Blair of the Mounties, a story of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police.
We present episode 16 in Blair of the Mounties, being part two of the Clover Creek mystery.
The little town of Renfield, Saskatchewan is greatly stirred over the drowning of Pete
Sutton.
Our story opens at the close of the inquest in the Coroner's Court.
Mr Foreman of the jury, have you arrived at the verdict?
We have, your honour.
And what is your verdict?
Your honour, we find that the deceased, Peter James Sutton, met his death by accidental
drowning.
Listen here, Sergeant, did you hear that verdict?
Yes, I heard it.
Well, of course, I'm glad in a way.
But didn't you look into things out at Clover Creek?
Well, yes, I put in a whole day out there.
And you mean to say you didn't find anything?
Mr Sutton, I have nothing to say.
See here, Sergeant, I'm going to put in a special request for an inquiry.
Go ahead.
Do whatever you think best.
Why, this is absolutely preposterous.
I never heard of such a thing.
Hello, Marshal.
Did you get through with the inquest?
Yes, it's all over.
What is the verdict?
There could only be one verdict, accidental death.
Fine.
See here, Inspector, you're an old friend of mine and you're my superior officer, of course.
You know very well that man was murdered.
Certainly, Marshal, what of it?
The whole thing is ridiculous.
Clayton, the lawyer for old Pete, is up in the air.
He knows there's something behind this case and he's talking about a special inquiry.
That's going to get us into trouble.
Clayton up in the air, is he?
That's interesting.
I'm glad you find it interesting.
The whole thing is loony to me.
What's going to happen if I'm questioned about the fact of our investigation?
Wait a minute, Marshal.
Not as bad as that.
I take all responsibility for withholding that evidence.
Don't worry.
But he's going to spoil a good case.
You might as well admit it, Inspector.
This old Pete Sutton was killed deliberately by his brother, Fred Sutton.
You can't get away from it.
Marshal, it's time we had an understanding.
I don't want to spoil your case.
Let's go over the facts from the beginning.
Right.
The first report we got was that Pete Sutton had been found drowned in the mill pool at
Clover Creek, apparently through the overturning of his boat while fishing.
Yes.
The place was deserted at the time.
His brother, Fred Sutton, and wife were away at the McDonald Ranch.
Apparently both had an alibi.
They didn't get back home till midnight.
What's next?
Then I make up the report as an accidental fatality.
That was when Clayton, the lawyer, threw a monkey wrench into the accident theory.
Be careful with that, Marshal.
It's very important.
What did he say, as you recall?
Why, he came over here as the legal advisor to the deceased man.
But it is duty to report certain facts to the police.
And what were the facts?
Simply that Pete Sutton had quarreled with his brother, Fred, a few days before the drowning.
Old Pete had given instructions to change his will, cutting his brother out and leaving
close on 80,000 to someone else.
Yes, but the most important thing was that the new will was waiting in Clayton's office
to be signed.
Pete Sutton must have come into town yesterday morning to sign it.
And the night before, he was drowned.
All right.
The whole value of Clayton's statement rested on the fact that the drowning of Pete Sutton
that night made a difference in his brother's favor of $80,000.
What's the answer?
The answer is that we have a first-class murder motive with Fred Sutton as the probable criminal,
isn't it?
Certainly.
So far, you and I are in agreement.
Well, that's something, anyway.
Let's get on, Marshal.
Next thing is that you go out to the Silver Creek Ranch to look for something that might
point to murder.
I stay in town.
Now, tell me what you found at Clover Creek.
It seems rather stupid to be going over these facts again, but of course, it's a necessary
part of investigation.
Well, anyhow, I got to Clover Creek, looked around for a couple of hours without finding
a thing.
Then I began to study that boat that old Pete went fishing in.
Hold on.
You looked at that boat before and found nothing suspicious.
What brought you back to it?
Mrs. Sutton, of course.
Fred Sutton's wife.
She said the boat looked different somehow.
Yes, and what then?
I had the boat out on the bank, turned it upside down.
It was a homemade boat built of rough board.
That's right.
Don't let's miss anything.
Well, I took those cross pieces off the bottom of the boat and found that the board had been
sawn through underneath in such a way that there was a sort of trap door in the forepart
of the boat.
