Boy's Cinema (1930-31)

II Every Tuesday "Right, chief," said Kearney, and he and Rlulvaiipy proceeded to hustle the men forward. The impatient prize-fighter was amongst the firet batch. "One-Round Dolan," he announced, introducing him- self. "The Kansas City Terror. One hundred and ninety-five pounds." And he waved his clasped hands aloft as he might have done to an appreciative ring- side audience. "Come on, get goin'," snarled Kearney, giving him a shove. Several other men filed past, and then a email, agitated individual was thrust forward. He called himself "Herman Stevens," and had hardly given his name when Mrs. Mullins and Mrs. Cotton pro- nounced him the man who had been sit- ting on Tracy's right. He was immedi- ately seized by Kearney. "No, no," Stevens babbled, "I was at the other end of the car. You can't do this to me. I didn't kill him. I had 110 gun! I couldn't kill anyone." "But you came into the car with Tracy, his wife and Borden, and you took the .seat next to Tracy, didn't you?" Killian rapped out. "Come on, an.3wer nie!" Kearney twisted the fellow's arm, and he sobbed out aa answer in the affirma- tive. "I—I'm a clerk in Tracy's office," he said, in rcKpon.se to further questioning. "I—I hid myself just now because— because I didn't want to get mixed up iu any murder!" Too late he realised what he had said, for Killian fairly pounced on those last words. "So it was a murder, was it?" he jerked out. "Now we're getting some- where. Why did Borden and Mre. Tracy keep so quiet when there was some men- tion of you by these other passengers ju.9t now? Why didn't they confirm the impression thai you had been with them?" Stevens was in a sweat of terror. "They—they may have been frightened I'd say something about the quarrel Borden had with Tracy at the office this evening." he blurted. "T r « c y— accused Borden of being in love with his wife. Borden said he'd like to kill Tracy for the way he treated her Borden started for- ward impetuously, but Killian held him in check. "Hold it. Borden," he rapped out. " I reckon I've found out sill I wanted to know. and I'll have to arre>r you—for the murder of Edward Tracy " " Hundred^and-fortv fifth Street," called the motorman, open- ing the door of the con- trol cabin as the train ran into its terminus. The passengers looked hopeful, but Killian was not pre- pared to release them yet. He ordered thein to remain in their .seat.'; while the medical examiner and a couple of attendants came aboard. "Hallo, doc." Kil- lian greeted the ok- BOY'S CINEMA aminer. "A little shooting affair here. Man drilled thtough the heart. There he is." The doctor stooped to make his ex- amination. "Didn't bleed much," he observed, as he opened Tracy's waistcoat and glanced at the spot where the bullet had entered the body. "Yeah, that's funny, isn't it?" Killian murmured. The doctor straightened up. "Inspector," he said startlingly, "that man was not killed by a gunshot. He was already dead when the bullet entered his body !" Killian gaped at him. "You mean—heart failure?" "No," said the doctor, "it wasn't heart failure. This man was electrocuted." The Mystery Deepens. THERE was a blank silence. Then the medical examiner spoke again. "You will notice the rigidity of the body," he pointed out, "which is always characteristic with electro- cution. Furthermoi'e, in a case of electrocution there is always a burn left on the body at the point of contact. Look at that right wrist," he added, pointing to a round blister above the dead man's hand. "The contact was made by a piece of metal the size and shape of that burn." Killian pushed his hat back on his head. "What a help you turned out to be," he declared. "Here we have a murder mystery already solved, then you come in and ruin everj-thing." "I'm sorry, Killian," said the doctor with a smile. "Well, if you've finished with the body I'll have it taken along and will perform an autop.sy to-night.' The rigid form of Tracy was removed from the car, and Kilhan oidered the guard to close the doors again. 13 "Now listen, folks," he told tho passengers, "there's been a murder com- mitted, and the culprit is still in tins car. I'm going to find out who it is if I stay here all week. Has anybody got anything to say?" Someone remembered that the motor- man had tampered with the switch-box under Tracy's seat, but the driver ex- plained that he had merely tightened a loose connection. Killian then called across the man who had given his name as George Mason and his profession as switch inspector on the subway. "I'd like your help, Mason," he said. "Is there enough voltage in that switch- box to electrocute a man?" "Not unless there was a contact from the third rail.'" was the reply. "Then enough voltage to electrocuto a man sitting there would have to com*; from direct contact witfi that outsifle rail?" said Killian. "Yet the only connection is outside, the shoe under- neath the car making the only contact All right, but would it be possible lo run a wire from that shoe up the out- side of the car and in through tho window ?" Mason's thin face wore a thoughtful expression. He admitted the feasibility of Killian's theory, and Kearney was sent down to the track to investigate, only to retiirn with the information that there was no such wire in evidence. It was at this moment that one i f the attendants who had borne Tracy'.i body from the car returned to the plat- form^ and, on being admitted to thu train, handed Killian a wallet. "It belonged to the dead man," ho explained. "The doctor said to turn it over to you." Killian opened the wallet. It con- tained a wat^r-h which the doctor must have stuffed inside it, and. after study- ing the timepiece for a moment, Killian turned tn D ile Tiacv No, no," Stevens babbled. •' I didn't kUl him I had no gun. I couldn't kill anyone! " OctoIxT .3id, 1931.