The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965, February 25, 1937, Image 3
theD GARDEN MURDER CASE a</ S.S.yAN DINE COPYRIGHT _ S-S.VAN DINE ^ W-N.U. SERV^CL CHAPTER XI—Continued —13— "Have this filled at once. A tea spoonful every two hours until Mrs. Garden falls asleep.” Floyd Garden stepped forward and took the prescription. “I’ll phone the pharmacy,” he said. '‘It’ll take them only a few minutes to send it over.” And he went out of the room. As we passed the den door, we could hear Floyd Garden telephon ing. “I think Mrs. Garden will quiet down now,” Doctor Siefert re marked to Vance when we reached the drawing-room. “As I told you, you mustn’t take her remarks se riously when she’s in this condition. She will probably have forgotten about it by tomorrow.” "Her bitterness, however, did not seem entirely devoid of rationality,” Vance returned. Siefert frowned but made no com ment on Vance’s statement. In stead he said in his quiet, well modulated voice, as he sat down leisurely in the nearest chair: “This whole affair is very shocking. Floyd Garden gave me but a few details when I arrived. Would you care to enlighten me further?” Vance readily complied. He brief ly went over the entire case, be ginning with the anonymous tele phone message he had received the night before. (Not by the slight est sign did the doctor indicate any previous knowledge of that tele phone call. He sat looking at Vance with serene attentiveness, like a specialist listening to the case his tory of a patient.) Vance withheld no important detail from him. “And the rest,” Vance concluded, "you yourself have witnessed.” Siefert nodded very slowly two or three times. "A very serious situation,” he commented gravely, as if making a diagnosis. “Some of the things you have told me seem highly signifi cant. A shrewdly conceived mur der—and a vicious one. Especial ly the hiding of the revolver in Miss Beeton’s coat and the attempt on her life with the bromin gas in the vault.” • I seriously doubt, said vance, “that the revolver was put in Miss Beeton’s coat pocket with any in tention of incriminating her. I imagine it was to have been taken out of the house at the first oppor tunity. But I agree with you that the bromin episode is highly mysti fyin’.” Vance, without appearing to do so, was watching the doctor closely. “When you asked to see me on your arrival here this after noon,” he went on, "I was hoping that you might have some sugges tion which, coming from one who is familiar with the domestic situa tion here, might put us on the track to a solution.” Siefert solemnly shook his head several times. “No, no. I am sorry, but I am completely at a loss myself. When I asked to speak to you and Mr. Markham it was because I was naturally deeply interested in the situation here and anxious to hear what you might have to say about it.” He paused, shifted slightly in his chair, and then asked: “Have you formed any opinion from what you have been able to learn?” “Yes. Oh, yes. Frankly, how ever, I detest my opinion. I’d hate to be right about it. A sinister, un natural conclusion is forcing itself upon me. It’s sheer horror.” He spoke with unwonted intensity. Siefert was silent, and Vance turned to him again. “I say, doctor, are you particu larly worried about Mrs. Garden’s condition?” A cloud overspread Siefert’s coun tenance, and he did not answer at once. “It’s a queer case,” he said at length, with an obvious attempt at evasion. “As I recently told you, it has me deeply puzzled. I’m bring ing Kattelbaum up tomorrow.” "Yes. As you say. Kattelbaum.” Vance looked at the doctor dream ily. “My anonymous telephone mes sage last night mentioned radio active sodium. But equanimity is essential. Yes. By all means. Not a nice case, doctor—not at all a nice case . . . And now I think we’ll be toddlin’.” Vance rose and bowed with formal brusqueness. Siefert also got up. “If there is anything whatever that I can do for you . . .’’he began. “We may call on you later,” Vance returned, and walked toward the archway. Siefert did not follow us, but turned and moved slowly toward one of the front windows, where he stood looking out, with his hands clasped behind him. We re-entered the hallway and found Sneed wait ing to help us with our coats. We had just reached the door leading out of the apartment when the strident tones of Mrs. Garden's voice assailed us again. Floyd Gar den was in the bedroom, leaning over his mother. “Your solicitude won’t do you any good, Floyd," Mrs. Garden cried. “Being kind to me now, are you? Telephoning for the prescrip tion—all attention and loving kind ness. But don’t think you’re pull ing the wool over my eyes. It won't make any