Evening Star Newspaper, November 23, 1930, Page 90

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, B, C, NOVEMBER 23, 1930. ‘As Duke stepped inside the door he was seized on both sides by the wrists and manacles were snapped on. howled to high heaven. UNICE laughed as she listened to the speed cop’s motor cycle chug away back into the night. Duke Mitchell, at her side, glared down at his speedometer. It was still, now, and at zero. He started to swear, but, instead, raced th: engine madly, snapped “So you're the little cop-squelcher, the duke, himself, in person—this is not a movie—and you let a hick town cop take a ten spot off you for doing over 35 miles an hour!” He chose to ignore the last crack. “I was doing over 65. Anyway, Eunice, you know I can't afford to get into trouble with It wouldn't help my game at all.” t least not when a ten-spot keép me out of trouble.” He looked at her face in the dim glow of Al ! 2 ! as he waited impatiently at the paying window of the Hudson River Trust Co. on Broadway. A short time later Duke Mitchell pushed Jauntily out through the revolving doors of the bank and into the grimy sunlight of a e b. He gave the cab driver the name of a “club” on West Forty-ninth street. The hackman knew the place and maneuvered through the Mitchell told Presently he emerged and ordered: “The Vernier Motor Salesroom—Gibbons’ place. You know where it is?” The driver knew. “Sure, near Fi'ty-foet.” As the cab wormed through traffic Mitchell produced a small bottle from his inside pocket and took a sip. The fiery rye burned as it went down. He slipped the chauffeur a bill for a tip in full view of a group of salesmen in the window of the Gibbons-Vernier Co. Would the salesman show him a car? Would he? Well, you just bet he would! “How about that big yellow and maroon roadster in the window?” Duke asked, stepping over to examine it. “Yes, sir. This is going to be the thing at all the resorts this Winter. -You know you can- have ‘any color combination——" “How'much did you say this was? 1 mean cash?”. « Mitchell foxght all she way to the station and “Well, I have special reasons for wanting this car delivered immediately. Is it all ready to be driven on the street right now?” The salesman concealed his surprise behind a polite smile, “Ah—T believe so, sir. Are you ready,to take it now?” The salesman appraised Duke's haber- dashery and neatly tailored appearance. He also caught the faint odor of the liquor on Mitchell's breath. A sport if there ever was one! “Yes. I'll pay cash. Will you take a check? Mitchell is the name—F. X. Mitchell” He: added this as if the mere name should allay any fears or doabts that might possibly enter an uncharitable mind. He handed the bewildered salesman an en- well have a little fun here and there. “Very well, sir. Just take a seat over here, please, while I have the mechanics look it over, fill the tank, and get everything ready.” : Jif M Egfiiag KT of time. Just 2 o'clock. Give the bank em- ployes plenty of time to go home. Mitchell always made sure everything was “in the bag” before he started anything. It was late in the afternoon when Duke Mitchell pulled up outside the expansive win- dow of the Vernier Sales Co. of Abington-on- By Patrick §. Bilks When a Big-Time Racketeer Shows Off Before a Girl You Can Look for Aetion, and You Have It in This Story. the-Hudson. He climbed out of the roadster and walked briskly into the sales room. A tall, blond young man with a varsity-foot-ball-team look about him came forward. “Who'’s in the market for a good car?” began Duke, cheerfully aggressive. lars cash takes that brand-new Vernier Eight roadster out there in front. this morning. I got to get back to Chicago quick and I need cold cash. You'll never get- a buy like that in your life again. Go out and look her over. She hasn’t done 45 miles yet.” ‘They all trooped out after Mitchell, and, in turn, raced the motor, looked at the speed- ometer, examined the tires, lifted the hood and felt the radiator. “Can’t tell much by the speedometer, Walt,” whispered one of his cronies. “You know they can fix them things so that it don't show no mileage at all.” Walt finally looked up at Mitchell. “Say, minster, she sure looks O. K. to What is the matter with it? Split cy! block or something?” “The car is exactly as I bought it this ing. I paid $3,885 for it and I'm willing to it go right now if some one shows me $1, “A thousand dol- I just bought it- cash. Here's the bill of sale and everything.