Evening Star Newspaper, March 11, 1924, Page 23

FINA " FRUIT MEN SEEK | BIGGER MARKETS) Southern Growers Take Steps to Expand—Grape- fruit in Cans Popular.* BY J. C. ROYLE. Epecial Dispatch to The Star. NEW YORK, March 11.—Expansior of markets is the problem which now is attracting the keen attention of every fruit grower in the south, par- ticularly those of Florida. Produc- tion has grown until the citrus fruit- growers are having difficulty in dis- posing of their products at a satis- factory price, in spite of the improve- ment this season in transportation facilitie. There is no_indication that produc- tion in Florida will be curtailed. In fact, it can be counted on to increase steadily, growers say. The annual automobile migration to Florida has attracted thousands of agriculturists from the middle west, who have de- cided to devote themselves to the cul- tivation of oranges and grapefrujt on small acreage rather than continue to face the uncergginties of wheat farming on large adeage with its at- | tendant expense. Cagued Grapefruit Popular. Perhaps the most striking develop- ment of the year in the expansion of markets for citrus fruit has been the success attendant on the canning of grapefruit. Three large companies now are turning out this product Xhich is finding an eager market. The fruit is peeled and the inner ekin between the divisions removed with the seeds. The sections are then packed in cans much after the fashion of sliced pineapple. When the can has been iced the fruit is ready to be served. Development of this new industry, growers assert, will enable them to withhold a very considerable portion of their grapefruit crops when the markets are flooded and will insure further stabilization of prices through- out the year. Better Marketing Needed. Co-operative marketing associations have not as vet gained the foothold in Florida that they have in some other sections and many growers are advocating their widespread for- mation. To a lesser degrec a similar situa- tion faces producers of other Florida fruit and vegetables. It is a notable fact, however, that Southern produce can now be obtained at retail in this and other northern markets at ap- proximately the same prices paid by consumers in Florida. Markets for all southern products of this character have been mate- rially extended by the presence in the south of northern commission men. | The latter, many of them, have seized on the dull winter season in their business to take vacations in the south. They quickly saw opportuni- ties to combine business with pleas- ure, and are buying and shipping con- sighments of fruit and vegetables to their own customers in sections the ! growers have never been able tol reach before. This business at the start was largely speculative, but is now developing into a distinct factor in the movement of produce. L Advertising for Tourists. | The full recognition of the value of tourist travel and tourist trade is by no means confined to the south alone. This is simply evidenced by the tre- mendous advertising campaigns now in preparation by state, municipal, civic and commercial organizations and by railroads. This movement has been furthered by remarkable road development in nearly all sections of the country. It may be conservatively estimated that each automobile tourist party leaves in each town in which it stops overnight a sum ranging from $4 to $25 a day. This distribution, how- ever, is only a part of the benefit from such travel, as business invest- ments of appreciable size frequently followed. The railroads are confident they will handle more tourist traffic in 1924 than ever before, and are already fighting for the business. This battle is not confined to the American roads alone. The Canadian carriers also sre after American dollars. Grand Trunk’s Plans. The Grand Trunk system is already preparing an advertising campaign to attract tourists to every railway part of 'its territory. This campaign, which will be carried on largely in American newspapers and magazines, will be divided into sections. The advantages and beauties of the Cana- dian morthwest beyond Edmonton will be outlined in publications of certain sections, the opportunities for home seeks in the prairie provinces in others, and the attractions of Nova Scotia in still others. Organizations, such as Californians, | Inc.. are preparing to spend sums up to a half million or more this year attracting visitors, The south is making strenuous efforts also to secure farmers from the middle west to take | over the lands which negro migration to the north has caused to be aban- doned. Texas is already experiencing the benefit of such & campaign, for families are flocking to that state to | secure the farms. into which many of the old millionaire cattle ranches are being divided. S COMMODITY NEWS WIRED STAR FROM ENTIRE COUNTRY FORT WORTH, March 11.