Stratford Central Secondary School - Collegian Yearbook (Stratford, Ontario Canada)

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COLLEGIAN, 1930 FIRST PRIZE JUNIOR S7013 Y THE RITCHIE MURDER By Donald Temple Brr-rr-rr, brr-rr-rrr, rang the telephone at the desk of Percy Sloane, the detective. Sloane stretched out a fat, chubby hand and picked up the phone with a grimace, for it had been singing constantly all day. Hello, he said sleepily, but suddenly he sat upright. I'll be right there. he cried, clamp- ing down the receiver. Old John Ritchie, the globe-trotter, has been killed, he told his secretary, and l'm going over. 'Look after any more calls, he added, as he Went out into the rainy, cold day. Percy Sloane was a rather short, rotund man with cherubic face. His good-natured features belied his pro- fession. I-le was clothed in the height of fashion. ln fact he was exactly the opposite of what you would pic- ture as the great Canadian crimin- ologist. Sloane was received by the butler at the house of the late John V. Rit- chie, and shown into the waiting room. The walls of this room were covered with pictures by great mas- ters. The detective was admiring a portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds when he heard a man descending the great stairway. l-le turned a- round and faced a young man who introduced himself as Cyril Dur keley, nephew of the deceased. When these formalities were over Sloane was ushered into the library, where the murder, if murder it was, had been committed. This was a large, oppressive room, lined on three sides with bookcases On the side facing the door was a great open fireplace, in which was a fire, for it was late October. On either side of and above this were hanging Weapons and relics, which the explorer had picked up in his travels. Facing the fireplace was a large chesterfleld, and on each side of this was an easy chair. The body was lying between the chesterfield and the fireplace on a bearskin rug. it was lying face downwards and from between the shoulders protrud- ed the handle of a dagger. Has the coroner been here? asked Sloane. No, said Dunkeley, but I have called him. A sharp knock at the door was followed by the coroner. He ex- amined the body and said, lt looks like murder all right. Considering the position of the knife, suicide would have been impossible. Does anyone recognize this? inquired Sloane, pointing to the dag- ger, turning to the servants and Dun- keley, who were standing watching him. nl have often seen it on the table behind the chesterfieldf' ventured the maid, uwhen l have been dust- ing. Yes, uncle picked it up in Sicily, said Dunkeley. Ult is a stillettof' H'mm, murmured the detect- ive. ul-las anyone been to the house to-day? he asked. UOnly the tradesmenf' said the butler. l have been here all day. Who discovered the body? asked Sloane. 'il did, said the butler, and im- mediately called Mr. Dunkeley, who was upstairs. What did you do? he asked Dunkeley. 'il called the coroner and then you, was the reply. Sloane walked over to the body, saying, Guess it's up to the sleuth to look for clues. I-le examined the handle of the knife for fingerprints, but found it clean. He ordered everyone out 15 6-

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COLLEGIAN, 1930 Shiloh's eyes closed to mere slits as he replied: Who, he repeated, has strength to slay thirty men at once? What lsraelite would dare in the sight of Ashkelton to slay thirty of our noblest Philistines? There is but one . . H Samson, Delilah Whispered- You are very clever, Delilah, Shiloh applauded. l-le came closer, Are you going to let such a deed remain unavenged? Are you going to let this dog mock you? By Dagon! the disgrace he inflicted on your fa- ther's name, even on you-. The time has come to end his terrible slaughter of our people. Three thou- sand Philistines, he has slain and heaped indignities upon, even worse than your father's. For five years he has ruined our vineyards, our corn- fields, and our olive-orchards. Deli- lah, in your hands lies the means of your people's-revenge. The slaugh- tered Philistines are appealing to you, and great are you in Dagon's favour, for to you he has given the sweetness of revenge. But that is not all. Eleven hundred pieces of silver will Eshtaol and the lords give you for the deed. It will give you luxury for life, Delilah. You shall live in Gaza like a princess. After Shiloh's vehement tirade he stood silent, motionless, watching the conflicting emotions in Delilah's face. To his satisfaction, the do- minating one was a bitter hate, and in her compressed lips and clenched hands he read a deep determination. l-le cared not for the maiden's disil- lusionment, for the interruption of her happiness which he had caused. It mattered not to him how heavy the blow. His only aim was to gain his end, and he had succeeded. De- lilah finally turned to him and asked in a low, set voice: Just what is the deed I must do? Shiloh grinned. Delilah, you are a true Philistine and your father's daughter. With you we cannot fail. There is some secret wherein this lsraelite's great strength lies. You are his wife. From you he should have no secrets. Plead with him, and find out by what means we can overcome him, and put him in chains. If you find out, come to me. l too wish to avenge my fellow comrades. There is no doubt you can succeed. Three thousand Philis- tines urge you on. Dagon guards you, and there awaits your success eleven hundred pieces of silver. Then he turned on his heel and de- parted. Delilah's bitterness was very deep against Samson. He was away in a neighbouring valley at the home of his parents in Zorah, and would not return until the following evening. All that day and the next she turn- ed the facts over in her numbed brain, bewildered by the shock of sudden discovery. Her love was buried deep under an overwhelming hate for the man who had deceived her and made a fool of her. She did not take into account the fact that Samson probably had no idea who his victims were, or that he had mur- dered his wife's father. Indeed this was quite true. When Samson returned he won- dered at Delilah's strange silence and lifeless manner and questioned her, but she made no satisfactory answer. Instead she seemed to become more remote. But the next day she was her old self. She laughed, sang, talked, questioned him on his trip and told him things that had hap- pened in his absence. It would have taken a much keener observer than Samson to notice anything forced in her manner. But suddely she sur- prised him by asking him why he was so strong. He looked startled. Delilah, it is strange that you who were never curious should so question me. Wherefore do you ask? They laugh at me down in thr village, Delilah cried. They say that I am nothing to you, that you are mocking me. I don't know any- CContinued on page 829 -55-

