1928-08-02 — Page 9

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

CANARY" MURDER CASE

S.VAN DINE AUTHOR OF THE BENSON MURDER CASE

NAMY ODELL, KARGARET :-

(Bersama Flisi)

184 West 71at Strest.

ADDRESS. CLANIFICATION JUUMIZA

PRICE BUNARE

COMPRAĽKY NUMBER

DAIR REPORTED

B-381-

9-A

10042

'Sept. 10

REMARES

IN CHARM

Murder? Strangled about 11 pm: Apartment ransacked, Jewelry etolan. Body found by Amy Gibson, waid. Bargt. Heath

CHAPTER 1.

In the offices of the Homicido

Bureau of the detective division of the New York police department there is a large steel filing cabinet and within it, among thousands of others of its kind, there reposes a small green index-card on which

Homicide Bureau,

Index of floatsTIO LA

on

THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1928.

languidly. In front of him; "unless, of course, you could show that a: human being possesses no higher order of brains than'a'duck.”

"What have, brains, to do with. 7" Markham asked impatiently. "Brains don't affect one's foot- prints."

"Not those of ʼn duck. certainly.- But brains might very well-and,

BATHERS FIND CHAMPAGNE.

SCORES OF BOTTLES IN RHINE BED.

'Cologne, July 5. Amazing scenes were witnessed |

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Authorised Capital ..... Ied And Fully Paid-ny Reserva Fonde--

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...-820,000,000

HEAD OFFICE). HONG KONG,

•Mackie

COURT OF DIRECTORS: A. 11. Completa Esq. Chairman,

3. Drawn Eag

Deputy Chairman,

W. 'la l'attenden, Zaa.

A Plummer,

7. GAMMEL, DAG.

Ohle? Manager. Hon. Mr. A.

(evidence I need for convictions."

"Ah! So you are going to sub- no doubt, aften do affect the foot-last night at Coblence, near the Beer Liability stilute the conviction of the inno-prints of a human being.","

confluence of the Moselle and tho "Well, according to your highly Rhine. cent for the acquittal of the and peculiarly developed processes Kullty

of roasoning, would the circum-: Hero bathers who had been Markham was nettled; turning stantial evidence of those mascu- diving found dozens of bottles of in his chair he frowned at Vance line footprints indicate a man or champagne lying on the river bed.

"I won't pretend not to under-ja woman?"

The news soon spread, and alw. I. Dali, E stand your remark,” he said acidly, "Not necessarily either," Vance fogether 300 battles were brought Hoo, Ms. D. D. J. "You're back again your answered; "or, rather, a possibility to the surface by enthusiastic, C. a 17. Wall, favourite theme of the Inadequacy of each. Such evidence, when diving belles or beaux, of circumstantial evidence na com- applied to a human being-to a Although the police, who hur pared with your paycholovica! erenture, that is, with a reasoning fled to the scene, tried to con- theories and aesthetic hypothesis.", mind-would merely mean to me flacnto the booty, they were "Quite so," agreed Vance care. that the figure crossing the snow powerless to do so against the lessly. Your sweet and charming was either a man in his own shoes, crowds that had assembled.

In half an hour the river bank faith in circumstantial evidence for a woman in man's shoes; or

long-legged was littered with drunks. positively disarming. I tremblo perhaps, even, for the innocent victims you are child."

It is believed that the cham about to rather into your legal net, "How," asked Markham; "aince pagne had been smuggled into You'll eventually make the more you jettison all the ordinary means Coblenz from France (Coblenco is of arriving at a conclusion, would in French occupied territory) and you decide the sex or species of subsequently thrown into the this person who left masculine Rhine to avoid confiscation by the

Customs.-Ex. Tel. Co. footprints in the snow?".

Vance blew a spiral of smoke One toward the ceiling,

A

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CURRENT ACCOUNTS (osoid là LOQAL CURRENCY and FIXED DEPOSITS received tos one year er uharter perioda in LOCAL CURRENCY AND STERLING on terms which will be quoted on application. Bongkong,, 28th February. 192.

ducted by the HONGKONG AND SHANGJIAI

obtained on application,

Europe, and still retained a slight

a intonation. He had attendance at any cabaret a fright beral Independent income, and ful hazard.” spent considerable time fulfilling Markham smoked a while in social obligations which devolved silence. on hini as a result of family con-i "Why this sweeping deprecation nexions; but he was neither an of circumstantial evidence?