—Full ex- | tent of the damage to the fruit crop | of east Texas by the freeze Sunday | night probably will not be known for several days. The crop promised to | be a record one until the freeze came. | NEW ORLEANS, March 11.—Pro- | duction at mills of the Southern Pine ! Association last week decreased 1 per | cent over the week previous. Orders | increased 3 per cent and shipments decreased 2.4 per cent. Orders on | hand Monday totaled 257,108,342 feet. | i BOSTON, March 11.—Although the | Amoskeag mills have curtailed work in some departments, operations are about 75 per cent normal. The print| works of the Pacific mills has re- | sumed operations of its fifty printing machines on a three-day week basis. PONCA CITY, Okla., March 11.— Northera Oklahoma is now undergo- ing an active oil leasing campaign. | Drilling is being resumed on many | wells that had been shut down dur- ing the dull season. PITTSBURGH, March 11.—The coal | trade is very slow, with prices wéak. Mine run steam is quoted at the! mines at $1.40 to $2, coking coal $1.50 | o $2.15 and gas coal $2.25 to $2.50. . NORFOLK, March 11.—Heavy stocks | of bituminous coal at Hampton roads are having a depressing effect on the | market along the Atlantic seaboard. Some shippers report a slight im- provement in the export trade, some shipments having been made recently to Brazil and to Italy. BIG INSURANCE C—H—ECKS. PHILADELPHIA, March 11.—Rod- man Wanamaker has just' received | two checks totaling $276,504 and rep- resenting what s considered In in- surance circles as probably the largest dividend settlement ever made bg a life insurance company. The checks were drawn by the Mu- tual Life Insurance Company, New York, and represent distributions on " two ordinary life plan policies issued to L Rodman Wanamaker in Febru- ary, 1304. The policies were for $1,- 000,000 and $200,000, respectively, on ;v.ho|§?' he paid annual premiums of i ' | Seventh Streef American Corcoran . Firemen' Mergenthaler Natl. Mortg: Washin; Yetlow NCIAL. NEW YORK CURB MARKET - Recelved by Private Wire BY WILLIAM F. HEFFERNAN. "NEW YORK, March 11.—Trading on the curb market was quieter today than on many days and the general body of stocks moved over a nar- row range. No attempt was made to bring about higher prices in the oil group and this section appeared (o have discounted the advance in crude oil_quotations. Professionals working on the short side were not inclined to take ad- vantage of the lack of outside par- ticipation, while pools which have been active for some time in work- ing for the rise in selected stocks were not as aggressive as on past occasions. Buying appéared at times in a few of the oils, but was encouraged by special rcasons. Prairie Oil and Gas gained 2 points early when if sold at 242%. Directors are expected to TH. E EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. Dire:t to The Star Cffice meet Friday and take action on the dividend. Some quarters had it that another distribution in stock is to be consid- ered. Chesebrough old stock came oft about 5 points, but the new shares of $25 par did not move with the for- mer and held firm above 52. Among independents, Mutual gained tractionally on the report that the company had brought in a new well flowing 300 barrels daily on the Boundary Butte structure In Utah. Offerings of Lago Petroleum, one of the members of the South American group, were heavy, resulting in a de- cline of 3 points. Chain and department store stocks were not influenced by the strength in this group on the stock exchange and were practically unchanged. Jordan Motors and Durant were under pressire. but the decline did not extend' beyond a point. Little happened in the dealings in mining stoc —————— . NEW YORK, March 11.—Following is an official list of bonds and stocks traded in on the New York Curb iMarket today: Sales in thousands. Allied Alum 3 Am 1Am Am BONDS. ckers 66. 75 new ‘33 Gas & Elec Light 6x . Am Roll' Mills 6s. 5 Am Thread Co 6s. 1 Anaconda 6s . 3 Anglo Am Ol ‘7ia 1025 10 Antilla Sugar Tis.. 9% 7 Asso Sim Hdw G 1% 3 & W 1S 85 8l n Nat Ry Eq 7a. 107% 5 Charcoal Co Am & 93 Chi Union Sta B 5s. 977k Cit Serv 78 C .y, Col Graph 8s par ofa 17 Con Gas Talt 5i4s B 093 % Baito 7n B Mi 814 Cudah ¥ Shas 5 Deere & Co Tlis. 2 Detroit City Gas 65 1003 Dunlop T & R s... 931 Fed Sugar 6s '83...° 991 25, 1005 Atc Nl C&C 3 6 Intl Mateh 6ics wi 5 Kan City Term Lehigh Power_8s. Lt Va W R 58 wi. rginia Ry 66 wi. Web Mills 6335 W FOREIGN BONDS. t of Ar 6s '57 wi KO3 x Govt 6 cfs dp 5O iss Govt 5% 4 of Mex 4s STANDARD OIL ISSUES. 