Elkhart High School - Pennant Yearbook (Elkhart, IN)

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just after a dance the host and hostess, Xlr. and Mrs. Edwin Entanow, had gone to one side of the room, where they sat down on one of the luxurious settees. Only a few moments after they had seated themselves, and as several of their friends were coming to them to extend greetings, Mr. Entanow was seen suddenly to straighten up-a look of pain crossed his face-then he slowly sank back. His fl'1.C'lI!iS, looking rloscr, .saw blood fI0'2L'illg' down thc front of his waistcoat. His wife, feeling the movement of her husband, as he half rose up in his seat, and then slowly sank back, turned her gaze toward him. She -emitted one low cry and then she, too, sank back beside her husband. The little man in gray, as he told me. took charge of affairs, and when he learned upon examination that Mr. Entanow's beautiful wife had only fainted, but that her husband was dead, he had her taken to her apartments. Then he had given orders that Nr. Entanow nmst not be moved and that everyone should be as careful as possible. Then he had called me. lVhen Mrs. Entanow recovered and learned what action had been taken, she seemed to approve. I at once started upstairs to interview her. As I preferred to walk up, I passed through the ballroom leaving it by the smaller entrance. The staircase, located in a large corridor, was situated opposite the door joining' the corridor with the ballroom. As I stepped on the first landing, I was astonished to see that a strip of the ballroom, at the end of which was Mr. Entanow's body. was visible to mel The sig- nificance of this was at once apparent to me, but I never dreamed of the second link, which attached itself to the chain of clues at the next instant. For, as I stepped forward, my foot turned on a small, round object, which proved to be an empty 32-calibre sh-ell! After a further search, which, however, availed nothing, I carried out my original intention of interviewing the victim's wife. At this interview, I learned that Mr. Entanow had only recently removed to New York from Boston: that his business had been the cause of his removal: that, since he was only twenty-four and his wife twenty, he had also desired to enjoy the more exclusive society of the larger city: that he was a millionaire many times over: that he had no enemies, but that his best friend had been his rival for the hand of Madeleine Transby, now Mrs. Entanow. How could I catch a criminal from this meager information? After this interview, I again descend-ed to the first Hoor, where I sought someone, who had seen the stairway at the time of the murder. Twenty-one

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i Clflffiisfa The Murder of Edwin Entanow By Kieth Seele, june, '16. I. T was just twenty minutes before eleven, when my telephone bell rang vigorously, and taking down the receiver, I took part in the following conversation: 'Is this Mr. Ferris? Yes. 'This is Hotel Leland. Edwin Entanow has just been murdered at the reception. You know he is- All right, I broke in, I'll be there at once. See that nothing is movecff' I at once taxied to the hotel. eager to take up this case. In all my years of detective work, my most interesting cases had been those in which the vicitims had been society people-those who, apparently, had no enemies. Thousands of dollars must have been expended for the decora- tions of the beautiful ballroom of the hotel. The contrasting color scheme of white and gold was effectively brought out by the skillful arrangement of thousands of golden orchids and pure white lilies. These Howers entirely covered the vaulted ceiling of the room and the immense chandeliers and exquisite pieces of alabaster statuary were artistically arranged along the sides of the room-alabaster so pure as to be almost transparent. As I -entered the great room, I noticed that there were two en- trancesf-the grand marble one. in which I was now standing, and another smaller one-also of marble-at the other end. .VX little man in gray stepped up to me. I called you,' he said. Th-en he told me the story of the tragedy. Twenty

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The result of this information led to another interview Hllfl after an hour's busy action the coroner's inquest was held. just before the jury was to consider a verdict, I made my way through the crowd, seized a tall, blonde, young man by the right hand, and in an instant had the handcuffs fastened on his wrists. I led him forward and said to the jury: 'AThis is the man, who killed Edwin Entaitow. His name is Jerald Herrington, and his motive was revenge and jealousy. VVhen called upon to explain, I stated the following facts learned from my investigations: ' XVhen I saw that Mr. Edwin Entanow's body was visible from the stairway and knew that hve had been shot just a few moments after he sat down in that place, I knew that the murderer had stood on that platform, when he did the deed. The empty shell was only further evidence of the fact. f'Among other things, I learned from Mrs. Entanow that her hus- band had had a rival for her hand, and that he had seemed to be in great favor until Mr. Entanow appeared. Furthermore, I learned that, when the couple had come to New York, Herrington's business suddenly called him to the same place, and he had taken a suite of rooms in the same hotel! To be close to friends in a strange place, he had said. At once I became suspicious. A boy who had been near the staircase, when he heard the cry of the victim's wife, told me that he clearly remembered seeing two women on the staircase at that time, and that both were descending. I at once inquired for thvese women, but strange to say, I could only find one of them. '?From her I discovered that as she was coming down, she saw a heavily veiled, young-looking woman coming up. This woman hesi- tated a moment on that first landing. Then she came on. XV hen they passed she noticed that the stranger wore a high necked and long sleeved gown, the only one of the sort in that great throng! I knew at once that this woman was a man in disguise. and that he had shot Mr. Entanow. Now. I was told that the victim had had no enemies. but when I was informed that Mr. Entanow had had a rival in love, and that this rival had followed them to New York, I felt that little remained to be solved. So when Mr. Herrington obtained permission of Mrs. Entanow to sit by her husband's body-a thing which would seem very natural, under the supposed circumstances-I gained access to his room, where I found a package-wrapped ready for mailing, ad- Twenty-two