THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 24, 1939
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TO-DAY'S. STRANGE STORY OF REAL PEOPLE
THE CROSS- EYED CLUE
BY VANCE WYNN
It was dusk on the morning of March 23, 1928. Armed guards surrounded the grim prison at Valleyfield, Quebec, holding back a vast crowd of morbid curiosity seekers. At 5 o'clock pre- cisely a black flag was slowly raised to the top of a pole inside the prison walls and floated ominously in the breeze. There was
a stir and then Sheriff Crippen appeared 011 the balcony and officially announced that the death sentence had been carried out according to law.
It was the finish of the most talk- ed-about murder that ever disturbed
the peace of the province.
the body
of
On July 17, 1927, Adelard Bouchard, a taxicab driver, had been found in a water-filled ditch near Huntingdon. Four bullets from a .32-calibre revolver had caus- ed his death. He was well-known in that part of the country and the fact that he was popular with police intensified the search for his murderer. The wires began to buzz and all along the line the cry
"Find Bouchard's taxicab!"
Before noon of that day, it was located on a side street in Montreal. Blood-stained cushions told the story of the tragedy. One of the other drivers recalled that Bouchard had been hailed by two men and a woman and had driven off with them. A waiter in one of the hotels remem-
was heard:
bered the trio and said they had been having a wild time before they left the place.
Still another taxi driver testified that Bouchard had $70 in his possession when he left with his three passengers. But the most important clue was this:
was
The older of the two men cross-eyed!
Having established that much the detectives made a close search of the highway between Huntingdon and Montreal. It yielded rich results. By the side of the road they found a man's coat and vest. A mile or so beyond that they located a woman's hat, shoes and skirt. And all of these garments were smeared with blood.
It was not difficult to imagine what had taken place. After the murder of the taxicab driver, his heartless assassins had thrown him out of the cab into the ditch. Then they were panic-stricken for the blood of the victim was smeared all over their garments. They had discarded them, one by one, as the cab rushed toward Montreal at a record-breaking pace.
The final bit of Canadian evidence came from the customs officer at the border. He said that two men and a woman had paused there for the customary examination and had been turned back because they could not give a satisfactory account of them- selves. The woman was shoeless and undressed, her underwear 'being covered with a large fur coat.
Later investigation made it clear that the trio had managed to get into the United States. American detec- tives took up the search where it had been dropped by the Canadian au- thorities. A description of the fugi- tives was sent all over the country.
Do You Make A Good Impression?
The first impression you make on people is through your general appear- ance. If you are easy to look at your 'face value' is increased immediately. But if your complexion is muddy and pimply, your eye dull, your expression unhappy, the estimate of you is lowered.
Skin blemishes are usually caused by constipation and liver sluggishness. If you wish to have a clear skin, bright eyes, pure breath, a cheery, confid- ence-inspiring personality, you should keep your digestive system clean and active by an occasional dose of
Pinkettes.
I
This splendid· · laxative not only makes you look better, but makes you feel better in every way... You'll be surprised what a difference Pinkettes make. Try them and see. Of all
chemists.
They Hail the Unsuspecting Driver.
The trial led to the Far West.
It had been said that the search for a murderer is always most hopeful proved true in the case of the mur- when it seems most hopeless. This
dered taxicab driver, Bouchard, man giving the names of Months afterward, a man and a wo- Mr. and Mrs. Carter were arrested in Butte, Montana, on the charge of passing of forged cheques,
When they were searched in the police station, a .32-calibre pistol was found on the man and a .25 calibre revolver on the woman.
The chief of police strolled into the and scrutinized the prisoners
room
closely. He noted that the man, who was rather handsome, was cross-eyed. The chief smiled grimly and remarked casually:
"There's his wife
murder."
a cross-eyed forger and wanted in Montreal for
The prisoners proved to be George McDonald, notorious confidence man, and his wife, Doris Palmer McDonald. The man had left a trial of forged cheques all the way from New York to Montreal and thence to Montana.
With as little delay as possible, they were sent back to Canada for trial, Almost at the outset it was proved that the young man who had travelled with them in the province of Quebec, was innocent of participation in the murder.
the jury the them both to death. On the day be- fore the execution, McDonald made a sworn statement saying:
trial judge. sentenced
This
FOOD CONTROL PROPOSALS
Instructions have been re- ceived from the Secretary of State for the Colonies regard- ing the export of foodstuffs from the United Kingdom.
As is well known certain essential foodstuffs are now completely con- frolled in the United Kingdom by the Ministry of Food, while the export from the United Kingdom of practi- cally everything, including foodstuffs, is not allowed except under an export permit granted by the Export Licens- ing Department.
Importers in
Hong Kong will therefore not be able to get fur- ther supplies of
foodstuffs from
the United Kingdom unless their ordera have been approved Government.
by
This Government has been instruct- ed to supply the Secretary of State for the Colonies with an estimate of the essential minimum requirements of "To whom it may concern:
Hong Kong and in order to do so, the is to verify that my wife, Doris Pal- Controller of Food invites all direct mer McDonald, now in jail in Mon-importers of foodstuffs from the treal is innocent of the murder of A. | United Kingdom to furnish him with Bouchard.
I swear to this by my full particulars of their normal im- God in heaven. She had not one portations from the United Kingdom. thing to do with the murder nor In the advertisement columns there helped in anyway, and the Denver appears a notice calling importers to confession is untrue."
a conference with the Controller of Food.
At the very last minute there was a sensational reprieve for the wife, and when the black flag was hoisted over the Valleyfleld prison, it was to an- nounce the execution of George Mc- Donald alone.
BUDDHIST LEADER
RELEASED
Chungking, To-day. Yuan Ying, Chief Executive of the Chinese Buddhist Association, who was arrested by the Japanese in Shanghai on October 10 has been released. He is recuperating in a hospital. Central News.
CHRISTMAS MAILS
DECISION
London, To-day.
In connection with the Christmas But the evidence against the man mails, it is emphasized that there is and his wife was overwhelming.
no general ban on Christmas cards or They protested their innocence
but other mail- from neutral or Allied no less than eighty-three witnesses countries, whether the cards bear pic- were summoned to prove the case of
tures or not.-Reuter. the state.
The jury did not take long to come to a conclusion. Both prisoners were found guilty of murder, but with a recommendation of clemency for the woman. She had admitted to the American police that she fired the shot that killed Bouchard, but later protested that the confession had been forced when one of the detectives had shouted:
"Come a cross, kid, or we'll break your neck."
In spite of the recommendation of
26-11
It used to be that parents ruled with the rod but nowadays it is the ohildren who tell the parents - off,
CONTRABAND CONTROL DETENTIONS
LONDON, TO-DAY. THE MINISTER OF ECONOMIC WARFARE, IN A WRITTEN_COM- MONS REPLY, STATED THAT THE NUMBER OF SHIPS DETAINED AT BRITISH CONTRABAND CON- TROL BASES IN THE MEDITER- RANEAN DURING THE WEEK ENDED NOV. 13, WAS 22.
Of these, 12 were Italian, four Norwegian, three United States, one Rumanian, one Greek and one Jugo- Slav.
The number for the week ended Nov. 20 was 23. Of these 14 were Italian, three Panamanian two United States and one each from Greece, the Netherlands, Norway and Yugo- Slavia.-British Wireless.
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