10 1T Sales in units. 200 Anglo-Amer Ol 100 Ati Lobos. rymser " scbroogh Mg 1160 Chesebrough nw wi 52% 400 Crescent P L ... 165 30 Galena Sig Ol 11 800 Humble 0 & R new 30 Imp Oil of Can 1800 Inter Pet Co. Ltd 85 Magoolia Pet 200 Ohio Ol new 805 Prairie Ol & Prairie P L . 180 Sol 20 437 108 lar Refin ... uth Penn Oil uthern P L 73 0 Todisne .. 0l 100 § O Kansas new .. 400 S O Kentucky . 20 8 0 Nehraska 5008 0 N Y new 208 0 Ohio . 10 8 W Penn P’ 230 Swann & Finch ' 1700 Vacoum Oil new... 63% les in INDEPENDENT OIL STOCKS. 5 Creole Synd 3 Gen Pet . 8 Granada Oi . 15 Gult Ofl of Pa 30 Hudson Oil . 57 Lago Pet 1 Marland . 2 Mex Panuco 9 Mount Prod 23 Mutual il vo 3, Nat Fuel Gas & 2 New Brad Oi % 3 New Mex Land 8 1 Omar 0il & G .70 Washingion Stock Exchange. SALES. Capital Traction—6 at 96. AFTER CALL. Merchants' Transfer and Storage Co.—10 at 110, 10 at 110. * Money—Call loans, 5 and 6 per cent. , BONDS. Bid and Asked Prices. PUBLIC UTILITY. Bid. Asked. ‘Anscostia & Potomac 5. Anacostia & Potomac guar. 3 (. & P. Telephone Gs. Teiephone of Va. 5a.. pital Traction R. R. 55 ty & Subo 5 Georgetown G Metropolitan ! Potomae Elec. i Potoms i Potomac | Potomac Elec. 6s 1 El s 963, . m. & ref, 7s. t. Ver. 3. Ver. ctfs Pot. Elec. Pow. Wash., Alex. & Wash., Alex. & Mt ashington Gas 8s.. Washington Rwy. & Elec. MISCELLANEOUS, D. C. Paper Mfg. 6s.. Riggs Realty 5s (long) Riges Realty 5s (short Wash. Mkt. Cold Storage 5t STOCKS. PUBLIC UTILITY. American Tel A R eaction (Sl ‘ash. Steamboat. Wash. Rwy. & Elec. com. Wash. Rwy. & Elec, pfd. Terminal Taxi com. T n 125 Tustrict Farmers Federal-American TRUST COMPAN American Security & Trust. Continental Trust rehants' Bank. Savings and Trust.. Uslon Trust......,. Wash. Loan & Trust.. SAVINGS BANK. Commerce and Savings. East Washington. Security Savings & $e¥ BaEsd & United States. Washington Me FIRE INSURANCE. EL st ] & National Unlon......... TITL® INSUBANCE. ColumbBia Title. Real Estate Titlel. .. MISCELLANEOUS, r ptd.. 2 Fransier & Btorage. et ol ptd. et com. D. C. Pape: Merchants’ on *Bx-diy 1 Peer Ol Corp ... 5 Peun Beaver Oil 7 Pennock Oil . 1 Red Baok Oil Royal Cana 0 & Ryan Con 6 Salt Ck Prod S Sapuipa Refin . 17 Seabcard Oil . 10 Texas Ranger 1 Turman OIf 20 West States 2 Wilcox 01l & INDUSTRIALS. 1 Am Cot Fabric ptd 9715 % Am L & Tract ... 128 i Arch ‘Dan Midland 1 Dridgeport Mch wi rod Corp wi Teresa prd .. 1 Childs Co new wi. . 13 Colo Power & Lt.. lavest Co wi sZEIE ups Jovdyear Tire . Grifith D W zelton Corp wi Heyden Chem c Tnd Corp jordan Mot Car Co resge Dept Stores Lake Tor Hoa o= = @ r » o Corp prd pts. 15 Unit Retail Candy. 1 Uni Ret Cou Fd sh 1U S Cit Corp A... 8 U_S Distribut_new ard Bak Co B wi 5 Warner Bros Pic wi MINI no Gold Mine. Mining. ploration 4 Canario Copper. ndelaria Min.... lam ) 3 Dolores Esper.. 130 Fortuna Mines 20 Goldfieid Florence 10 Gold Zove ... 0 Hardshell Min . 70 Jib Cons . 9 Kelly Ext Mines 10 Kerr Lake .. 10 La Rosa Mine . 10 McKin Dar 6 Metals Prod Co. 30 Mohican Cy 3§ West End Con EDUCTION FEARED N STEEL OUTPUT \Present Orders Insufficient to Keep Plants at Present High Speed. Special Dispatch to The Star. PITTSBURGH, March 11.—Although activity in the steel market has been swinging downward for three or four there is still a good volume 5. However, il is considered doubtful by manufacturers here whether the | present rate of buying will be suffi- clent to maiftain production at the current high rate. All buying now 15 against definite requirements of the | near future. | Steel deliveries would indicate that consumption is very heavy and labor employment and freight car loadings all point in the same direction. Dull- | ness continues in the pig iron market, {and, while consumption appears to be large, there is said to be a decided indispesition to cover for the future. The last sal of basic iron was 2,000 tons at $22, valley, late in Feb- ruary. Bessemer has moved only in small lots, bringing $23.50, valley. Retail trade here is about normal for the season. Building permits for February totaled $2,134,000, an_in- crease of $335,000 over February, 1923, peind bt NOTES TRADE CHANCES. Commerce Expert Calls India Mar- kets Unlimited. India offers American manufac- turers virtually unlimited markets for industrial equipment at the pres- ent time, Walter H. Rastall, chief of the industrial machinery division of !the bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, told the members of the Philadeiphia Export Club yesterday. Controlling influences in England and India since the world war see that India must be self-supporting, instead of depending on the mother country for its manufactured goods, and, while British firms try to get their goods in, good salesmanship | and improved American products are finding ready sale. : STEEL COMPANY REFORTS, NEW YORK, March 11.