1928-08-15 — Page 11

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,

CANARY MURDER CASE

by S. S.VAN DINE AUTHOR OF THE BENSON MURDER CABE

"You've demonstrated that no one could have entered" or departed from this apartment, last night. And yet it's mot érnelly Jenable, d'ye see, that the lady strangled her- self."

CHARACTERS.

Markham went to the window and stood, his hands behind him, PHILO VANCE

looking down into the little paved JOHN P.-X. MARKHAM, District | rear yard. After several minutes

Aftorney of New York County

GARET

(THE turned lowly. ODELL ANARY"

CHARLES CLEAVER, à man

about-town

KENNETH SPOTSWOODE,

manufacturer

LOUIS MANNIX, an importer DR. AMBROISE LINDQUIST,

fashionable neurologist.

*

"The situation, as I see it," he said, "bolls down to this:The Odel girl has an engagement for dinner and the theatre with a man

i

jout again, The other operator, who was on duty from ten o'clock until this morning, naserts with equal positiveness that no one en- tered the front door and passed the switchboard coming to this apartment.

"Add to all this the fact that every window on this floor is bar rel, und lant no one from upstairs can descend into the main hall with out coming face to face with the operator, and we are, for the mom Tent, confronted with an impuso","

Heath scratched his head and laughed mirthlessly.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15, · 1928.

"It wasn't no spook that made

those finger-prints," growled leath,

with Burly truculence.

CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

Markham halted his nervous paC RETURN OF "THE CIRCUS.”

Ing and regarded Vance Irritably l

"Damn it. This is rank non

"First select a funny situation: senso. The man got in some way then build a series of most ridicu and he got out, too. There's some-lous adventures that can be con- thing wrong somewhere, Bither

the minid is mistaken about some-ceived around this dominating one being here when she left, or idea, and, finally, enact the result- else one of those phone operators ng plot in the most painstaking went to sleep and won't admit it." and serious manner. possible," "Or else one of 'en's lying, sup for making successful comodies. This is Charlie Chaplin's recipu plemented Heath,

Vance shook his head. "The Chaplin's pictures are perennial Charlie maid, I'd any, is eminently trust-successes. Although worthy. And if there was any sticks to the same old recipe, every doubt about anyone's having come production he turns out is a tre- world over. In the front door unnoticed, the mendous hit the Inds on the switchboard would, in Those who have tried

ta copy the present circumstances, be only Charlie's garments and antics have too eager to admit it.... No, fallen by the wayside, while the Markham, you'll simply have to ap-one great comedian continues to prouch, this affair from the astral climb to new heights. Thus he is plane, no to speak."

better than ever in "The Circus". Markham grunted kis distaste of his great comedy success which Vance's jocularity,

starts à five day run at the World "That line of investigation Theatre on Tuesday, according to a

“It don't make sense, does it, leave to you with your metaphys-speofal advertisement in this issue. sir?"

leal theories and esoteric hypoth-Many people claim that this is the

What about, the next apart-eses."

le man's finest achievement→ ment?" naked Vance, "the one with "But, consider,"sted Vance cortainly it is a superlatively the door facing the rear pasangebanterindy. "You've proved con-funny production: way-No. 2, I think 7"

fleath turned to him patronizing,clusively-or, rather, you've dem- ontrated legally that no one

TRIALS OF MODERN LIFE.

..

iy. "I looked into that the first could have entered, or departed thing, this morning. Apartment from this apartment last night; No. 2 is occupied by a single wond, as you've often told me, a man; and woke her up at eight court of law must decide all mat- g'clock and searched the place.ters, not in accord with the known Nothing there. Anyway, you have or suspected farts, but according] WOMEN ADVISED TO AVOID to walk past the switchboard to to the evidence; and the evidence reach her apartment the same as in this case would prove a wound you do to reach this one; and no- alibi for every corporeal beinu ex- indy called on her or left her fant. apartment Inst night..

.

GOSSIP.

Mrs. Priest, Mayareas of Ply- mouth, speaking at the Royal "What's more Jesup, who's a "And yet, it's not exactly ten-Sanitary Institute Congress at shrewd, sound lad, told me this able, dye see, that the lady Plymouth said that many lives were woman is a qulet, ladylike nori, and strangled herself. If only it had last unnecessarily owing to the that she and Odell didn't even been poison, what an exquisite and stress and strain of modern life. know each other."

satisfyin' suicide case you'd have! "We don't get enough rest," she "You're so thorough, Sergeant" Most inconsiderate of her said, "I can crowd into one day

homicidal visitor not to have used work that would have

"Well, he strangled her," pro-why

not relax for half ounced Heath. "Furthermore, un hour each day after lunch?

lay my money on the fellow who Sit or lie still and think of

nothing or sleep.

murmured Vance,

taken

faraente instead of his hands! my grandmother a week. Then

"Of course," put in Markham, "It would have been possible for sonte- one from the other apartment to have slipped in here behind the operator's back between seven and called her last night at half past eleven, and then to have slipped aine and couldn't get In. He's the back after the murder, But as bird I want to talk to."

