■Thursday, January 31, 1945
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GUEST iSI
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f Nortkeastara bills, fee fctxj bit tarraer
I boss, tospecta* Top* anfl Mr*, 'fop*. B*
~monSosded tM tte T»pe* spend flu
night at Dawnin'* MUL Later that sight
Top* phoned Bruce to eom* out to the
mill at once and to get Ned Quill, a state
trooper, located nearby.
CHAPTER n: Bee had rented a cot
! tage called Faraway to the Topes, tell
: lng them It had not been occupied since
i it was built. When they entered the cot
tage, Tope saw burnt matches, which
r Indicated to him that someone had been
prowling around. He sent his wife out
while he Investigated. Later he asked
to be transferred to another cottage.
CHAPTER III: Tope explained to
Bruce and Quill what made him think
that something was wrong. He then
lifted up the mattress and showed them
a dead man, dressed in greasy clothes,
hands and feet bound and covered with
strips of blanket. Quill went after the
district attorney and the medical officer.
There was no question but what It was
murder.
CHAPTER IV: When Mat Cumberland
and Dr. Medford arrived, they held a
conference and it was decided to leave
Tope in charge of the investigation and
to move the body to Am»sa Dewain’s
for further investigation. As they were
leaving Mrs. Tope told her husband that
she recognized the body as that of Mr.
Ledforge. head of New England utilities.
CHAPTER V: Bruce went out to some
old lime quarries to see if he could lo
cate a stolen car that might have been
used by the murderers. He later report
ed the car. The insurance company had
no report the car had been stolen, al
though the police did. Mrs. Kell, house
keeper of the owner of the stolen car, had
been seen driving the car away. She
also was acquainted with Ledforge.
CHAPTER VI: Tope found out that
Mrs. Kell was likely in the bottom of
the lime quarries In the stolen car. Mr.
Kell had disappeared, and his employer
Holdom was found in a Connecticut hos
pital unconscious from head wounds.
Check on the tracks leading away from
the quarries Indicated that they belonged
to Kell—who had been with Holdom and
Ledforee.
CHAPTER VII: Priddy. who worked at
the auto eamp, had gone out to spread
the rumor and Investigate the murder
for himself. Later In the day he came
bursting into the room where they were
all gathered and announced that a man
was in Faraway. Tope and Bruce rushed
to the cottage and found a man they
believed to be Kell looking under the
bed where the corpse had been found.
CHAPTER VIII: Kell admitted his
identity. He denied, however, that he
knew where his wife was—ln fact
claimed to be looking for her. He said
that Holdom had asked him to hit him
over the head and leave him by the
roadside. Kell saw the body of the mur
dered man and stated that It was not
Ledforge. The D.A. said he believed the
murderer was an outsider.
i CHAPTER IX
> _
Without a word Tope swung sharp
ly into the Mill, into the dining-room.
Adam and Cumberland followed
him; and the two men at the table
there looked up. Then Whitlock
rose.
“Hello, Tope,” he said.
Tope stared at him. "I knew I'd
seen you somewhere. Where?”
The other hesitated. "Are you on
this thing, Inspector?”
Tope suddenly nodded as though
remembering. “You’re from a pri
vate agency?” he guessed.
Whitlock said reluctantly: "Well,
yes.”
“What are you after?”
Whitlock, wary as a dog in a
strange yard, looked at the others
here, doubt and caution in his eyes.
The Inspector said insistently:
“Whitlock, this gentleman is Mat
Cumberland, the District Atrorney.
You’ll have to play ball with us.”
And he added: “You were here Mon
day night, tracing a stolen car —or
so you said. Why did you come
back?”
“We heard that a dead man had
been found here.”
"What of it?” Whitlock was si
lent. “Who put you on this?” The
detective said nothing. “What’s your
outfit? Hutchins? Or Myers?”
"Myers agency.”' Whitlock admit
ted.
“You boys stay her* tonight,”
Tope said curtly.