—The an- nual report of the Penn Seaboard Steel Corporation, made public today, showed a loss of $33,007 from oper- ation during 1923, compared with a }loss of $515,447 the preceding year. ‘The idle plant expense for the year has been reduced, the report stated, from $214,277 to $86,280, and since 1920 current and long-term notes also have been reduced by about $1,900,- 000, GOODS MORE ACTIVE. New York Orders Improve—Prices Hold Steady. Special Dispatch to The Star. NEW YORK, March 11.—Cotton goods markets were more active to- day, both for gray goods and sheet- ings, but prices remained for the most part unchanged. Print cloths were quoted at 9 cents for 64x60s and 11 cents for 67x72s. The raw silk mar- kets were very quiet, with price re- cessions of 215 cents a pound in some "flfltl. |EXPECT APPROVAL | OF RAIL MERGER Bankers See Dissolution of Hill Company—Other Brief Wall Street Notes. By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, March 11.—Wall street bankers are axpecting ap- proval by the Interstate Commerce Commission of the proposal to merge the Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Burlington Into one system be- fore the end of the year. It Iy re- ported preliminary steps have been taken to work out the new organiza- tion. The step would require dissolu- tlon of the Northern Securities Com- pany, created by James J. HI in 1901 to hold control of the three roads, which, it Is reported, ntock- holders are consldering Mack Trucks, Inc , ourned $20.71 & xhare on ita 253,108 whare no par value common mteck, than double the year bofore, profits n 1923 wero $7,00 pared with $3, L2798 in 19 a share. Surplus wiu against $2,632,560 in 1 Famoux The Famous poration reports net 245,783 for 1 . equivalent to 349,18 por cent on i€s outstunding proferre stock before dividends compured with $4.100,872 or $48.77 per year before Current assots $20,486.855, ngainst $15,87 The regulir quarterly a share on the preferred wus d payabl May 1 to stock of 1 April Sumatra Reports Lows, Net loss of $160,105 in the six months ended January 924, is ported by the Sumatra Tobagco Company, com- pared with a net loss of $433,348 in the same period the year before. me-Wiles Dividend. Directors of Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company declared a dividend of $7 a share on the second preferred for 1923, payable May 1, to stock of re ord ‘April 18: also the regular quar- terly dividend of $1.75 on the first preferred, payab) April 1, to stock of record March 20, This clears up accumula n on the second preferred. Canadian Pacific Surplus, The Canadian Pacific railway regorts as sure a surplus of $31 399 for 1923, after taxes and pre rred divi- dends, equal to $12 a share on the common stock, against $30,317,864, or $11.66 a shar n 1 . Threshing Machine Profits. The J. 1. Case Threshing Machine Company had net profits of $634,633 in 1923, equal to $4.80 a share on $13,- 000,000 preferred, against $321,269, or $2.47 a share, the year before. Stock Holdings Reported. The Replogle Steel Company now owns 90 per cent of the outstanding preferred and common stock of the Empire ‘¢l and Iron Company, offi- clals revealed in a statement attrib- uting the disappointing result of the year to restricted operations. Plate Glasx Earnings. The Pittsburgh Plate Glass Com- pany reports net profits of $19,113,123 for 1923, against 75,803 the year before. ' This equal to $39.36 a share on 485542 shares of capital stock, compared with $24.98 a share 71,394 shares in 192 BRISK ADVANCE IN FRENCH FRANCS Heavy Buying in New York Proves Great Help to Foreign Exchange. . com L or $0.04 4. e Players-Laskey Cor- Incomo of 34, wor By the Associated Press. NEW YORK, March 11.— Active buying of francs for the French gov- ornment today caused a brisk upturn in the price to above 3% cents, After hovering around 3.70 cents in the early transactions the rate mount- ed ten points at one time and subse- quently steadied around 3.75. Reports that the French govern- ment had obtained a $50,000,000 credit from American banks to stabilize its currency remained unconfirmed. TODAY’S COTTON PRICES. Figures Fall Off After Gains' in Opening Market. NEW YORK, March 11.—Settlement of the Lancashire labor dispute ap- poars to have been discounted in the cotton market vesterday. Today's cables from Liverpool were lower than due, and after opening steady at an advance of one point to a de- cline of nine points the local market cased off under some southern selling and ocommission house liquidation. Houses with Liverpool connections also were sellers here on the decline, iwhich carried the price of May con- tracts off to 25.30, or twenty-six points net lower. Business was compara- tively quiet during the early trading, being restricted by delays in the wire service resulting from the storm.’ WOOL EXPORTS START. Dealers Weary of Waiting for Do- mestic Buying. Special Dispatch to The Star. BOSTON, March price resistance in the Boston raw wool markets has led some dealers to start an export movement in a small way, it developed today. The move- ment is not expected to be great, how- ever, as the supply- of wool suitable for export is small and most dealers retain confidence that prices will bet- ter here soon. The market today was quiet at unchanged prices. —_— REPORTS GOOD EARNINGS. Pittsburgh and West Virginia Has Fine Year. NEW YORK, March 11.—Net in- come of the Pittsburgh and West Vir- | ginia Rallway Company for 1923 ex- clusive of West Side Belt railway earnings was $1,875,874, against $1,- 277,247 in 1922. After dividends of $544,242, surplus was $1,331,632, com- pared with $733,005 the year before. West Side Belt had net income of $211,028 against $122,100 in 1922. The consolidated income amount of both roads showed surplus of $1,542,660, equal to $5.05 a share omr 305.000 shares of Pittsburgh and West Vir- ginia common stock, against $855,155 or $2.80 a share in 1922. NEW YORK EGG PRICES. NEW YORK, March 11.—Eggs firm; receipts, 28,868 cases. Fresh gather- ed, extra firsts, 26%a27; do. firsts, 2514%26; do., seconds and poorer, 24% a25; New Jersey and other hennery whites, firsts to extras, 27a34; nearby hennery browns, extras, 30a3l; Pa- cific coast whites, extras, 32%a34; do., firts to extra firsts, 28a32. The Sun and the Moon. The sun rises and sets on the moon Just_as it does on the earth. How- ever, the sun shines for about twenty- nine of our days on the moom, and then is below the horizon for an/equal length of time.—Nature lluuln\l. | i 4 11.—Continued | 2 C., TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 1924 The Mystery of Lynne Court By J. S. FLETCHER (Copyright, 1923, by Norman Remingtom Company.) (Continued from Yesterday's Star.) CHAPTER VIIL Plain Murder. Hextall threw the telegrams back to Smith gnd sprang out of bed. He was wide awake by that time, and his brain was setting furiously to work on the problem presented by this remarkable news. Out of the seething mass of Ideas and Impres- slons one resolute conviction forced itself uppermost. “I must go down to Lynne Court at once!” he said, as he began to dress. “That's certain “Your day's work?" suggested Smith. “There's that to conside “I know. Fortunately, I can get belp without dificulty—a man close by. (iood heavens, Smith, what an exiraordinary development! I sup- pose your Nurse Palliser knows what #he s wiring about “If Nurse Palliger says Kesteven wan murdered, he was murdered,” an- swered Smith. “She meant me to figkure on that without any uncer- tninty as to his death resulting from wuicide or accident. She's a smart woman, and she would size things up for herself In two minutes. So the next thing will be to find out—who murdered Kesteven. Look here—I'm o E exclaimed hurrying on with his dressing. will be a mighty relief.” “80 Is Styler—who is outside in a car. And as neither of us has break- fasted, I'll run down and tell your servants that we'll breakfast with you, hurrledly. We must get to Lynne Court as quickly as we can.” Left alone, Hextall was suddenly welzed by a recollection which turned him hot and cold with fear. He remem- bered Paquita’s words—words spoker. in all apparent earnestness as she sut In hix easy chalr, pouring out her woes 1o him. “I've often been tempted to shoot him! I could have done it once, and nobody would have ever known!” Was it possible that something had occurred the previous evening which had made the girl desperate, and that in her desperation she had killed the man who was the cause of so much trouble? It might be—and yet there was the fact that Hextall had left her carefully watched and guarded. It seemed impossible that she could have done anything without the knowledge of the two women whom he had placed in charge of her. He ran over the wording of the telegram again. ‘'ound shot in the grounds,” said Fowler. “Murdered in Lynne Court spinn said Nurse Palliser, more particular. That was out of doors, away from the house. Hextall felt more cheerful after that—he could not conceive it possible that Paquits could have escaped from her nurses into “the grounds at night Nevertheless. a load of anXiety was heavy upon him all the way down to Lynne Court, and he had to confess to himself that his concern for Pa- quita was due to the undoubted fact that he had fallen head