difference. Tomor row I change my will! Tomorrow #* We continued on our way out, and heard no more. Shortly after nine o’clock the next morning there was a telephone call from Doctor Siefert. Vance was still abed when the telephone rang, and I answered it. The doctor’s voice was urgent and troubled when he asked that I summon Vance imme diately. Vance slipped into his Chi nese robe and sandals and went into the anteroom. It was nearly ten minutes before he came out again. “Mrs. Garden was found dead in her bed this morning,” he drawled. “Poison of some kind. I’ve phoned Markham, and we’ll be going to the Garden apartment as soon as he comes. A bad business, Van—very bad.” Markham arrived within half an hour. In the meantime Vance had dressed and was finishing his second cup of coffee. “What’s the trouble now?” Mark ham demanded irritably, as he came into the library. “Perhaps now that I’m here, you’ll be good enough to forego your cryptic air.” Vance looked up and sighed. “Do sit down and have a cup of coffee while I enjoy this cigarette. Really, y’know, it’s deuced hard to be lu cid on the telephone.” He poured a cup of coffee, and Markham re luctantly sat down. “And please don’t sweeten the coffee,” Vance went on. “It has a delightfully sub tle bouquet, and it would be a pity to spoil it with saccharine.” Markham, frowning defiantly, put three lumps of sugar in the cup. “Why am I here?” he growled. Vance drew deeply on his ciga rette and settled back lazily in his chair. “Siefert phoned me this morning, just before I called you. Explained he didn’t know your pri vate number at home and asked me to apologize to you for not notifying you direct.” “Notifying me?” Markham set down his cup. "About Mrs. Garden. She’s dead. Found so this morning in bed. Prob ably murdered.” “Good God!” “Yes, quite. Not a nice situation. No. The lady died some time during the night—exact hour unknown as yet. Siefert says it might have been caused by an overdose of the sleeping medicine he prescribed for her. It’s all gone. And he says there was enough of it to do the trick. On the other hand, he ad mits it might have been something else.” CHAPTER XII Markham pushed his cup aside with a clatter and lighted a cigar. "Where’s Siefert now?” he asked. "At the Gardens’. Very correct. Standing by, and all that. The nurse phoned him shortly after eight this morning—it was she who made the discovery when she took Mrs. Gar den’s breakfast in. Siefert hastened over and after viewing the remains and probing round a bit called me. Said that, in view of yesterday’s events, he didn’t wish to go ahead until we got there.” "Well, why don’t we get along?” snapped Markham, standing up. Vance sighed and rose slowly from his chair. “There’s really no rush. The lady can’t elude us. And Siefert won’t desert the ship.” “Hadn’t we better notify Heath?” suggested Markham. “Yes—quite,” returned Vance, as we went out. “I called the ser geant just after 1 phoned you. He’s been up half the night working on the usual police routine. Stout fella. Heath. Amazin’ industry. But quite futile.” Miss Beeton admitted us to the Garden apartment. She looked drawn and worried, but she gave Vance a faint smile of greeting which he returned. “I’m beginning to think this nightmare will never end, Mr. Vance,” she said. I Vance nodded sombrely, and we went on into the drawing-room where Doctor Siefert, Professor Garden, and his son wen. awaiting us. “I’m glad you’ve come, gentle men,” Siefert greeted us, coming forward. Professor Garden sat at one end of the long davenport, his elbows resting on his knees, his face in his hands. He barely acknowledged our presence. Floyd Garden got to his feet and nodded abstractedly in our direction. A terrible change seemed to have come over him. He looked years older than when we had left him the night before. “What a hell of a situation!” he mumbled, focusing watery eyes on Vance. “The mater accuses me last night of putting Woody out of the way, and then threatens to cut me off in her will. And now she’s dead! And it was I who took charge 0- the prescription. The doc says it could have been the medicine that killed her." Vance looked at the man sharply. “Yes, yes,” he said in a low, sympathetic tone. “I thought of all that, too, don’t y’ know. But it certainly won’t help you to be mor bid about it.” “For God's sake,” Garden burst out, “it’s up to you to find out the truth. I’m on the spot—what with my going out of the room with Woody yesterday, my failure to place his bet, then the mater's ac cusation, and that damned will of hers, and the medicine. You've got to find out who’s guilty . . ." As he was talking the door bell had rung, and Heath came up the hallway. Vance