of our greatest legal authorities "First, I'd repudiate all the idler nor a dilettante. la typed: Odell, Margaret. 184and in a cold, sculptural fashion, most powerful actual evidence in adults; and the one bright-eyed)

Vance was not yet thirty-five, has demonstrated that it is the evidence of the twelva astigmatic West 71st Street, Sept. 10.

was impressively good looking. existence. Direct evidence, in the child. Next, I'd ignore the foot- Murder: Strangled about 11 p.m. His face was slender and mobile; very nature of crime, is almosi prints in the snow. Then, with a Apartment ransacked. Jewellery there was a stern sardonic Cx-always unavailable. If the courts mind unprejudiced by dubious Here is the solution to the stolen. Body found by Amy Gibression to his features which had to depend on it, the great testimony and uncluttered with puzzle an another page. ..son, maid."

acted as a barrier between him and majority of criminals would still material clues, I'd determine the few Here, in

commonplace

GOOD, GOLD, GILD, GIRD, words, is the bleak, unadornedals fellows. He was not emotion- be at large."

exact nature of the crime, which GIRL "I was under the impression that the fleeing person had committed. statement of one of the most less but is emotions were in the

main intellectual. astonishing crimes in police annals

this precious majority had alwaysAfter having analyzed its various On Sunday, Sept. 9, 19 Mark-enjoyed its untrammelled free-factors, I could infallibly tell you prints?... What, then, will you BANKING CORPORATION. - crime so contradictory, so

not only whether the culprit was a buling, so ingenious, su unique, ham and Vance and I were sitting dom. that for many days the best minds in a secluded corner of the lounge-

Markham ignored the interrup man or a woman, but I could "I could overcome that diMculty of the police department and the room of the Stuyvesant Club. We tion,

describe his habits, charactor, and by taking you along with me," aug-

And I could do all; "Take this example: A dozen personality. district attorney's oflice were com- often came together there, for we pletely at a loss as to even a were all members of the club, and adults

an animal running this whether the fleeing figure left gested Markham, with a touch of irony, "How would you like to riethut of approach. Each line of Markham frequently used it as across the snow, and testify that male or female or kangaroo tracks, accompany me on the next impor- investigation only tended to prove kind of anofficial headquarters.

it was a chicken; whereas a child or used stills, or rode off on a tant case?" That Margaret Odell could not pos-

"I am ravished by the iden," said it was a duck. They thereupon Markham smiled sibly have been murdered. And the people in this city under the see the same animal, and declares velocipede."

broadly. Vance. district the

examine the animal's footprints "You'd be worse than the police yet, huddled on the great silken impression

Two days later the front pages davenport in her living-room lay attorney's office is a kind of high-and find them to be the web-footed in the matter of supplying me with

of the New York press carried the girl's strangled body, giving class collection agency," he rer tracks made by a duck. Is it not evidence." the lie to so grotesque à coelis-marked "without being necessitat conclusive, then, that the animal.

"I. at least, wouldn't procure glaring headlines telling of the Jed to turn defective because I'm was a duck and not, a chicken, Jevidonce against some unsuspect-1 murder of Margaret Odoli, the Patd-Up Capital ... Guilders 60,000,000 The true story of this crime, as not given suljelent evidence, or the despite the preponderance of directing person whose boots had been it eventually came to light after aright kind of evidence, with which evidence?" disheartenlug period of utter dark-to secure convictions.".

ston.

a

"It's bad enough to have half

that

BUC

appropriated by the rent culprit." retorted Vance.

He became suddenly serious. "See here, old man; there are

-intelligences shrewd

al

"I grant you your duck," Vance looked up with a slow ness and confusion, revealed many

"And having gratefully accepted strange and bizarre ramifications, smile, and regarded him quizzical-acceded Vance indifferently, many dark recesses of malt's un-1.

the gift" pursued Markhani, “I sonic "The dificulty would seem to propound a corollary; A dozen present allied with what the explored nature, and the uncanny subtlety of a human mind sharpen-be," he returned, with an indolent adults see a human figure crossing theologians call the powers of ed by desperate and trapie despair, drawl. "that the police labour the snow, and take oath it was a darkness. The surface appearances Margaret Odell was a product of under the notion that evidence woman; whereas a child asserts of many of these crimes that are the beliendian demi-monde of Broads which would convince a man of that the thure was a man. Now, worrying you are palpably decep. waya selaillant figure who ordi'ry Intelligence, would also will you not also grant that the tive. Markham, old dear, don't let seemed somehow to typify the evince a court of law. Lawyers Circumstantial evidence of a man's this romantic, criminological iden sandy and sparicas romance, of I don't really want evidence: they footprints in the snow would sup-lead you natray. And don't seru- transient gaiety. For nearly two wait erudite technicalities. Andly Incontrovertible proof that ttinize the figurative fingerprints la years before her death she had the average policeman's brainwas, in fact, a man, and not the snow too closely. They'll con- Leen the most conspicuous and, in cannot enpe with the pedantiewonian?"