over ears in love with her. None of the three talked much on their journey until they came in sight of Lynne Court, perched high on its piue-clothed hill. As they turned into the village at l;l‘e ;o?t of that il Smith pulled up the driver. — . ook here. he said to Hextall. ‘ler and I won't go up to the house with you, at- present, anyway. T know -this place—there's a very Zood wayside inn here—we'll get off at that and wait events. Go to the Lynne Arms,” he continued, turning to the driver. “We'll stop there. In front of the inn they saw Fow- ler, talking to a police inspector in uniform. He came quickly forward on seeing Hextall, and opened the door of the car. i “Glad you've come, sir.’ he said. “I've just sent you another wire— from Miss Tress. She wanted you to come down.” “Is Miss Tress all right?’ asked all right, sir—upset, of Hextall. “She's course. The whole place is upset. I've just sent a wire at the same time frog Mr. Tress to his solicitors, ask- ing? one of them to come at once and to bring a detective. But as I was saying to the inspector here, T think 1’1l take a good many detectives to settle this affair!” N “Hextall,” said Smith, “I think we had better go into the inn and hear what Fowler has to tell. Pel:.lnlp_s |hs inspector will moce with us? Now, he continued, a little later, when all five men were closeted in a private parlor, ‘“suppose Yyou give us the main facts of what has occurred, Fowler? 1 imagine that you're in possession of them?” Fowler, who had exchanged a few words in private with Styler, looked at Smith with a respectful interest. i ‘Yes, 1 know what's happened, sii he answered. “What you might call the plain facts of it, sir—on the sur- face, as it were. But there's a deal behind that, sir!" “Give u!dlsl|c"=llin facts, lease,” said Smith. s PlCWein, sir, it was like this" re- sponded Fowler. “I arrived at Lynne Court about 7 o'clock last night, to wait for Mr. Tress coming home. About 10 o'clock he came. Mr. Kest- even was with him. They'd driven in a car from Brighton: I made out from the driver that they'd been din- ing at the Hotel Metropole there. And they'd brought Mr. Tickell with asked Smith, “is Mr. Tick- Hextall, 1t i if you e""Mr. Nauricefi'flckefl elr. I canmt 3 's a_gentlema T3 Deen 10’ Mr: Tress's flat In Queen Anne street, but I don't think he's ever been down here before.’ The inspector put in a word. “He hasnit,” he said. “I got that fact out of the butler. It was the first time Mr. Tickell had been to Lynne Court.” i Smith signed to Fowler to proceed. “Well, sir,” continued Fowler, with a shake of his head, “Mr. Tress, sir, he'd evidently been dining rather freely—you understand? I took him straight off to bed; he's always quite manageable ~ under those stances, sir, quite—never quarrelsome nor noisy, and when I'd seen that he was perfectly safe, and sound asleep, iT let Miss Tress's nurses know that he'd come back—I thought Miss Tress better know. h"("nld they call her?” asked Hextall. “Yes, sir; Nurse Palliser told her, And that Mr. Kesteven and Mr. Tickell Wwere there; 1 thought she'd better know everything. I waited outside Miss Tress's rooms while Nurse Pal liser told her. Nurse Palliser: said she was all right about it when she heard that Mr. Tress had gone to sleep. So then I went down. Mr. Mountain—that's the butler, sir—told me the other u;ohh;dmg;mldn‘txc;r: nd ha billiard room ai Hkd sanawichen m—for my own d whisky and soda ook & look e are playIng POOL” e i > Ysied Smith. Fowler looked at Hextall with a e. R eer know either of them amy- thing else, sir,” he answered. “Mr. Kesteven was too smart even to in duige in that way, and I never saw Mr. Tickell drink anything much very. No; they were just amusing themselves, and eating their sand- Wiches in between, like. And they ere still there in the billlard room— Trg—when —Mr. Mountain went his Tounds for the might Mr. Kesteven Ior%e him that he needn't wait up, S2'he'd turn out the lights. That was 28 hink that had often happened be- Sore—he'd a trick of sitting up late, o Kesteven, both here and at the R S Mountain went to bed. And A i he Bot up in the morning—6 N eiocke—ne found the billiard room Sieits atiil on and one of the French e hdows opening on to the lawn was stened—" “q‘rl.!ntut-l;led—cr a little way open?’ ked Smith. 