went to Garden and, put ting a hand on the man’s shoulder, urged him back into his chair. “Come, buck up," he said; "we’ll need your help, and if you work up a case of jitters you’ll be useless.” “But don’t you see how deeply in volved I am?" Garden protested weakly. “You’re not the only one in volved," Vance returned calmly. He turned to Siefert. “I think, doctor, we should have a little chat. Pos sibly we can get the matter of your patient’s death straightened out a bit. Suppose we go upstairs to the study, what?" In the study Vance went directly to the point. “Doctor, the time has come when wo must be perfectly frank with each other. The usual conventional ‘‘I Called the Sergeant Just After I Phoned You.” considerations of your profession must be temporarily put aside. I shall be altogether candid with you and trust that you can see your way to being equally candid with me.” Siefert, who had taken a chair near the door, looked at Vance a trifle uneasily. “I regret that I do not under stand what you mean,” he said in his suavest manner. ‘‘I merely mean,” replied Vance coolly, “that I am fully aware that it was you who sent me the anony mous telephone message Friday night.” Siefert raised his eyebrows slight ly. “Assuming, for the sake of argu ment,” he said with deliberation, “that it was I who phoneu you Fri day night, what then?” Vance watched the man with a faint smile. “It might be, don’t y' know,” he said, “that you were cognizant of the situation here, and that you had a suspicion—or let us say, a fear— that something tragic was impend ing.” Vance took out his cigarette case and lighted a cigarette. “I fully understood the import of that I message, doctor—as you intended. , That is why I happened to be here 1 yesterday afternoon. The signifi cance of your reference to the Aene d and the inclusion of the word 'equanimity' did not escape me. I must say, however, that your ad vice to investigate radio-active so dium was not entirely clear—al though I think I now have a fairly lucid idea as to the implication. However, there were some deeper implications in your message, and this is the time, d’ ye see, when we should face this thing together with complete honesty.” Siefert brought his eyes back to Vance in a long appraising glance, and then shifted them to the window again. “Yes, I did send you that mes sage. I realize that nothing can be gained now by not being frank with you . . . The situation in this house hold has bothered me for a long time, and lately I’ve had a sense of imminent disaster.” “How long have you felt this pre monition?” asked Vance. “For the past three months, I should say. Although I have acted as the Gardens’ physician for many years, it was not until last fall that Mrs. Garden’s changing condition came to my notice. I thought little of it at first, but, as it grew worse and I found myself unable to diag nose it satisfactorily, a curious sus picion forced itself on me that the change was not entirely natural. I began coming here much more fre quently than had been mj custom, and during the last couple of months I had felt many subtle un dercurrents in the various relation ships of the household, which I had never sensed before. Of course, I knew that Floyd and Swift never got along particularly well — that there was some deep animosity and jealousy between them. 1 also knew the conditions of Mrs. Garden’s will. Seifert paused with a frown. "As I say, it has been only re cently that I have felt something deeper and more significant in all this interplay of temperaments; and this feeling grew to such propor tions that I actually feared a vio lent climax of some kind—especial ly as Floyd told me only a few days ago that his cousin intended to stake his entire remaining funds on Equanimity in the big race yes terday. So overpowering was my feeling in regard to the whole situa tion here that I decided to do some thing about it, if I could manage it without divulging any professional confidences. But you saw through my subterfuge." Vance nodded. "I appreciate your scruples in the matter, doctor. I only regret that I was unable to forestall these tragedies. That, as it happened, was beyond human power.” Vance looked up quickly. “By the by, doctor, did you have any definite suspicions when you phoned me Friday night?” Siefert shook his head with em phasis. “No. Frankly, I was baf fled. I merely felt that some sort of explosion was imminent.” Vance smoked a while in silence. “And now, doctor, will you be so good as to give us the full details about this morning?” Siefert drew himself up in his chair. “There’s practically nothing to add to the information I gave you over the phone. Miss Beeton called me a