fuse you horribly. And have you) a sense, popular figure of the city's demands of jurisprudence."

paused to consider that your first] night life.

case may even, be devoid of foot-

}

"Not at all, my dear Justinian," "It's, not as bad as that," Mark-replied Vance, siretching his legs

"If there weren't hum retorted. rules of evidente, grave injustice would too often be done innocent And even a criminal is to protection in OUT

Vanee, cawned mildly.

Margaret Odell had received the sobriquet of Canary as a result of a part she had played in a elaborate bulled of the "Follies," persona. in which each girl had been gown-entitled ed to represent a variety of bird. To her had fallen, the role of canary; and her costume of white- and-yellow satin, together with her muss of shining golden hair and

courts."

"Markham, you should have been pelagogue. IL'A positively amazin' how you've mastered all

a

pink-and-white complexion, had the standard oratorical replies to distinguished her in the eyes of the criticism. spectators as a creature of out- ineed. standing charm.

And el, I'm uncon-) You remember the Wis- Before a fortesin case of the kidnapped man: night had passed- su eulogistic whom the courts declared presum- dead, Even when he were her press natiers, and so un-ably erringly did the audience single re-appeared, bale and her out for applause--the "Birdamon his farmer nužyblions, his Balle!" was changed to the status of bei "Canary Ballet." and Miss Odell was

hearty,

mumably dend not feally altered. The

was promoted to the rank of what visible and demonstrable fact that might charitable be called he was actually alive was regarded by the court as an immaterial and premier daysCURO,"

She left the "Fallies" at the impertinent side-issue... Then close of the season, and during her there's the touchin'' situation-so subsequent spectacular career in urevalent in this fair country-of the hunts of Broadway she had min being insane in one state been familiarly, called the Canary. and sate in another.... Your Thus it happened that when her layman, swaddled in the darkness dead body was found, brutally of ordin'ry common sense, would strangled, in her apartment, these that a person who is a lunatic on "one bank of the erime immediately became known, if he was

and was always thereafter referred river would still be a lunatic if he to. us the Canary murder.

My own participation in the in- vestigation of the Canary murder case or rather my role of Boswel. lian spectator-constituted one of my most memorable experiences.

W33

on

the

bank.

opposite And he'd also bold--erroneously, no doubt that if a man was living, he would presumably be alive."

"Why this, necdemic disserta- tion?" asked Markham, this time a

At the time of Margaret Odell's bit irritably. murder John F.-X. Markham was

success

"It seems to touch rather vitally! district attorney of New York. He on the source of your present re- had distinguished himself by dicament," Vance explained "The police, not being almost uncanny

aequably. criminal investigator. The praise lawyers, have apparently got you Why which was constantly accorded into hut water, what? him, however, was highly distaste-not start an agitation to send i ful to him; for, being a man with detectives to law school 7"

a keen sense of honour, he instine- Markham grunted,' "l'd hardly tively shrank from accepting cre-endear myself to the people of this dit for achievements not wholly country by recommending law his own. The truth is that Mark-courses, for the pulice department."; "Permit me, then, to sugvest the ham played only a subsidiary part

of Shakespeare's In the majority of his most famous alterative

all the kill The credit for butcher: 'Let's criminal cases. their actual solution belonged to lawyers.

"Unfortunately, It's a situation,{ of Markham's very close

one

..

friends who refused, at the time, not a Utopian theory, that has to to permit the facts to be made be met." public.

This was a young social aristo- crat, whom I have chosen to call Philo Vance,

"And.just how," asked Vanco lazily. "do you propose to reconcile the sensible conclusions of the police with, what you touchingly call correctness of legal proce dure?"

Vance had many amazing gifts and capabilities, He was an art

"To begin with;" Markham In- collector in a small way, a fine amateur pianist, and a profound formed him, "I've decided honco- student of aestheties and paycho- forth to do my own investigating logy. Although an American, he of all imaortant criminal cases. had largely been, educated in intend to produce the kind of

AS FRESH AS ADAISY

do ?"

Canary.

SO ARE

(To Be Continued.}

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