"You’re taking a high hand,”
Whitlock protested. “Where do yog
ra te, anyway?"
t ® ut Adam Bruce said quietly:
"I’m from the Department of Jus
“c*- I back Tope; and so does Dis
trlct Attorney Cumberland, if you
want to argue! 99
"Oh, all right,” Whitlock grudg
“fily agreed. ”1 guess you carry
to ° many guns, Tope. We’ll play!”
Bee Dewain said, ‘Til show you
* cabin, gentlemen!” and they fol
lowed her away.
Tope, as soon as,they were gone,
turned in haste toward the telephone,
which was in a closet under the '
Btairs. They heard his voice, mus-
a *d, as he put in the call.
A little later he emerged, his eyes
shining; but he only said, speaking
w the District Attorney: "Well, Mat,
at s about all we can do tonight.
. You 'd better take Kell along to
oWn *’’ Then he turned to Ned Quill,
an d without any apologies to the oth
ers, drew Ned aside.
Son," he asked trooper, “do
you know Sally Tennant—the duugh
of Hoidom’s gardener?”
Sure,” Quill returned. “He
grinned. “Mighty pretty girl.”
he old man nodded. “All right,
~ .1, go see Pennant girl— to
-Jlght or in the morning. Her father
she was in love with Bob Flint,
I Holdom's pilot. Ask her when she
s«w him last, anything else she’ll
MB ytm"
“Otor Red ac»ee&
Tope tamed back tewsad the otfc
**■ “Mat,*’ said to Cumberland,
“don't forget to hare Doctor Med
ford check on gas in the dead man’s
lungs, and whether he was drugged.
Now good night. I’ll meet you at
the quarry in the morning.”
Cumberland assented heavily, and
turned toward the car. When they
were gone, Tope mopped his brow
and sighed and turned to Mrs. Tope.
"I had to get rid of Mat,” he said.
“Having him around is like pushing
a piano. He’s—slow, heavy! Now
I can get busy!”
i The phone rang, and Adam went
in to answer it. Mrs. Tope asked
solicitously: “Must you do anything
more tonight? You’re so tired!”
“I’ll rest tomorrow night,” he
promised, and he said with a chuc
kle: “Yes ma’am, tomorrow night
I aim to sleep about twenty-four
hours without winking. You go
along.”
But before she could go, Adam re
turned from the telephone, and Bee
i came back from showing Whitlock
! and Beal their cabin. “They’re all
; tucked in like good little boys,” she
| reported; and her eyes were twin
! kling. “So meek and mild! I loved
! the way you squelched them!”
Tope chuckled; and then he
asked: ‘‘Miss Dewain, do you know
anything about a lodge back in the
hills somewhere? Ledforge’s place?”
“Oh, yes,” she said quickly.
“Why?”
“Mr. Eberly’s there,” Tope ex
claimed. She uttered an exclama
tion at once of relief and of sur
prise; and Tope asked: “Adam, you
know where it is?”
Adam shook his head.
“Miss Dewain, you tell him,”
Tope requested. “I want to see Mr.
Eberly.” And he added: “You
might give me that letter to him
| from Mr. Ledforge. I’ll give it to
I him.”
Bee did so, readily enough. “How
do you know he’s there?” she asked;
and Tope said:
“Kell told us.” And he added,
his tone all reassurance: “Now that
you’ve tucked Whitlock and Beal in
bed, do as much for Mrs. Tope, will
you?” He looked at Mrs. Tope.
“Unless you want to sleep in the
Mill, my dear?”
"No, I prefer my own bed," Mrs.
Tope decided.
So she and Bee departed, and
Tope and Bruce were left alone.
Tope mopped his brow, and he
asked:
“Sleepy. Adam?”
Bruca chuckled. "Well, I wouldn’t
aay sol” He added: "That phone
call was for me, from New York,
Inspector. They raised the plane
Sunday, but it’s so badly wrecked
they can’t tell what happened.”