25Kt was @ little ajar, sir; I saw it myself & few minutes later, because Mountain called my attention to it. 1'd ot up earlier than usual, and I'd Jos©%aken a look at Mr. Tress, who Vas fast asieep, and had then gone Jown £0 get a cup of early tea, when Sfountain called me Into the billlard Toom to show me. Hes a bit of & fdxet about things like that, is Moun- fafn Tt was while we were standing at the billiard room windew that one circam- | of the gardeners waved to us acros the lawn, from the edge of the spin- ney. We could see he was in a state about something, and after he'd waved his arm he started running to s and we went out to meet him, e's a man who lives in one of the cottages at the edge of the park, just outside the village here, and he comes across the spinney to his work every morning. - We could see that some- thing had given him'a turn, and he blurted it all out as he came up. ‘There's a gentleman lying dead In the spinney yonder! he says. ‘It's | Mr. Kesteven. And there's blood on {his face! So then Mountain and I hurried off with him and he took us straight to the spot—a bit of a clear- ing where there's a rustic seat. Kest- even was Iying at the side of it, and he was dead sure enough, and cold and stiff. We saw at once how he'd been killed—shot through the templ. And 50 we took proper precautions.” “Of what nature?” asked Smith. “Mountain sent the gardener for the police and the doctor from the village, and he stopped by the bod while T went into the fouse to tefl Mr. Tress and Mr. Tickell,” answered Fowler. “As I knew Mr. Tress would be a bit heavy at that time of the ! morning, I went to Mr. Tickell's room first. And he wasn't there!” The police inspector, who had fol- lowed Fowler's ndrrative with ap- proving interest, coughed, shook his head and smiled. It was evident that he had drawn his own conclusions from the fact just mentioned by the valet. “He wasn't there” repeated Fowler, “and his bed hadn't been slept in. But 1 noticed one thing at once— couldn't help noticing it—he'd washed arr;d shaved himself before he went o Washed! Shaved!” exclaimed Smith. “What—during the night?” Night, or early morning, sir, when- ever it was,” answered Fowler, “He'd only brought a small suitcase with him, had Mr. Tickell, and It was lying there open in hix room. His shaving things were on the dressing table, and he hadn't even bothered to clean the razor. T saw all that in a glance, as you might say, sir, and I shut the room up and locked it, and—-" “I hope nobody has interfered with it since?” said Smith. The police inspector held up a key. | “They haven't, eir,” he observed sol- emnly. I've seen to that. It's un- touched since the time Mr. Fowler commanded Smith. vhat did you do next?” “I roused the footmen, sir, and we j went back to the spinney; I'd decided | by that time not to wake Mr. Tress ifor a bit. Nurse Palliser came out {of Miss Tress' rooms as I was pass- ]ing, and I told her what had occurred, | She went to the spinney with us. Of course we looked about us, but we didn't touch the body nor do any- thing until the doctor and the police came. When they came, a bit later, they took charge. And I dare say,” concluded Fowler, with a glance at his companion, “the inspector can tell you the rest better than I can.” The listeners turned silently to the Inspector, and the inspector's de- meanor became important. - “I've no objection to telling what's already common property, ~gentl men.” he observed. “But, of course, I can't at this stage say what the whole of my own deductions and im- pressions are, though I don't mind indicating them. We found the body at the place and in the position de- scribed by Mr. Fowler there, and the doctor said he judged the man had been dead some pours. At first we thought it was a \tase of suicide, but we soon saw that it wasn't,“because there was no weapon at hand. A man can't shoot himself and get rid of the revolver, and ,this man had been killed instantanebusly. We had the body removed and I had the clear- ing roped off and left a man in charge of it. Then the doctor and I exam- ined the body. He can tell you what he found and I can tell you what I found. I found mothing! Not a sign of a thing—beyond a pocket hand- kerchief and a pair of nail scissors. “Well?" remarked Smith calmly. “What next?" The inspector seemed grieved that his dramatic announcement had pro- duced no effect. “Well, there was nothing exactl. hext, as regards the body,” he repHe: a little grudgingly. “The next thing was that one of the footmen came to tell me that a bicycle belonging to Mr. Tress had disappeared during the night. And, of course, I saw then how things were. Naturally! And as a result we've raised a hue and cry after this Mr. Tickell. We ought to be on to him by night.” “Ah!" said Smith, rising from his chair. “You think Tickell is the mur- derer?” edly ESmith modded quietly. signed to Hextall and Styler to follow him from the room. (Continued in Tomorrow's Star.) e e Have You Been Stung Yet? Some men have to get stung good and hard before they learn to be cau- tious in maying investments. Be: fore you