The Key West Citizen Newspaper, September 27, 1937, Page 4

PAGE FOUR DOCSSO SOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOO OOOOOS FOO OOOOSOOSTESEOSSE SOS OSSEOETOSEESEHOSOOOSOOOOOOOOSOOSOOS0ER THE DARK SHIPS --- By Hulbert Footner THE KEY WES® CITIZEN .Y =a POOOSOSO SSO OOO ESE OOSSEOOEOOOEOEEEEEEESOOOSOOOOOTS SOOOOOTOHOSOSSSSOOOOSOSTOTOOS OOOO SOSOOSUSSOOSSOOS ~ SYNOPSIS: Wealthy, flashy Prescott Fanning abducts Janet from Baltimore on his yacht. She gets word to Neill, a young fed eral.agent who loves her. Rush= ing to Absalom’s Harbor, he boards the yacht and finds, ina locked cabin, Fanning shot dead and Janet in a faint, a gun be- side her. Neill hides her in the disused liners up the river. Back at the village he resumes his fish- erman role to watch develop- ments, offering to help Mark Bon- niger, a keen local man who takes charge of the investigation. Ket- tering, a Baltimore lawyer, is on hand to fish, and queer little Da- vid Eyster, who hated Fanning, shows up. Chapter 18 ; Dangerous Conference AVING accepted Neill: Bon- niger in grave way was £5 t0 be friendly: After;din- ner in the hotel lie suggested that he and Neill and Kettering should } Pgnty somewhere ‘and discuss case, “T'd be glad to hear any sugges- tions you or Kettering may have to offer.” Neill hardened with a sense of the danger of such a conference. He must appear to be working with them, while he played his own hand. He must study every word that he uttered. Bonniger was not the sort of a man to be easily confused by false issues. Above at pai sesies (ane Paes not a and. e same tine Weill. was conscious of the humor of the situation. To asked to sit down and discuss the best way of catching himself! “Kettering, I think, should be told who you are,” said Bon- niger, “if you have no objections. “That’s all right with me,” said Neill, “as long as the newspaper boys don’t get hold of it.” “4 yill protect you with the They took ssion of the little ‘lor back of the hotel office, and sked the door to keep out the ever-present mob. The motor bus had arrive and Bonniger had Gincer, Neil's chiet anxiety at the r. Neill’s chief anxiety at the Moment was to learn if Metee had said anything to Bonniger about wie im up at the Stafford. If he it wouldn't lead the inves- tigator directly to Neill, because he was registered at the Stafford ge anaid fe she gts good able to get a descr ption of him at the hotel. “What did you get from Mc- Gee?” asked Neill carelessly. “McGee's story corroborates the other three as to the events lead- ing up to the murder,” said Bon- niger. “McGee himself is outside suspicion because he went to! town on Tuesday Sane T got one new out of him. He con- to leaving a gun where the fir outa get it. He was sorry for | showed him the gun with which Fanning was shot, and he identified it as his.” Neill was relieved in mind, Kettering was much impressed Bent a ye ry al ‘that 8 be ; he said. % "I ddn’t know,” said Neill. “Mur- ism little out of my line.” said Ke} ah ae ~ det ne ut {ve defende fore WAR dae sncaaerer == se Neill did not care much for Ket- tering. He was too wordy. He had an idea that Bonniger did not fancy him either. But the man had a bright mind. He could pounce on the weakness of an afgument. Bonniger and Ketter- ing made a formidable combina- tion to be up against. Neill let them do most of the talking. Theorizing ONNIGER laid out the known facts. He took it for granted that the missing gir) had shot Fan- ning. Fpcadges 9 that nothing has turned up today to establish her identity,” he said. “The story has been out on the streets of Balti- more for hours, but nobody has come forward to tell us who she is. Nobody has reported a girl miss- ing. If | am to believe the stories of the crew, she was a girl of re- markable beauty. Such a one ought to be well known.” For Neil? this was all to the good. “The evidence suggests that some man helped her to escape from the yacht,” Bonniger con< tinued, “It rnay have been a friend, or it may have been a stranger t on rescuing a wor in dis- tress. [t's easy for a beautiful girl to find men to help her, of course, But neither girl, man nor skiff has been seen si they left the yacht. Where did they go? How could a beautiful girl in a pink | “and rowed off a liftle way in dress and black velvet/dark to wrap disappear without having j below evenin, been seen by someone?” “Perhaps the skiff sw: the bay and they ” said Ket “It's a