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COLLEGIAN, I9 30 of the room and began his search. After an hour's examination by a trained man, a room is pretty well searched. Sloane found nothing un- usual. I-Ie left the room and re- turned with Dunkeley. I-Iow has your uncle been acting lately? asked Sloane. Since his return from Italy he has seemed worried. I never mentioned the matter to him. By the way, Uncle John received a letter the oth- er day from Sicily. Carson, the but- ler, brought the letters to me, as I was secretary to uncle. I noticed one letter, which was written in a Europ- ean hand. When uncle saw this let- ter he ordered we out of the room. Since then I have seen very little of him and when I did see him he was always very worn-looking. You have not seen the letter? asked Sloane. No, said Dunkeley, but I imagine it will be in his strong-box, as he never destroyed a letter of any importance, and I feel sure this one was important. I-Iis strong-box is in a wall safe behind those book- cases. Sloane walked over to the book- cases. Dunkeley came over and swung open one row of books, re- vealing a small safe. This was un- locked. Sloane took out a small iron box. I-Ie opened it and every- thing seemed in order. The second letter was written in Italian. Apparently the murderer was not after this, he remarked. Sloane had a slight knowledge of Italian. The letter was brief, but concise: You say you do not re- pent, then I will kill you. The detective folded the letter, put it in his pocket, and replaced the strong-box. All through? asked Dunkeley. HI have ordered a room to be made ready for you. Then I believe I will have head- quarters send a couple of policemen and then I'll be able to retire to my room and think this over. The following morning Sloane interviewed Carson. You say only the tradesmen were here? asked the detective. I Yes, sir, replied the butler. Were any of them out of your sight at any time? No, began Carson, then: Oh, yes, the Italian fruit man came and I did not have the change. I had to go upstairs to get the money from IVIr. Dunkeleyf' HDuring this time he could have slipped into the library, committed the murder, and returned to the kitchenfi Yes, I suppose he could have. Did the man seem uneasy when you returned. Yes, sir. 'iwhere do you spend most of the day? In the kitchen, sir. Was IVIr. Dunkeley upstairs all day? Yes, sir. fSIoane left the house., That afternoon two policemen came to the Ritchie house with war- rants to arrest Dunkeley. I-Ie was brought to SIoane's office. Are you willing to confess? Sloane asked him. Uconfess what? asked Dun- keley, blandly. To the murder of your uncle, of course. At first the man denied having anything to do with the crime but after a grilling third degree, he broke down. I-Iow in the world did you ever think to arrest Dunkeley in the Ritchie case? asked Billy Blake, a friend and admirer of Sloane, some days after the trial of Dunkeley who was found guilty. Well, in the first place, that let- ter, as was shown at the trial was written by Dunkeleyf' began Sloane, but suddenly he broke off, but you heard all I can tell at the trial. I missed the trial, worse luck, said Blake gloomily. That's why I want you to tell me all about it. Well, then, as I said before Dun- 15 7...