew ers Foundation. \ This is an increase of $352,000 over the amount collected in 1944 and is the first time that the $3,- 00,000 has boon topped ! ince bee” \vn« re-legal!zed in ] 1933. i! battle Industry Tends Toward Grassy Areas The cattle industry tends to fol ' tow closely those areas where grass jrows naturally and where its pro ! faction is encouraged. Nutritious grazing is the foundation on which | successful cattle production can be | developed. The cattle industry com prises a number of distinct enter prises, meeting therefore, a wide variety of conditions. Such enter- : prises include the production of | milk-fat or feeder calves, feeder steer production, baby beef produc tion, the finishing of calves as ultra baby beeves,- the finishing of steers on pasture and in feed-lot, and the production of registered stock for the improvement of commercial herds. All beef cattle enterprises provide an excellent method for marketing forage such as grass, hay, silage and stover. The type of beef cattle enterprise will be determined large \y by the farming area, crops pro duced, markets and experience, fi nancial position and preference of farmer. The availability of land and size I of farm arc factors which mostly I dt termine the adaptation of a beef : C3ltie glso enables formers to i make use of otherwise Idle lands j which of ion can be made to return \ an income in grass. Cattle produc- j tion by diverting lands from clean cultivated crops provides an es- i fective method of controlling ero- ; sion. The abundance of grazing j varies widely by type-of-farming areas and soil types. Indian Camps Believed Cause of Mountain Balds Altitude (timber line) is not the answer why Appalachian mountain tops from 2,000 to 6,000 feet high will not support trees for both Mt. Mitchell and Clingman’s Dome, both nearly 7,000 feet high, are timbered to the top. In 1938, W. A. Gates of Louisiana State university, discov ered twig gall wasps laying their | eggs in oak trees on mountain tops, j which eventually killed the timber, ! and so concluded that the wasps | are the real barbers of the balds, j But Dr. B. W. Wells, botanist at North Carolina State college, sticks to his theory that certain mountain tops were favored camping spots j of Indians, and that they continual ly burned off the tops, to furnish j space for their villages, and also to provide themselves with un obstructed lookout points. He points out that the balds are always gently sloping tops, none of them rugged or precipitous, and that usually, too, they are on the southern (pro tected) side of slopes, and that often strong flowing springs are nearby. In other words, they were ideal tenting grounds for the aborigines. Dr. Wells continues that after a natural fire in the mountains, the arboreal succession is of “fire cherry,” which under repeated fire succeeds itself in basal shoot regen eration. Thus, he concludes, natural fire itself cannot explain the balds, and hence the grass sub-climax must result from human (Indian) in terference. Repainting Metal When repainting metal which still retains all or part of an old finish coating, it is highly important that all bare or worn spots be cleaned down to the metal by wirebrushing, sandpapering, or sand blasting, and that all loose or scaling paint be similarly removed. The bare spots, after cleaning, should be treated like new metal with a priming coat and any remaining glossy surfaces of old paint should be rubbed dull with sandpaper to promote adhesion of the new paint, which should be ap plied only when the surface to be J coated is perfectly dry and when the j temperature is between 50 and 70 de- ! grees. Care in avoiding the applica tion of paint to surfaces which are too cold is especially important in the case of metal, to Insure per manent adhesion and freedom from peeling, scaling, or cracking of the new coating. " • • i DESTROYE D— but not lost Homes razed by fire can be rebuilt with funds provided from Fire Insurance. It’s folly to risk losing everything . . when low premiums can pro tect . . . E. E. WHITE’S INSURANCE AGENCY j 1 Fire and Casualty j n LACK MOUNTAIN, N. C J I--. '• *»pnr ()M I ! ~ • StOCk ■ - •• / . Hilii 11 IDEAL BEAUTY SHOP Black Mountain, N. C. MRS. O. F. BLANKENSHIP, Owner SPECIALS FOR JANUARY & FEBRUARY H ON COLD WAVES $20.00 Permanents SIO.OO $15.00 Permanents - 7.50 ; $ 6.00 Children’s Permanents - - - - $ j !§ || |§G| ua£itkf i / m srr-* THE BEST IN MEA T S 51 Hii ‘ J builMM 5 j j/>4 JL noil(3 t±v).l ' i - : \ ■ - . . 7 ! "Sipics ; i - —Yours for the telephoning! One c ( all and we’ll pick up your laundry, do it up j “hospital clean” in our modern, scien tific plant and return it to you packaged and ready for use. KEY CITY LAUNDRY AND FRENCH BROAD CLEANERS Phone 2021 Black Mountain, N. C We carry a complete line of FANCY AND STAPLE GROCERIES —and— FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES FROZEN FOODS WE DELIVER BLACK MOwMTASN GRO. CO, L. BLAIR and H. T. HILL Owners We Will Handle a Complete Line of THE FINEST G-E @^l6# APPLIANCES EVER I ' APPLIANCES AND MERCHANDISE o BATTERIES OF ALL TYPES FLOURESCENT LAMPS TABLE LAMPS AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES & TIRES o R. C. A. VICTOR RADIO ON WAY o The Oldest Radio Dealer in Black Mountai n Watch eur windows for ne-' radios 1 G.E. RADIOS P C. A. VICTOR RADIO! ZENITH RADIOS ' " i “0 j Yadio Su ply Co. Black Mountain, N. C. Phone 405 JAN 17-1 94 6 Page Seven
The Black Mountain News (Black Mountain, N.C.)
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Jan. 17, 1946, edition 1
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