little after eight o’clock and informed me that Mrs. Garden had died some time during the night. She asked for instructions, and I told her that I would come at once. I was here half an hour or so later. I could find no determinable cause for Mrs. Garden’s death, and as sumed it might have been her heart until Miss Beeton called my atten tion to the fact that the bottle of medicine sent by the druggist was empty ..." “By the by, doctor, what was the prescription you made out for your patient last night?" “A simple barbital solution.” “And I believe you told me on the telephone that there was suffi cient barbital in the prescription to have caused death.” "Yes,” Doctor Siefert nodded. “If taken at one time.” “And Mrs. Garden’s death was consistent with barbital poisoning?” “There was nothing to contradict such a conclusion,” Siefert an swered. “And there was nothing to indicate any other cause.” “When did the nurse discover the empty bottle?” “Not until after she had phoned me, I believe." Vance, smoking lazily, was watch ing Siefert from under speculative eyelids. "Tell me something of Mrs. Gar den’s illness, doctor, and why radio active sodium should have suggest ed itself to you.” Siefert brought his eyes sharply back to Vance. “The symptoms of her ailment have been very much like those ac companying radium poisoning. But I have never prescribed any of the radium preparations for her.” He cleared his throat before con tinuing. “One evening while reading the reports of the researches made in California on radioactive sodium, or what might be called artificial radi um, which has been heralded as a possible medium of cure for can cer, I suddenly realized that Pro fessor Garden himself was actively interested in this particular line of research and had done some very creditable work in the field. The realization was putely a matter of association, and I gave it little thought at first. But the idea per sisted, and before long some very unpleasant possibilities began to force themselves upon me.” Again the doctor paused, a trou bled look on his face. "About two months ago I suggest ed to Doctor Garden that, if it were at all feasible, he put Miss Beeton on his wife’s case. I had already come to the conclusion that Mrs. Garden required more constant at tention and supervision than I could afford her, and Miss Beeton, who is a registered nurse, had, for the past year or so, been working with Doctor Garden in his laboratory in fact, it was I who had sent her to him when he mentioned his need of a laboratory assistant. I was particularly anxious to have her take Mrs. Garden’s case, rather than some other nurse, for I felt that from her observations some helpful suggestions might result.” (TO UE CONTINUED) Perry’s Naval Experience By the time he was twenty-eight years old, Oliver II. Perry, im mortalized for his victory on Lake Erie, not only had fourteen years of naval service to his credit but had been with Commodore Stephen Decatur in the fierce campaign ol 1815 that ended the pirate terror I ism along the Barbery roast HOfc^RE Voujism / DR. JAMES W. BARTON Talk* About ® Blister* and Pimples on Feet. FROM time to time you hear the old saying that the best specialty in medicine is that of the skin spe cialist because "his patients never die and never get better”—no worry and a regular income. Added to this is the fact that if he calls ev ery skin ailment eczema he will be right in more than half his cases because eczema comprises at least l>r. Barton half of all the cases with skin ailments. Lately there has been much in news paper and magazine advertisements re garding what is called “athlete’s foot,” where the skin on and between the toes becomes reddish white and little pimples or blisters are present. It has been shown to be contagious and in golr, ath letic and other organizations fresh straw slippers are provided so that the feet may not come in contact with the floors used by those al- j ready suffering with this ailment. The usual treatment is to keep the feet clean, dry the feet thoroughly after washing, and the use of va rious ointments containing mer cury, salicylic acid and other sub stances. From Tonsils and Teeth. In some cases when there is pres ent on the feet a type of little pustules—pimples containing pus — very similar to ringworm on the j hands and feet, Drs. G. C. Andrews | and G. F. Machacek in Archives of1 Dermatology, Chicago, state that some of these eruptions persist de spite treatment because of infec tion. The infections are located chiefly in the tonsils but also in abscessed teeth. Conditions such as ulcer of the first or upper part of the small intestine, chronic in flammation of the large intestine and