“All right,” Tope said. “Now
come along.”
Adam hazarded: “Up to see Mr.
Eberly?”
Tope smiled. “Well, yes. But firs:
we’ll get these two detectives, tak«
them along.”
“What for?”
“To introduce me to their client.’’
Bruce asked sharply: “Client?
Eberly?”
And Tope said, his eyes sober:
“No, Adam! Miss Ledforge."
Mrs. Tope woke in the first «gray
of dawn, and looked across the cab
in, expecting to see the Inspector
there abed. But the bed was un
touched; and she thought how weary
he would be after a sleepless night,
and lay awhile wakeful, waiting for
the sound of the car. But it did nol
come; and at length—the sun had
not yet risen—she rose and dressed
quietly, and went out of doors.
Now a car did come along the
road, with three or four men in it;
a moment later it turned in at the
drive, stopped beside the Mill and
Its passengers tumbled out. They
had not yet seen Mrs. Tope when
Earl Priddy came out of the kitchen
door, and they swarmed about him
Instantly. Mrs. Tope, watching with
amusement, saw Priddy suddenly
the hero of the hour, important,
erect, facing their questions and
then their cameras with a high head
and steady eye. She came near
enough to overhear —understood that
these were reporters, that the trag
edy was public property now.
Then Bee appeared; and later Ned
QulC or hia motorcycle roared Into
the drive outside. Before his en
gine died, the newcomers were out
to meet him. Mrs. Tope and Be#
watched them from the Mill door,
till suddenly, at some word from
Quill, they went racing away.
Quill grinned and came toward the
Mill, and Mrs. Tope asked: "What
did you teU them?”
"I found the limousine,” the young
trooper explained. “Hid up in the
woods. The number plates are gone,
so they can’t make anything out of
it, but there’s blood on the floor. I
told ’em about jt to get them out of
the way, so I could see Tope.
“He’s not here,” she confessed.
“Didn’t come back last night at all.
Quill looked startled. “Well, don t
you worry about him. ma am, a
“What for?” he asked in a dazed
tone.
said doubtfully.''
She smiled. “Oh, I’m not wor
ried—much,” she declared. “Adam
Bruce is with him.” She asked:
“Do you want to wait here? Or
leave some message?”
“Why, no hurry. Only, they’ve run
into some trouble about raising the
car out of the quarry. Won’t get it
out before noon. He wanted to
know, wanted to be there.” And
the trooper added: “I’ve got anoth
er job to do for him. Got to go see
a girl about a man.”
Mrs. Tope smiled. “I’ll tell him
when he comes!”
At a little past ten, Tope did re
turn, with Adam, and a quiet, elder
ly man whom Bee greeted warmly.
“Why, Mr. Eberly!’ she cried;
and she said in affectionate re
proach: “You gave me an awful
scare, when I telephoned to Ed
Priest and you weren’t there!”
But Mrs. Tope was attentive only
to the Inspector. His eyes were red
and tired. He asked: "Anything
new?”
“Trooper Quill says they’ll raise ‘
the car out of the quarry about
noon,” she explained.
Tope’s eyes quickened, and he
turned to the other man. “Mr. Eber
ly, you stay here, will you?” he re
quested.
Eberly assented. Adam and Bee
had drawn apart together; and the
Inspector said to Mrs. Tope: ’’You
might be getting pecked up. It
wouldn’t surprise me if we moved
on this afternoon.”
“You've got it?” she asked softly.
“I’ve got enough,” he assented
grimly. . . .
When Joe Dane set out to fetch
Holdom back to North Madderson,
he took with him Ed Pringle, a de
tective attached to Mat Cumber
land’s office. They came at length
to the private hospital to which Hol
dom had been taken, and presented
their credentials to the physician in
tharge. The doctor insisted that
Holdom could not safely travel till
morning. So it was a little past
eight that Joe and Pringle and the
doctor went In to see him.