invest—Iinvestigate! e COUPLE, ON TOUR, FIGHT Husband Goes One Direction and ‘Wife Another—Latter, Penni- less, Given Aid. Special Dispatch to The Star. FREDERICKSBURG, Va., March 11. —A singular domestic separation was brought to the attention of Justice of the Peace W. G. Sneed at Stafford Courthouse when a Detroit couple en route home from Florida had a falling out and the wife disembarked from: her husband’s automobile at Stafford following the quarrel, The husband, said to be a painter in Detroit, continued his journey northward, leaving his wife and 2 four-year-old son stranded at the county seat. Justice Sneed sent an ‘officer after the man, hoping.to effect a_reconciliation or to have him pro- vide his penniless wife with sufficient funds to take her home. The husband was overtaken at_Occoguan and brought back to Stafford Courthouse, but his fretted spouse declared they had come to a permanent parting of the ways and refused to return with her husband, who also was apparently short of funds. Through the generosity of the clerk of Stafford circuit court, James Ashby, the stranded woman and her little son were provided with rallroad fare from Brooke station to Baltimore, where the woman said she had friends and could procure employment. RECORD FREIGHT MOVED. Special Dispatch to The Star. CUMBERLAND, Md., March 11— “The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company established a freight record Saturday, with thirteen trains of 1,- 222 loads dispatched from Keyser, and twenty-one trains of 2,052 loads from Cumberland, totaling 3,274 loads, There was an average of ninety- seven cars per train and the move- ment was easy with the new Santa Fe type of engines. The best previous record was 2, 795 loads. Monéy to Loan Becured by first deed of trust on real estate. Prevailing interest and commission. Joseph I. Weller £, 745 % 3 X5 Banking Trust & Mortgage Co. We want First and Second icil tions. Call or write. Banking Trust & Mortgage Co. ooms St. NW. [ AND DECIDE TO SEPARATEJ FINANCIAL. Wanted Second Tyust Notes We have clients with funds to purchmse good SECOND TRUST NOTES in denomina- tions of froun $500 to $10,000. Low retes if security is good Apply = Once to Our MORTGA@ DEPARTMENT HANNON 1NC. 713 and 715 14k Street NW. Welin 3345 EQUITABLE Co-Operative Building Association 44th YEAR COMPLETED Ansets . $4,755,170.52 Surplus $1,248,320.98 Avail Yourself of the ity to Save of 53, the Basitable L and save your income regnlarly. saving accomplishes mast. Subscription for the 86th Issue of Stock Being Reeeived Shares, $2.50 Per Month EQUITABLE BUILDING 915F St. N.W. JOHN JOY EDSON, President FRANK P. REESIDE, Sec'y. ’ {On Second Mortgages | large and small amounts. STATEMENT OF THE CONDITION CLOVERLEAF LIFE AXD CASUAL' TRURANCE GONEANT OF - % JACKBONVILLE, ILL., on the 3lst day of quired under the District of Columbis Cade, amended Juve 30, 192, and Avgust 18, 1911. | capitar stoex. 2 $250.000.00 Capital stock, paid u 250,000.00 /.6 N0 | | > 3 Lw volr’ Portland Railway Light & Power Company 7% Cumulative Prior Preference Stock Series “4” Price 98 and Accrued Dividend, yielding about 7.14% Circular upon request i The National City Company | Washington—741 15th St. NW. | Telephone—Main 3176 b, in e . Cash in efice. Cash in bask. Rea® estate. Reat 8 Interest due and accrued. All other assets.. Total assets. .. LIABILITIES Reserve as required by law. Salaries, reats, et. Ca, WP 'other T Barplus . Total liabilities. . .$1,108.982.15 Onsracter of bosiness iransacted during the year 1923—Life, health and mccident. Lifer Amoust of risk assumed dur- ing the ytlr&.? 1923 1,704,280.18 | | Extended during the 623 . 1:412.065.00 ¥. H. ROWE, President. R. Z ROWE, Secretary. N Sobscribed and sworn to before. me this 28th day of February, 1924. (8eal.) DENHAM HARNEY, tary Pubiic. year i MONEY TO LOAN ON FIRST MORTGAGES AT CURRENT RATES OF INTEREST Choose Your Investments With Care. i I Reservations Now Being Made for those who will have funds available from Treasury Certificates maturing March 15. Our Mortgage Investment Departmnet would like to show why you should place your funds in First Mort- gages on improved real estate in this city. Nothing Could Be Safer, and they yield 6Y; and 7% Interest. Just telephone Main 2345 and ask for the Mortgage Investment Department and have details submitted to you. SHANNON - & LUCHS 713 and 715 14th Street N.W. Main 2345 STOP AND THINK A man may earn a good sal- ary or make a good profit from his profession or business, but if he spends all, what is there for him to fall back on? You can purchase our 7% FIRST MORTGAGES —on the Partial Payment Plan and have an income working for you. B. F. SAUL CO. 1412 Eye St. N.W.