possibility Neill put in a word for Janet. “If Fanning attacked the gir!, she ;@ras justified in shooting * od out } “Certainly. But she would have ; to peeve that she had not previ- ously encouraged his advances. The crew testified that she seemed to come aboard the yacht will- ingly.” Kettering offered an alternative theory, that one of the crew might have shot Fanning before coming ashore to the movies. Bonniger would have none of it. “Suppose one of these men shot Fanning to save the girl from him. Is it likely they would go ashore and leave her alone with the body?” “Perhaps they procured a skiff | for her,” suggested Neill. i “Impossible. It was broad day- | light when the crew came ashore and 50 people saw them. They went directly to the movie the- ater and paid their way in.’ “No,” Bonniger continued, “1 uestioned each man separately | is afternoon, and their stories hung.together. Fanning, the girl and_another couple came aboard Monday night and had dinner. Jolly party; plenty of champagne. Later the other couple went retin eh Ci Lage maces lown the bay, the crew suspect that the girl might have been ab- ducted because she had brought’ ' no b e aboard. And as Walter, the ‘steward, said: ‘She was the kind of a girl who might lead a man to do something crazy! “Yet they stood for it,” said Neill angrily. “What kind of men were they?” rised al r eill warned himself.) they weren’t sure of it bec: they said, she didn’t cry or carry on in any way.’ “Some women don’t cry when they’re in trouble. They turn stony.” “Quite right. Anyhow, you can’t expect men of that sort to play the part of heroes. Fi was the’ cae agsine’ thar gui” Home case gir) niger said firmly. “She fired the shot, I take it, and her helper came on the scene afterwards. The Crew Saw Him EILL had the sense of a net slowly being drawn around him and Janet. “You only assume that she had a helper,” suggested ee ae is no proof of it.” Bo: a surprise on him, "Certai y there is proof. The three men who were sleeping on | board saw him.” “Saw him?” echoed Neill. “How covld that be? ... When?” “They couldn’t tell me the hour, Sometime in the middle of the night.” “In the middle of the night!” “What is there about that which is so surpri: to you?” Once more Neill was warned not to betray so much feeling in the case. He laughed. “Oh, nothing,” he said, “only it was fixed in my mind that ges was shot and the girl got away before the crew returned from the movies.” “Certainly Fanning was killed and the girl’s friend came on the seene before the crew got back,” said Bonniger, “because they heard neither the shot nor the breaking in of the cabin door. But it-appears from their stories that the two did not make their final eiway until some hours later.” Neill concealed his confusion behind a wooden face. “What did the crew tell you?” asked Kettering. “They returned to the yacht at 10:15. All was quiet aboard and they turned in. They sleep in the forepeak. Some time later the steward, Walter, said he was awakened by a noise on deck. A few moments were lost while he was awakening his mates, and they were pulling on their pants, “When they stuck their heads out of the fore hatch, the man was on deck. He saw them and went over the side like a streak. They could cy see him dimly. They couldn't describe him beyond the fact that he was a big man. He a Koen 8 swiftly in the dark, hey thought at the time that it was a robber.” “What about the girl?” “They didn’t see | “The two sailors, the steward, the | gentle and elegant ; the t | skiff. You can depend y | man went with her. | ect to the fact that it was some- | must have followed the yacht ; had deduced so much already, he | short shrift next day. niger went on. “Accordin; al ! flashlight outot i the cooked food there was in the | ning?” suggested Neill. | street lights were feeble and far er. I assume | that she threw herself in the bot- tom of the skiff to escape observa- tion.” This explanation explained nothing so far as Neill was con- cerned. So there had been an- | other visitor to the yacht after he and Janet had left it. Who was it? he asked himself. What was he wthere d pose ; “Where do you su: this was when the ce then back asked Kettering. “If he had a ski with him they must have sees a” “I am supposing that he heard the crew coming,” said Bonniges, | ive them time. to and go to slee; re!” said Ket! This was a false uct were | ‘ough a natural one, and Ni id afford to smile at it. oprright. 