Dane, big with the dignity of a
small man, spoke. “Mr. Holdom,”
he said, “my name is Dane. I’m
Assistant District Attorney of High
land County. Mr. Cumberland, my
chief, sent me to bring you up
there.”
Holdom his head swathed In
bandages, his eyes swollen and
weary—looked at Joe slowly. "What
for?” he asked in a dazed tone.
Dane glanced at Pringle as
though calling the other fhan’s at
tention to his discretion. “Mr. Cum
berland will tell you himself,” he
said, but could not resist adding, "if
you don’t already know!"
"I don't know anything,” Holdom
said. "But I’m due at my office.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible,"
said Joe Dane importantly. "But
If you wish. I’ll let them know that
you will be away for a few days.”
“A few days?”
Dane smiled grimly. "A euphe
mism! ” he murmured; and felt
Pringle’s amused eye upon him, and
colored hotly.
But thereafter he held his tongue,
and Holdom made no new objection,
and presently they were on the road,
Pringle driving, Dane and the hurt
man in the seat behind. Holdom
for a while sat staring straight
ahead with dull eyes; but presently
he went stupidly to sleep, his head
back, his mouth open. Sometimes
when the car struck a bump, his
face twisted as though he winced j
with pain.
When toward noon they reached
the courthouse in North Madderson.
Dane and Pringle, supporting Hol
dom, who was weak and unsteady
THE BLACK MOUNTAIN NEWS
| on his feet, went up the worn old
stairs; and Dane flung open the
door of Cumberland’s private office,
with some notion of making an en
| trance in style.
But Cumberland was not here to
j be impressed, and the office was in
| charge of Janet Cumberland, Mat’s
i niece; a meek, colorless young wom
an in whose eyes Uncle Mat was
an old and rather stodgy man, while
Joe Lane was young and handsome.
She looked up at him with shy de
light, and Joe tweaked her ear and
said loftily:
“Hello, Jan! Office get along all
right without me?”
“We’ve missed you, Mr. Dane,”
she told him. ’’There’g been so
muoh going on. They taught Kell,
you know. He’s the chauffeur. And
they found the car in the quarry.
Oh, and Mr. Dane, I have a tele
phone message for you from Earl
Priddy. You know, down at De
wains Mill. He says he has some
important evidence!”
Dane chuckled. “Earl’s the big
gest liar in the county. But I might
run down to the Mill, see if he’s got
anything. Be back soon, Ed,” he
told Pringle. “You keep Holdom
here.”
Dane found Priddy peeling onions
! in the kitchen under Mrs. Priddy’s
| watchful eye. At sight of Dane, Earl
came starting to his feet.
. “Joe!” he cried. “High time you
! come! I got something to tell
you—”
Mrs. Priddy thrust her husband
forcibly back into his chair. “You
can set right there and tell it!” she
exclaimed. “I want them onions
skinned!”
“Now, Ma, this here’s private and
confeedential,” Earl insisted. “Joe,
you make her—”
"Let him step outside with me, for
a minute, Mrs. Priddy,” Joe sug
gested. “I know you wouldn’t want
to obstruct justice.”
She yielded grudgingly. “Just be
cause he seen them people when
they fust come here—” she began.
Earl, his hand through Dane’s
arm, was already at the door. “And
It was me see this here Kell sneak
into Faraway too!” he boasted, and
dragged Joe outside.
“Saw what people?” Joe demand
ed.
“That feller and the woman Fri
day night,” Earl retorted, and told
the tale of the stolen car; and then
he gave his version of the capture
of Kell, and of Tope’s midnight de
parture; and Joe asked many ques
tions.
“I ain’t a hand to listen,” Earl
said loftily. “Only in the line of my
dooty! But Ike Murrell, he snoops
around, all hours of the night. He
heard this woman that was in Little
Bear Friday night—them that stole
the car —and she was talking to the
feller with her, begging him not to
do it, whatever it was. Ike heard
her call him by name. Name of
Rupe!”
