Jackson High School - Jacksonian Yearbook (Jackson, CA)

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THE SPIDER MURDER CASE In a small town in West Virginia lived a woman known to her neighbors as Ruby Jones and her young husband, Clyde. Mrs. J ones had come to the little town a few years before, met Clyde, and after a short courtship, had married him. Beautiful, young and always perfectly dressed, usually in black, she was cordially disliked by most of the villagers, who never having been out- side their own limited sphere, were jealous of those who had. Nothing was known of her past life, much to the disappointment of the town gossips who had decided that her past would make pleasant conversation if only some- thing definite could be learned. Even without knowing all they would have liked to about her, Mrs. Jones was often the main topic of discussion. To be sure, nothing shocking had ever been heard concerning her, but she kept to herself a great deal and seemed to hold everything she found in the small town in contempt. Those two facts 'had been conjected upon so often that they had assumed magnanimous proportions and it was agreed that it was too bad that the nice Jones boy had married her. For as the rocking chair guild often reminded each other, no good would come of it.', One day the town was startled by the news that Clyde Jones was found, a short time after luncheon, dying in his office. Doctors were summoned im- mediately by his efficient secretary, but J ones was beyond their help. How the tongues did Wag! Especially after it was found that J ones died of a poison, the name of which was unknown. The usual proceedings were followed by the local police who found that after preparing a light lunch of coffee and rolls, Ruby had taken the 10:25 train for the city, intending to spend the week-end there. She had returned immediately upon hearing of Clyde's death and was apparently so upset at his sudden demise that no satisfactory statement could be obtained from her. Gradually all questioning was dropped and the town forgot the incident and settled back into its usual lethargy. wk wk :nf af as wk Two years later, Ruby remarried, this time a man of whom, like herself, nothing was known. It was not a happy marriage and no one was surprised when, after a few months, they separated. An epidemic of diphtheria lay siege to the town a short time later and Ruby's husband fell a victim to the dread disease. Nurses were not be had at any price, and he asked that Ruby fill the role of one and attend him. She complied with what everyone considered a dying request and had him moved to her own home. Ruby showed an unusual adeptness at nursing and in a short time Arnold was on the road to recovery. Then, apparently having a relapse, he died. No one was especially interested in his death, being too occupied with his own troubles. On the day set for his funeral, a neighbor revealed to the local chief-of-police her belief that Arnoldis death was not from natural causes. Questioning brought forth the following information. She, Addie David, had gone over to Rubyas to borrow a little sugar. The door was open and she could see Ruby, who had apparently not heard her, pouring the con- l25l

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TOY SHOP TRAGEDY All was serene in the Little Toy Shop 'Till the arrival of the new doll, Hi Lung Hop, A wicked Chinaman with a long black queue Who spoke a language that no one knew. Soon everyone in the Little Toy Shop Crew to hate the leering Hi Lung Hop- Once he kicked the stufiings from the Teddy Bear And poured molasses on Raggedy Ann's fiery hair One night when the village clock struck three The toys were full of pranks and glee. Everyone was having such a merry time, When Lung committed his gruesome crimw- With a knife he slashed Miss Muffet's head Which went rolling under the Baby Doll's bed. Then he fought like a mad wolf at bay But the Tin Soldiers got him ere he ran away. Then the enraged toys, right then and there Hanged him on the highest rung of a rocking chair The Spinning Top lent them his rope And said, 'cIt's strong enough I hopef, The coming of dawn warned them to stop For it was the hour to open shop. So they returned again to their usual places And the blank expressions returned to their faces The Toy Shop keeper opened the creaky door And saw Poor Miss Muifet lying on the floor- Well, what has happened here, he said As he picked up the doll's shattered head. The keeper sadly shook his snow-white hair When he saw the Chinaman under the chair. He looked at his toys with piercing eyes But they were quiet and still as mice. What was the cause of this toy shop tragedy? To him it would always remain a mystery For he would never understand The mysterious language of Toyland. A Norma Vincigueria SESSION'S FORD She may not be a limousine, But, gee, I love her thrills, She carries me most any place, And brings me fun-and bills! ' A. M. '34 I241

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tents of a small capsule into a cup of coffee which she then took into the sick man's room. Rather disturbed by the incident, Addie had returned to her own home unnoticed. When she heard of Arnoldis death her suspicions took a more tangible form and she thought it her duty to tell what she knew. Act- ing on her story, a private autopsy was performed on the body. The coroner found that Arnold had died of precisely the same poison as J ones. A special detective was imported from the city at a great expense to the community. He collected what evidence he couldg a half empty bottle of rat poison, and a box of sleeping powders. Armed with these and various theorems arising from them, he cross-questioned Ruby. The latter said that Arnold had not slept well for several days preceding his death and that she had fixed a cup of coffee for him, putting a sleeping powder in it. She used the rat poison for its destined use. Since her story was corroborated by the doctor who had given her the powders, the case against her was dismissed. After this aff air, Ruby was shunned by everyone. Perhaps it was this total isolation that prompted her to marry once again. Her third choice was known as Kelly and was a well-known farmer of the district. Evidently at the request of his new wife Kelly sold his property and the newly-wedded pair settled down in the house Ruby had come to as a bride for the first time. Prompted perhaps by sentimental reasons she had refused to live in the homes provided for her by her second and third husbands al- though the once suburban district where her home was built was no longer as desirable as it once had been. A week after the wedding, Kelly died at the breakfast table. Ruby's ter- rified scream summoned several neighbors who called the police. The man sent in answer to the call was young, new on the force and anxious to win his spurs. He also had theories of his own and after clearing every- one from the kitchen he proceeded to apply them. He carefully observed every detail of the old-fashioned kitchen. The cracked ceiling was rather high and in one corner several black spiders were running back and forth. As he watched, one lost his hold and fell, circling and turning in the air. The young detective followed it with an abstracted eye. The black be-legged in- sect ended his fall in an old coffee grinder. The young man breathed but one word, Eureka! Going quickly to the untouched breakfast table, he picked up the dead man7s empty cup and sniffed at its contents. Then calling in the still assembled neighbors ffor he had a fondness for the dramaticj he asked: Mrs Kelley, do you drink coffee? No, I never do for I dislike itfi was the reply. Did all your husbands drink it? Yes, they were all very fond of itf, Do you grind your own coffee? KAlways. ' A Satisfied, the young man then revealed how the spiders at various intervals had fallen into the old coffee grinder, poisoning the beverage, causing the death of J ones, Arnold, and Kelly. Harvey Vinciguerra and Elsie Thomson. f26l