1957, by Hulbert Pootaers = ; iy ; up aboard the yacht,” | Bonniger. | lieved, but suppose there was one : Bonniger pointed out. ; She then put him ashore and SYNOPSIS: Wealthy, flashy Prescott Fanning abducts Janet from Baltimore on his yacht. She gets word to Neill, a young fed- eral agent who loves her. Rush- ing to Absalom’s Harbor, he boards the yacht and finds, in a locked cabin, Fanning shot dead and Janet in a faint, a gun beside her, Neill hides her nearby in the disused liners. Back at the vil- lage, he watches developments and spots queer little David Ey- ster, who hated Fanning. Neill offers to help Mark Bonniger, keen local investigator. They con- fer with Lawyer Kettering of Baltimore, who came to fish. Chapter 19 Back To Janet ITH the object:o: drawing a red herring:across the trail, Neill said: 62 it “My idea ts thatthe girl’s friend was an Absalom’s ‘man. The sto’ had sisendy gene around the vil- lage that Te was a girl locked “Yes, I have been told that,” said “The story was not generally be- man who went out to see for him- self.” “No Absalom’s man is missing,” “He furnished her with the skiff. rowed away in it alone.” “Impossible!” said Bonniger. engineer all tell me that she was a girl, not at all who could have saved by rowing away in a heavy n it, her verything herse! dy she knew and trusted. He down here.” Neill set his jaw. If Bonniger and Janet were likely to receive “He was a cool customer,” — to the crew, he took a rug out of the after in to keep the girl warm, a the saloon and all refrigerator.” “Why couldn’t he have shot Fan- Bonniger looked at him with grim humor. “I'm surprised at that,” he said, “from a man of your experience. Everything shows that Fanning was shot unawares, If anybody had burst in the door and attacked him, the cabin would have presented a very different picture. Neill was silenced. “We will know him when we catch him,” said Bonniger grimly. “Wilson got an elegant set of fin- gerprints on the refrigerator door. He photographed them this after- noon, He’s developing it now.” Neill resisted the impulse to thrust his hands in his pockets. His; fingertips tingled unpleasantly. Packing The Purchases HEN Bonniger had returned to the telephone in Virgil Long- cope’s office, and Kettering to his camp, Neill locked himself in his room upstairs and started to dis- tribute the various articles he had og for Janet about his person. He had not purchased everything in one place but had picked it up at odd times during the day in the different stores about the village. Women’s clothes were out of the question, so hevhad:got her over- alls, a shirt, a pair of sneakers. These he had to in sizes suit- aie tae een and me — thinking how Janet would look in them. If addition he had biseaits cakes of chocolate, a couple of cans of meat, a battle of soda water, a towel and soap, candles and bat- jeries for the precious flashlight. When all this was stowed, he appeared to have increased sud- co 4 in weight, However, he had satisfied himself that the back part of the hotel was deserted. He went down the back stairs and out by the kitehen door. Once he was in the road, he felt safe from observation for the between. he — was — hanging t jcope’s store and after he had turned the corner by the river, he met nobody. Aware that all his movements up to now had been watched, he walked with his head over his | shoulder. ceeeee When he came to the last houses | he watched his chance, and/ skinned — the fence seg ni | cornfield bet) waver. The motoreycles pal! be: i Si goatee ted night. was but this one road | leading to and from the village on | the point, thus it was an easv mat- | ter for the police to stop all who might try to leave by car. Neill lay | out in the cornfield unti! he was / very sure no one over the fence. He stumbled on over ploughed field, climbed a coup! fences and found himself in | side road which served the landin, used by the big ships. Coming out . on the shore, he saw them lying! huge, dark and threatening out in the stream. The eaptain’s lights ‘were out tonight. Since his car was not there, Neill judged that he had |} "4 been drawn to the village by the general excitement. Neill walked up the beach to the little pier below the old farm house, The skiff was tied to it and the oars were in her. He cast off and, malsing a detour, came back to the Abraham Lincoln from the middle of the river. Feeling his way along