rheumatism (arthritis) often occur. Of a total of twenty-four patients, nine have been entirely cured by the removal of the tonsils. Three others were gt^atly improved after removal of the tonsils but there were slight traces of “scaliness” or scales on the hands and feet which, however, caused no inconvenience. One case of interest was where there was some doubt as to the ton sils being the cause; but suction of the tonsils (pumping them out with a special pump) showed that after each suction the skin condi tion improved; when suction was stopped the eruption became worse. Two weeks after the tonsils were removed there was a complete cure which has lasted two years. In this type of infection it is not usually the toes and in between the toes that are affected, as is the case with athlete’s foot or ringworm. Barbital Drugs. It would seem that almost every week a new drug to ease pain or to cause sleep appears on the market, all of which are spoken of as "safe’' because they contain no morphine or other drug containing opium. One of the most helpful drugs to ease pain, quiet restlessness, and induce or bring on sleep is what is known as barbital. It is used a great deal in mental institutions; and as a means of preventing epil epsy it is the greatest boon yet discovered for this distressing ail ment. However, like other powerful drugs it may be obtained by any body, anytime, anywhere, and the results in many cases have been disastrous. Just as morphine and other dangerous drugs must be ob tained by a physician’s prescrip tion, so also should the barbital drugs be obtained. Mental institu tions. public and private, now have barbital addicts to treat. Sir William Willcox, in the Jour nal of the American Medical Associ ation taken from the British Lan cet, repeats his warning that Jhe “barbiturates” have a powerful ac tion on the nervous system and that care is required in their daily use. Even in the usual doses symptoms such as mental depression, drowsi ness, “visions”, dizziness, unsteady gait, indistinct speech, squint, side ways movements of the eyes, and paralysis of the limbs are common results. Some idea of the way the barbital “habit” is increasing is shown by the figures of the hospitals in Budapest. B’rom 1909 to 1914, 35 cases of bar bital poisoning were admitted, while in 1932 one hospital alone admitted 87 cases of barbital poisoning and in addition 80 cases of poisoning from pheno barbital. To prevent the overuse of barbital tablets some physicians have pow ders made up containing ipecac and sugar of milk in addition to the bar bital. The ipecac produces vomit ing if too much be taken. The treatment of barbital poison ing consists in washing out the stom ach, using enemas, food by the stom ach tube every six hours, and full doses of strychnine. To help fi^ht off the barbital “habit,” the withdrawal of the drug, confinement in an institution and the use of strychnine has brought about recovery in a number of cases. © Bell Syndicate.—WNU Service. AIR-CONDITIONING BRINGS MORE EGGS Protection From Cold Aids in Production. By H. H, Alp, Kxtension Poultryman, Col lege iof Agriculture,—University ol Illinois.—VVNU Service. Whether the poultry house is mod ernistic or futuristic in its design matters little to the average hen, but she does appreciate ■"air-condi tioning” in the cold winter months and shows her appreciation by keep ing on laying. Housing of poultry for winter is a different problem from housing oth er farm live stock. The amount of heat developed by the birds is so in significant from the standpoint of affecting room temperatures that those housing facilities are best which provide the hens with plenty of fresh air and at the same time protect them against extremely low temperatures. Nearly every flock owner has seen egg production drop off after a se vere cold spell. On the other hand experimental evidence indicates that heated houses with temperatures of 60 degrees Fahrenheit adversely af fect the health, body, weight and egg-size of the birds. In preventing slumps in egg pro duction following cold spells, the use of heat to maintain an average tem perature of about 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit has been found effective. For many flock owners, temporary heat during cold periods can be provided by the use of brooder stoves or some other common type of room heater. The kind of heating unit used will vary with the availability and price of fuel. In the event of a cheap source of fuel, regular heating units might well be installed, such as hot water pipes laid in the floor or hung on one of the walls. If heat is to be used profitably in poultry houses it is necessary that it be low in