1940-02-10 — Page 15

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 10, 1940

REAL LIFE DETECTIVE TRIUMPHS

THE CLUE OF THE

BLINKING EYES

Men may have no regard for human ife and still get great pleasures out of innocent pastimes. Which brings to mind the strange case of the man with the blinking eyes.

a

Some six years ago Detective Kenny gave chase to a man who had been trying to rob a home in Queens Bor- ough, New York City. He Was tall, thin man who wore a gray cap and a light overcoat. As the detec- tive approached him the fugitive pull- ed a pistol out of his coat pocket, shot his pursuer in the neck.

Three hours later Detective Kenny died from the wound, one more po- lice martyr to duty.

The curious part of it was that Kenny was the fourth policeman who had been shot in the same way by the same man, The incidents roused the whole department. The bluecoats were particularly stirred over the cruel death of poor Kenny. So that day| the order went out to get the killer at any cost.

James Pyke, a comparatively young detective, was placed in charge. He was assisted directly by Sergt. Willi- am Jackson and Detective McCarthy. Indirectly these three men were back- ed up by the entire police force.

was

д

McCarthy, who had obtained good look at the culprit when he shot him in the neck,

assigned the task of going through the Rogues Gallery. Presently he came to a pic- ture which resembled his man. It was

-By-

GEORGE BARTON

that of Paul E. Hilton, who had a long prison record and who had only been released a few months before.

▸

✡

McCarthy made it his business to find out all that was possible concern- ing the suspect. He learned among other things that Hilton had played third base on the prison baseball nine. He also discovered that he was a dyed-in-the-wool baseball fan. When he was at liberty he never missed a game if it were possible to go to one. Moreover, he was an intense admirer of Heine Groh, the famous third base- man. It was his study of Groh's methods that prompted Hilton to play third base on the prison nine..

This information did not seem very promising to Detective McCarthy. To his mind a genuine baseball fan could not possibly be a murderer. That was one of Mr. Carthy's pet superstitions. Another was that a man walking the streets at night and smoking a cigar was not likely to be a suspicious char- acter.

Just when he was about to dis- card the idea of Hilton he learned something else about the man that caused him to go ahead with his first lead. It was that Hilton had BLINK- ING EYES.

The word went out to pick up the suspect, but at the end of 48 hours that person was still at liberty, It was then that Pyke had a real in- spiration. He heard that Gorh was to play in Brooklyn that afternoon and he invited McCarthy and Jackson and two plainclothes men to go out and see the game.

*

**

It seemed like a strange thing that a group of detectives working on a murder mystery should spend an afternoon, at the ball game. But Pyke knew precisely what he was doing. The officials reached the park before the game started and seated themselves in the grandstand, directly back of third base, Presently a tall, thin man, wearing a gray cap and a light overcoat, came in and took a seat where he could see the plays made by. Heine Groh. And the man had BLINKING EYES, ***Pyke moved down and tapped him on the shoulder and invited him to

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walk to the rear Carthy at once

HARSH

SOVIET

LIVING

CONDITIONS

Helsinki, January 28,

Soviet prisoners-of-war state that the monthly salary for specialist amounts to 400 roubles but that the majority get between 100, and 150 roubles each month. Women work- ing in Soviet Russia carn between 70 and 80 robles monthly and taxes, obligatory loans and contributions to the syndicates absorb, 20 per cent. of the salaries.

The prisoners also say that if a workman fails to satisfy his superiors, he is fined to the extent of 30 per cent, in some cases. For 150 roubles, they add, it is possible to buy either 20 or 30 kilograms of white bread, 10 kilograms of ment, 8 kg. of butter, 3 kg. of coffee or a pair of boots. Rental of an apartment of between 5 and 8 square metres, amounts to be- Mc-tween 30 and 60 roubles monthly, the

as prisoners state.

of the stand. identified Hilton the man who had shot him in the neck and as the man who had killed Detec- tive Kenny,

"What is your name"? asked Pyke.

was the

"I'll give you my card," ready response.

Havas.

PUPPETS WANT THE EMBASSY

12-25

(kelbound by The "Ball LyndienfON, PREJ

If good old Saint Nick had been any better to many of um we would go through 1940 belleving the world was full of dreams.

of the "Provisional Chinese Govern- ment," hopes soon to take over the long-empty Chinese Embassy here, the "Miyako Shimbun" reports.

Mr. Tan's present offices in Azabu are becoming too small for him, ac- cording to the same report.

In an interview, Mr. Tan admitted, however, that he would have to wait at least until the new Wang Ching- wel regime is established in China for no less than Y50,000 are needed to re- novate the Embassy building.

As he said these words he reached into his coat pocket, but the detec- tives were too quick for him. They grabbed the pistol he had pulled out, deftly slipped a pair of handcuffs about his wrists.

The permanent representative of The house to-day is in such a de- Hilton confessed and was electrocuted.

eventually Wang Ching-wei in Tokyo, Tan lapidated state that some people even

Chiao-cheng, Chief Private Secretary'say it is haunted. Havas.

Tokyo, January 28.

U.B.BEER

BEER AT

erred

ITS

BEST

UB

SWINGHA

UNION

Sole Agents-W. R. LOXLEY & CO., (China) Ltd.

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