the hull, his hand met the twine dangling from above and he twitched it. A moment later the end of the rope ladder fell on his head, and he sprang to his feet with joy. Janet was all right! In }| a minute he would be with her! Janet Dons Overalls ies thin rope- lay flat against the vessel’s side, and he saw that it was not going to be too easy to climb up. He took off his boots so that his toes could grip the rope, and went up slowly. She was wait- ing for him at the window. When he jumped=in, she flung her arms around his neck in a passion of relief and gladness, and for a little time neither of them could speak. i i mt | i i ately i é ! " | e ‘| Hi it How good it was to hold her close! Both felt as if oceans had parted them. “Oh, Neill! og i low good it was to hold her close against him! “Honey! Honey! Honey! It was hard to be away from you!” Having lighted a candle, Neill held her away from him so that he could look at her. To find her in these strange surroundings was like seeing her for the first time. In the empty ship, her fragile beauty had an unreal quality lke a dream. He drew her to him with a sudden fear of losing her. “If we could only stay aboard The day was so | here by our two selves and let the rest of the world go to hell!” When they came back to Janet began to pat him. ‘What did you bring me? You're covered all ‘over with fu hh: - He began laughed at t stuff he had nt wanted those clothes badly. Everything abcard the ship is so SI adjoii turned in her overalls. She Sticking he ‘re smothering me!” onwillingly released her. sright, 192, By Baibert Footner) Janet runs te give herself up, to- morrew, after 2 quarrel with Neill, of Benjamin Hi'Lowe who was to be Mrs. Miriam Fox and two sons !Jack and Marvin, left over the | (By Anseciated Prens) highway this morning for Miami! NANKING, Sept. 25.—The in- jen route to Jupiter, where they|ventor of the Churchill loom in jwill visit with relatives and/Berea, Ky., has helped China de- friends for several weeks. leilan from virtually nothing - a os wool industry that is overcoming |unemployment created when the \ F. G, Hall, employed as cook | sitk market nearly vanished in in one of the camps on the Keys,|j999_ jcompleted his week end yesterday) “By nermitting ‘the! Chinese to jand left, this, morning for “Mara-| adapt his loan for domestic needs thon to resume his, duti¢s. he’ substantially aided the Uni- \ o pr ve ye versity of ‘Nanking and the city ; Fred’ Kirtlindcleft this morning | £0vetiment in’ ‘their wool enter- for Marathon-after spending a| Prise. ate. week end withchis relatives. in| The project is expected to de- Key West.:/He isone of the en-|Velop a cooperative co-partnership i i j between workers and consumers. janes SOE a Vee The center has produced some 100 kinds of materials but is | Mrs. Edith Bruener and chil-|concentrating on tweeds, serge, dren Jack and Eleanor, who were; b/anketing, overcoating and mate- visiting with relatives and friends, jrial for uniforms, 'U. S. HELPS CHINA! Donald Myers, son of Mrs. Ben-! jamin Demeritt, who was in Key West to,attend the funeral of his mother, left over the highway Saturday for his home in Miami. left on the bus this morning for; Chicago, and expect to return for} Mendoza-Demeritt !another visit later in the year. 5 abated Naptials Saturday Miss Nila Domeneche was an| Miss Thelma Mendoza, daugh- outgoing passenger this morning/ter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Men- on the bus for Miami and fromidoza of 416 Bahama street, and there will go to West Palm Beach! william Demeritt, son of the late for a visit with her brother-in-| req’ Demeritt, and Mrs. De- law and sister, Mr. and Mrs. Mor-| meritt, were joined in the holy ris Owen. estate of wedlock on Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock. Miss. Yfeen Williams and 4g|\ The impressive ceremony was) Minnie Porter Harris. are visiting [Seeder by Rev. Yancy,T. She- in New York City and are guests) hane at the rectory of the First at the Barbizon Plaza. “| Reptist. Chureh. Agron of sat jatives and a few friends of the high contracting parties were in (Charles Knowles and William! attendance at the wedding. Parks left over the highway this} The bride is one of Key West's morning for Miami where they} popular young ladies, who has en- will be guests for a few weeks of|deared herself to a large circle of | Mr. Knowles’ brother-in-law and| friends through her pleasing