cost of operation and not represent a big investment. To consider it more than a possible supplementary aid in getting win ter eggs is a mistake. Lighting the Hen House Encourages Laying Flock Putting on all-night lights will usu ally make the most stubborn flock lay. However, this is not re commended except for well-fed and well-housed birds. All the light there is will not make a hen lay an egg if she does not have the proper feed from which to manufacture the egg. asserts an authority in Hoard’s Dairyman. The easiest way to light a chicken house is to hang a 15 watt bulb about 12 inches above the mash hop per, turning it on every night be fore dark and off in the morning. Those who do not have electricity may use an ordinary lantern in stead. It takes about two weeks of light ing to show beneficial results. Once lighting is started it should be con tinued until spring; if the lights are discontinued it will throw the birds off production. When a small light is used, the chickens go to sleep at night about the usual time. Later in the night, when their crops are empty, they will get off the roost one or two at a time and get a lunch and a drink. Clean water should be kept near the feed and light where it can easily be found. Selecting New Flock Poultrymen who are selecting their new breeding flock, if they are planning on raising their own baby chicks next spring, says D. D. Moy er, of the Missouri station, should retain only those hens which are healthy. Hens which have laid well certainly should be included. Satis factory future breeders are also in dicated by thoroughly bleached skin in the case of yellow skinned breeds, and an old, dry coat of feathers, a sign of late molting. Pullets to be used should have large, rugged bod ies, well covered with muscle and fat. They should show early sex ual maturity by well developed comb and wattles, and a large, pli able abdomen with flexible pin bones that are spread apart. La Fleche, French Breed The La Fleche is a breed of French origin and, like the Creve coeur, is not very popular in the United States. The general type is somewhat like the Crevecoeur; the plumage color is also solid black. On the other hand, the La Fleche has no crest or beard but has a V-shaped comb which is larger than that of either the Houdan or the Crevecoeur. The standard weights in pounds, are: Cock, 8Vi hen, 7Vi; cockerel, 7Vi; and pullet, 6Vi. __ Trapnesting There is nothing more interesting in the poultry business than trap nesting. All cannot do it because of other duties, but when it is at all possible, every flock should be trap-nested for at least six months of the year. The most important months are in winter. If a hen has proven herself to be a good, con sistent producer, without too long a pause in her laying during the cold months, she will undoubtedly be a profitable layer. Charming Way to Use Cross Stitch Pattern 5740 Even amateurs will have no dif ficulty in turning out this finished looking chair or buffet set—with this easy-to-do pattern. And what compliments they’ll get on this cross-stitched peacock done in all the glory of its natural coloring or in two shades of a color for a more subdued effect. Th# crosses are 10 to-the-inch—the col ors are clearly given in a color chart. With two patterns a hand some scarf could be made. In pattern 5740 you will find a trans fer pattern of a large motif 13 by 16 inches, and two smaller ones 416 by 6 inches; material require ments; color chart and key; illus trations of all stitches used. To obtain this pattern, send 15 cents in stamps or coins (coins preferred) to The Sewing Circle Household Arts Dept. 259 W. Fourteenth St., New York, N. Y. Write plainly your name, ad dress and pattern number. Official State Trees Five states have state trees, bdt only four of them have been officially adopted. The state tree of Rhode Island is the maple; of Illinois, the native oak; of Texas, the pecan; of Indiana, the tulip tree, and of Pennsylvania, the hemlock. The public school chil dren of Rhode Island selected the tree for that state; others listed were chosen by the state legisla ture. Dr. Pierce’s Pleasant Pellets made of May Apple are effective in removing accumulated body waste.—Adv. Steps in Life Think well over your important steps in life; and, having made up your mind, never look behind. —Thomas Hughes. FOR QUICK HEADACHE RELIEF 15c FOR U I FULL DOZEN FOR 2S« Demand and Get Genuine BAYER ASPIRIN AFTER YOU EAT? After you finish a meal can you be sure of regular, successful elimination? Get rid of waste material that causes gas, acidity, headaches. Take Milnesia Wafers for quick, pleasant elimination. 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