"Don't write long letters!" she said. "It is not worth while nown- days. A postcard is more than

| Sergeant Heath'a search this morn- “Indeed?" Vance produced an- Ang falled to uncover anyone, we other cigarette. "I shouldn't say, to enough, because if anything occurs can eliminate the possibility of our judge from our description of him, important enough for a ten-page man having operated from that that his conversation would prove letter it is better to go for a motor quarter."

particularly faschatta

"I dare say you're right," Vancel indiffermilly admitted. "But it strikes me. Markham old dear, that

(To Be Continued.)

ride or send a telephone mesange,

"Do not pay too much attention to gossip or to what the woman next door says about the woman next

your own affectin' recapitulation Willesden woman tenunt: Mydoor but two," she added. "Listen or the situation jolly well elimi- landlady calls my room "furnish if you must; avoid it if you car, mates the possibility of your man's ed," but there are only three pic-but by no means believe It. If you having operated from any quarter. tures on the walls.

And yet he came in, garroted the unfortunate damsel, and depart. edeh what?... It's a charmin' tittle problem. I wouldn't have] missed it for works."

....

"{'s uncanny," pronounced of some distinction. He calls for Markham gloomily, her a little after seven, and they "It's

TONY SKEEL, a professional bur-her

glar

WILLIAM ELEMER JESSUP

telephone operator

positively spiritualistic,"

Ko out together. At eleven o'clock amended Vance. It has the caress they return. He goes with her into in odour of a seance. Really,

apartment and remains half know, I'ma beginning to suspect that

some medium was hovering in thej te leaves at half past eleven vicinage last night doing some and asks the phone operator to culi rather tip-top materializations.

an hour.

...

THE

PRINCE

USES A VAUXHALL CAR. Sole Agents:

believe it you may be worried, and worries lead to grey haira, break- downs, and early death."

Miss Norah March said that many women must be wooed from their devotion to anti-maeansara, dust-trapping ornaments, and thick woollen carpets, which were difficult to keep clean.

LETTER GOLF SOLUTION.

Here is the solution to the

HARY SPIVELY, telephone ope girl screams and calls for help, get an indictment against an ecto-

him a taki: While he is waiting I say Markham, could you Lane, Crawford's puzzle on another page. ind, in response to his Inquiries plasmic emanation?" ERNEST HEATH, Sargeant of the she tells him nothing is wrong and

erator

Homicide Burenn,

THE STORY THUS FAR

bids him go away. The taxi ar- rives, and he departs in it. Ten mintites later someone telephones

Vance's theory is that two un-her, and a man answers from her! known

the apartment. This morning she is Dersons were 17 "Canary's" apartment on that fatalfound murdered, and the apartment evening: one locked in a clothes sacked."

He took a long draw on his cigar. closet, Ee other the man who strangled Margaret

"Now, it is obvious that when Odell. - The) aurder is the most balling he and her escort returned last Vance ever has encountered. light, there was another man in no way can they account for the this place somewhere; and it is presence of anyone in the girl's chrious that the girl was alive apartment, The door to the alley after her creart had departed. was bolted on the inside, and the Therefore, we must conclude that man who had gone out with Mar- garet Odel the night before had been the only one to be seen with her, and circumstanes, completely eliminated im

CHAPTER XI

Heath sought, consolation in a new, line of thought,

"We

Anyway," he ambmitted,

that the fancy fellow with gpatent-leather pumps who cafed here last night at half cast nine was probably Odell's lover, and was grafting on her.".

some-

man who was already in the pariment was the person who mur- dered her.

"This conclusion is further cor roborated by Doctor Doremus re Irrt that the crime occurred be- ween eleven and twelve, But since her escort did not leave till half past eleven, and spoke with her fter that time, we can put the actual hour of the murder as be- ween half past eleven and mid- aight... Thrase are the inferable facts from the evidence thus far jadduced."

"There's not much getting away from 'em," agreed Heath,

"At any rate, they're interest-

murmured Vance.. Markham, walking up and down arnestly, continued:

"And in just what recondite way docs that obvious fact help to roll the clouds away?" asked Vance, "Nearly every modern Delilah has an avaricious amoroso. It would

"The features of the situation be rather singular if there wasn't such a chap in the offing, what revolving round these inferable "That's all right, too," returned fact are as follows: There was no one hiding in the apartment at Heath. "But I'll tell you thing, Mr. Vance, that maybe you ven o'clock-the hour the maid don't know. The men that these went home. Therefore, the mur- girls lose their heads over are derer entered the apartment later. generally crooks of some kind-pro- "First, then, let us consider the fessional criminals, you understand, ide door. At six o'clock-an hour! Pat's why, knowing that this job before the maid's departure--the the mark of a professional, it janitor bolted it on the Inside, und 't leave me cold, as you might both operatora disavow emphati- hay, to learn that this fellow who cally that they went near it. More- was threatening Odell and grafting over, you, Sergeant, found it bolled on her was the same one who was this morning. Hence, we may n8-} / prowling around here last night.ume that the door was halted on And I'll say this, too: the de- the inside all night, and that no- scription of him sounds a whole body.could have entered that way. lot like the kind of high-class bur-Conrequently, we are driven to the glars that hang out at these awell inevitable alternative that the mur- all-night cafes."

derer entered by the front door. "You're convinced, then," asked "Now, let us consider this other Vance mildly, "that this job, as you means of entry. The phone opera- call it, was done by a professional tor who was on duty until ten criminal?"

o'clock last night 'saserts positively Henih was almost contemptuous that the only person who entered in his reply: "Didn't the guy wear the front door and passed down the gloves, and use a jimmy? It was min hall to this apartment was a a yeggman'a job, úil right.”

man who rang the bell and, getting (Puesday, Sept. 11; 11:45 am.) no answer, "immediately walked

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