per- sister, Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Clem-j sonality and charm of manner, ents and their daughter Miss|while the groom is well known Martha . throughout the city, having many friends on every hand. The numerous friends of the young couple wish for them a married life of unalloyed hap- piness. TOOTHPICK TOPICS By C. G. FLINT Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson, who was in Key West for a short time last week following the death of her grandmother, was an outgoing} passenger Saturday en route to Miami to join Mr. Johnson, mem- ber of the engine room force on the Steamship Florida. Looking at the Christian Science “Mother Church” and new publishing house in Boston, the massiveness of which co! founds unbelievers, you get a picture of the force of an idea carried out. Mrs. Eddy was born and lived her early life in New Hampshire and is remembered, in her youth, by some o'd folks hereabouts. She was a woman of determina- tion, very human then, and lived life to its full-tide. But “life be- {gan at forty” for her and she-ac- quired an idea of healing that is popular and not without behefit to mahy. She would have been amazed at the sight of her church buildings and the growth of her creed. She gave the world what it wanted, at the right time, and ger on Florida Motor Lines bus) because she has been dead over yesterday morning going to Lower| twenty years and time adds a halo Matecumbe where he is employ- some worship her as a divinity, ed by one of the road contrac-;She was an able woman who tors. learned how to conquer illness and privation in her old-age. She Will Curry, who was in ih pre taught many the same lesson West visiting with his brother,/and, especially, the nervously-in- Edmond, and other’ relatives, left’ clined are indebted to her books. over the highway yesterday wae br liberated, by her words and ing for Marathon. writings a great force for good. | There is, however, much Arthuy Oliver, WPA swimming ‘Metaphysics that is loose in appli- re ment, wi wi * in eg? Weet grovscaacent 4 clans bexisting requirements... Jt is this of 60 swimmers and beginners,|V@ry flexibility that,,.. animates left over the highway yesterday| beth doctrines. o Hampstead, N. H., morning for Miami, Sept. 22, 1937. Mr. and Mrs. John Frank Roker, who were here for the funeral last Friday of Mrs, Roker’s moth- er, left over the highway yester- day for their home in West Palm Beach, accompanied by Richard Diaz, who was. going to his home in Jacksonville. alos George Koch, employe with the bridge forces on the Florida Keys, who hag just*recovered from in- juries received while working, left yesterday morning for No Name Key. Edwood Roberts was a passen- E. J. Bayly, who was spending a few days at his home aiid visit- ling relatives and friends, left) | yesterday morning for Miami * Today In History Secccccccceiesscessecoes [rejoin the Steamer Florida, on} |which he is employed, | 1777—British enter Philadel- | phia after Washington's defeat at ‘Brandywine and on this day the iP. — Os aa ar oh Continental Cogress met st Lan- lin the city today visiting his many | friends and this morning made an, jofficial visit to the Steamship, | Cuba, which was in port en route \from Tampa to Havana. | caster, Pa., moving next day to York, where in session for nine months. 1785—General Convention of ithe Protestant Episcopal Ghurch | Power Bast 31,-0f the: .ligh eg Philadelphia—first in country. house department, left:this morn- ‘ing with First Assistant: Keeper 1813—Ameriean army under Gen. Wiliam H. Harrison occupy Maiden, a small Canadian settie- ment opposite Detroit, in second War with Britain. 1825—Opening' Day of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, ‘England, first to carry passengers tion. ie % acalanias and goods by steam locome' superintendent of lighthouses, 1912..(25 years ago) First re- left on the plane yesterday for view of = complete airplane ar- Miami and from there was to pro- mada, 72 war planes, near Paris, ceed to Tampa to join R. L. grance. Hankinson, chief af the architec- cine tural and structural division, of; 1934——Federal Reserve Board the department, and sccompany fixes margin requirement, in hime on his trip ef inspection on stock dea's, 25 percent to 45 per- both east and west coasts of the cent, in conformity with Seeuri- state. ‘ties Exchange Act. returned to his duties at American Shoals light station, and coming back the vessel will bring R. C. Roberts, keeper at thé light, who is coming here for his quarterly vacation. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER) 27, 1937. HAVE A SMILE | eee Yeoman—Do you know, honey, if I had to do it all over again, who I'd marry Wifey—No, who? Yeoman—You. Wifey—Oh, no you wouldn’t. Something of an Artist “What do you think of our lit- tle Emil as a pianist? “Well! I like the way he does nd¥ bang*déwn the lid.” “Keep Off the Grass” signs at a hay-fever hos- pital. Vast Experience “Do you know anything about driving a car?” “Yes. I’ve often listened to my wife drive.” Sh-h! Politician—“I never question the fact that I owe a lot to my country.” Campaign Manager — “Sh-h! They may think you haven’t paid your income tax.” Just the Thing Carson—Bill says he can prove all his fish stories now. Se 2 Grant—How? “* S08") Carson—He’s’ Inve! bined reel and moving picture camera, . S fo 266 og mye qk ay ob ?) . ue “Radio has brought, ta, jite the old {Pat and Mike’ joke. “Yes—the comedians pat them- selves on the back after telling ’em before the miki K Judge—Who was driving when you hit. that car? “Marine (triumphantly, about three sheets in the wind)—None of us, judge! We was all sitting {in the back seat. Faithful Old Chap Deke—Did rich old Smith re- member you in his will? Rod—Yes! One clause instruct ed the executor to give me his kindest regards. A Convenience Jordon—I think you have a splendid club. But it is a pity it is so close to the railway. Lincoln—That was done inten- tionally. It saves us the trouble of shaking cocktails. Cat For Cat Mildred—Don't you wish you understood the art of makeup as well as I do? Madge—I would like to, but I’ve felt that I could never afford to join the barn-painters’ union. In Aberdeen Small Boy—“A loaf of bread, please.” Baker—' ha:f-penny. Boy——“When did it go up?” Baker—“Only today.” Boy—‘Well, give me one of yesterday’s, then. It’s gone up another . Hardy Roses She was purchasing her spring seeds for her garden, and her questioning was boring the sales- man to the point of exasperation. “And oh, by the way,” she continned, “what is a rose.” in| the three times so that they get dy and don't know their as much as $130,000,000 for the Southern cotten growers without planning similar subsidies to oth- er agriculturalists, Conrad Veidt-Vivien Leigh in DARK JOURNEY Comedy and Short Reei STAR * BRAND CUBAN COFFEE) le Deliciously Fresh! —TRY IT TODAY— On Sale At Al Grocers fivehed a com- bi HAS TAKEN OVER AUTO CAR AGENCY ARTHUR MULBERG TO HAN- DLE ALL GENERAL MO- TORS PRODUCTS Arthur Mulberg, widely known Key Wester, who has been making his home in Central Florida for the past several years, has return- ed in this city to make his future home. Mr. ‘Mulberg will take over the Chevrolet agency formerly held by Meltzer Motor Company, and will handle all General’ Motors products. Believing that this city has @ bright future ahead, Mr. Mulberg intends to get in on the ground floor and is now making prelim- jinary arrangements for the open- ing of Mulberg Chevrolet Com- pany. BIG REDUCTIONS ON USED CARS if Biggest reductions yet are now cig Made ON the large stock Used* Cars: at Navarro’s, Ine., ae- feprding toe aamouncement carried luyvthis-firnr.on the front Page this issue. Display of 1938 Dodges 'Plymouths wil! be made within next 10 days. Before the it of the new cars, Navarro’s tends to clear the entire stock used cars. % To do this, prices must be te duced to the minimum, stated Navarro. All of these cars have been reconditioned and many have been repainted, while others have been equipped with brand new tires. Because this is Plymouth’s tenth birthday, it is expected that this year’s car will be finer than ever. Navarro’s has already te ceived display material and pie- tures of the 1938 Plymouth. CLASSIFIED COLUMN eoscesecovessesetoe FOR SALE HOUSE AND LOT, corner Fran- cis and Angela streets, $800 cash. Apply, 607 Ashe street. EXCHANGE OWNER DESIRES TO TRADE for property in Key West @ conveniently located all-modern home, furnished, situated in town of Barberville, Fla, on highway 14 miles north of De Land, close to schools, stores, ete. $2 acres of land with 7 acres in Oranges, Clear tithe. No indebtedness, R. R. Kean, Box 162, Barbervitle, Pla. sept20 ;sept27x George Murphy-Doris Nolan —in— TOP OF THE TOWN Matines: Balcony, 10¢; Orches- JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA GARETT AMORE WS Aeneas