™. sport roadster for a thousand dollars! hedged: “I haven’t got a thousand dollars myself, but I can get you five hundred now and five hun- dred—say tomorrow.” Duke frowned as he answered: “Get the Tive hundred and then we’ll talk business.” “I'll see what I can do, mister. Go inside and have a seat. I'm going to run up the street to see a friend of mine. I think he can me up.” WALTdepeucdlntou next block. Five minu hurrying down the street back room. After a bit of stalling, Walt asked Mitc! if he could drive it around a little. Mitchell went with him and up and down the road. room five times, then drew up curb. “I think she’ll do,” said Walt “Let’s go inside and I'll make up a for you.” As Duke stepped inside the door seized on both sides by the wrists, and, time than it takes to tell it, manacles snapped on him by two brass-buttoned bers of the Abington to police. struggled faintly and cursed his captors. “Not so fast, big boy, not so fast,” up one of the officers. They both gave him a quick but thorough frisking. They found no weapons. They plainly showed their disap- pointment and pushed him violently toward s chair. 1T i g gz B8 sk b ter Mitchell, raced the motor, looked at the speedometer, hey could find no catch in it at all, but & brand-new Vernier SARnwe OONH ' m. Although she was a notorious gold-dig. ger Eunice Bordell gave only big-timers a tumble. “Sit down there,” growled the officer. “Oh, you guys are brave, aren't you? Pushe ing a poor defenseless citizen around. Take’ these bracelets off, you- stupid donkeys. What did I do to deserve this treatment?” : “That’s what we're going to find out pretty soon, see.” And the officer, a big, raw-boned" " fellow, pushed him in the face so hard that Mitchell's head whacked against the back of the chair. They were playing right into Duke’s: hands. A small crowd was gathering outside the window and some few came inside the store: to allay their curiosity. Walt was trying to. get Gibbons-Vernier Motor Co. on the wire. .“. « « O hello. . . . This Gibbons-Vernier ? . . . This is the Halliday Vernier Sales . Abington-on-the-Hud-" 5 yes, that's_ shrieked. checks in payment for that car this morning.- Take care of the car, will you? He's from. Chicago, is he? He told us he was a Cleveland business man. He’s a crook, that's what he is!. I'll be up there myself Monday evening.” . Mitchell fought every foot of the way to the station house. His collar was torn off neck he was a sorry-looking sight his In vain did Duke protest that he date in New York. the jail Mitchell demanded nd there. They just laughed away from Westchester County. Sunday papers copied the stories in part. of fine publicity that Abington-on-the-Hudson would pay for later, and pay for dearly. Sunday afternoon the “Duke” had two pro- fessional callers. Dr. Riskind, before he left, had filled eight pages with notes on contusions, abrasions, shocks and what not—all suffered by the prisoner while in the ‘They both took a most cordial leave of their client. The thing had run off like clock work. LAnthemtmmnu,fiheehk!oipouce, a sadder and a wiser man, looked across his desk and over the brass rail that represented the bar of justice in Abington, at Connor, his lieutenant. : “Connor, I guess they just got us dead to rights on this business, but what’s done is done. It gives us an awful black mark. There was no excuse for that rough stuff. They tell me that bird can collect plenty from this township, and it looks like he’s not going to leave any stone unturned. “That quack doctor of his says his patient has become mentally unbalanced or something from the treatment we gave him. We know it's a lie, but what can we do? I'd like to give him a little treatment right now! “He can get a dozen witnesses to say that he's been raving ever since we arrested him. Crazy, like a fox, that bird is!” “Yeah, when they told me that the bank cashed the checks I knew it was all up. Those two cops ought to get a medal. Bright boys” Connor shook his head mournfully. Outside the station house Duke Mitchell and Eunice, who had come up the night before, were holding a family reunion.. 2 $odory a;:’ou took ’em over like Dem%m. : 't you, honey?” Elaine wrinkled vat. smooth his cravat. “It’s an old racket, but I never saw it fall, -