Joe was instantly alert. “Rupe?”
he echoed. “Say, was it Rufe? Ru
fus? Does Tope know about this?*'
Rufus was Ledforge’s name.
Earl saw that he had at last made
an impression. "Don’t nobody know
about it only Ike and me,” he de
clared. "That was what I set out
to tell ye.”
“Where la this Ike Murrell?” Joe
demanded. “I want to talk to him.”
A rising jubilation filled him. Had
Rufus Ledforge in fact come here
to Little Bear on Friday night with
Mrs. Kell? "Where is Murrell?”
he insisted.
They found Isaac; and Joe ques
tioned him rapidly.
Isaac and Earl between them re
cited the tale.
“I hear the car come In,” Earl
explained. “Late, after everybody
was abed. I showed ’em up to Little
Bear, and he gave me five dollars.”
“I know, I know,” Joe said im
patiently. “You told me. But Mur
rell, what were you doing up
there?”
“Why, I don’t sleep good,” Isaac
Murrell meekly explained. “And
sometimes I go out and walk
around; and I heard her begging
him not to do something or other.
I heard her say: ‘Oh, no, don’t,
Rupe! Please don’t, Rupe!’ "
(Continued next week)
The Big One Got Away
0
“You certainly let that big one
get away, Clarence.”
“I guess I did, but that reminds
me of the big one you let get away
last night, Pete.”
“We didn't fish last night, we
argued—"
“You are right and that is when
you let the big idea get away from
you. You quoted figures pub
lished by Distilled Spirits Insti
tute showing that in the 48 states
and the District of Columbia,
$535,565,109 was the total state
and local revenue from the sale of
alcoholic beverages—”
“Correct."
“An official State Commission
created by The Massachusetts
Legislature reported to it last
March that the total tangible cost
of alcoholism to the citizens of
that state to be $61,000,000 an
nually.”
“If it is official —”
“It is. And that is the big idea
you let get away from you. Ac
cording to the Distilled Spirits In
stitute, Massachusetts received
$14,373,742 total state and local
revenue from the sale of Alcoholic
oeverages in 1944.”
“I see the point For every dol-
Professional And
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DOCTORS
O
Dr. E. J. Anthony
PHONES:
Res. 4851 Office 4321
Black Mountain, N. C.
LAWYERS
0
Win. C. Honeycutt
Phone 3191
Black Mountain, N. C.
ELECTRICIANS
O
GEORGE W. STONE
Phone 2033
Black Mountain, N. C.
R. W. COOK
PHONE 3082
Black Mountain, N. C.
PLUMBERS
J. W. Russell
Phone 3934
Black Mountain, N. C.
RESTAURANTS
Ann’s Luncheonette
ACROSS FROM DEPOT
Black Mountain, N. C.
lar collected locally in taxes from
all sorts of liquor, the use of those
products cost the tax payers
more than four dollars and twenty
five cents.”
“It is a mighty poor tax policy
that permits an industry to cost
the people of a state more than
four times what it pays in state
and local taxes.”
Capt. Bishop Is Named
On Staff At Moore
Capt. John W. Bishop has been
added to the staff at Moore Gen
eral hospital and will serve as as
sistant post quartermaster, Col.
Frank W. Wilson, commander, an
nounced. Capt. Bishop is the
husband of the former Miss Car
man Norris, granddaughter of
Mrs. J. F. Bartlett of Swannanoa.
Capt. and Mrs. Bishop are now
residing at Swannanoa.
Some people manage to regis
ter displeasure perpetually.
.—
Ml
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but not lost
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to risk losing everything . .
when low premiums can pro
tect . . .
E. E. WHITE’S
INSURANCE
AGENCY
Fire and Casualty
BLACK MOUNTAIN, N. C.
Representing Old Line Stock i
Companies.
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Black Mountain, N. C.
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Phone 2021 Black Mountain, N. C
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Watch our windows for new radios
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Phone 2021
Page Seven