Yes.
Now, let's see if we can form a picture of the actual murder.
Let's assume that I'm the murderer.
Well, I've always said you'd make a first-class murder, Inspector.
I'd have to be for this job.
It's one of the neatest I ever saw.
Anyway, I'm the murderer.
I'm planning to kill old Pete Sutton.
I have that boat fixed, the bottom board sawn through.
I've taken off those cross pieces.
The boat's in the water with the front board loose, but just tight enough to prevent leaking.
It's just about sunset, and old Pete's getting ready to go fishing.
Quite a thrilling situation.
It would be.
Well, old Pete goes down to the little plank jetty with his fishing tackle and steps into
the boat.
Why doesn't he step on those loose boards?
That's easy.
He sits down on the fort in the center of the boat with his feet toward the stern.
That part of the boat is quite safe.
All right.
Then he pushes off and rolls to the middle of the big pool.
He pulls in his oar and gets ready to anchor the boat.
The iron bar he uses for an anchor is in the fore part of the boat.
He steps over the fort to get it, steps on the loose board, and down he goes.
How's that?
That's what happened without a doubt, Inspector.
All right.
Then I come along as the murderer.
Old Pete is drowned, but I have to fix up the boat to make it look like an accident.
Well, you finish the story, Marshal.
All right.
The boat's still floating, but it's nearly submerged.
The loose boards are floating on the surface.
This current carries them all down to the concrete dam at the lower end of the pool.
Yes.
The rest would be easy.
It would only take a few minutes to pull the boat to shore.
Empty out the water, put back those loose boards, and screw the cross pieces into place
so they'd cover the places where the boards were sawn.
There's only one little thing.
What's that?
Wouldn't the joins show inside the boat?
Why, no.
There are cross boards inside, too.
I see.
Well, then the boat would be shoved out again, bottom up, and the whole thing looks like
an accident.
Yes.
That's how it was done, and it was Fred Sutton who did it.
I don't think so, Marshal.
See here, Inspector, that's for the jury to decide.
And anyway, if Fred Sutton didn't do it, who did?
Take it easy, Marshal.
We're coming to that.
I had a talk with Fred Sutton yesterday.
You did?
Yes.
He's a very straightforward sort of chap.
He answered all my questions without any hesitation.
I asked him if he knew about Pete changing his will.
What did he say?
Oh, he knew about it all right.
He said Clayton, the lawyer, tried his best to prevent Pete doing it.
Clayton was out at Clover Creek three nights running before the drowning.
Fred thinks quite a lot of Clayton.
He wouldn't think so much of Clayton if he knew he'd tipped us off about that will.
Oh, but he does now.
I told him.
Good Lord.
What did he say?
Marshal, that fellow is absolutely genuine.
He said it was fair enough and that Clayton was only doing his duty.
Well, I hadn't done.
Suppose you didn't tell him he was under suspicion.
Of course not.
But we talked about that boat.
About the boat?
What did he say?
He was quite sincerely puzzled how it came to turn over.
You see, he built that boat himself.
My good Lord, you mean to say that he admitted that?
Certainly.
Why shouldn't he?
I don't know.
It beats me, Inspector.
We're not getting anywhere.
Unless you turn up something pretty quick, I'll have to arrest Fred Sutton.
How about it?
No, he doesn't fit the part, Marshal.
This murderer was a very smart man and Sutton isn't smart at all.
I think I'll take a walk round town.
Might find something.
But really, sir, this is pretty serious.
Clayton is going to file a complaint.
He'll be here with the sheriff at two o'clock.
You better get back here by then.
Ah, that's a nuisance.
It doesn't give me much time to find a murderer.
Still, I'll do the best I can.
All right, sir.
See you at two o'clock.
Oh, by the way, Marshal.
Yes?
If the sheriff and Clayton arrive before I get back, you can give them all we have on
the case.
What, you mean about the boat being fixed and everything?
Yes, give them the whole thing.
Sergeant, you mean to say you had all this evidence and withheld it at the inquest?
Not about the size of it, Sheriff, but that's ridiculous.
Well, well, good afternoon, Sheriff.
Good afternoon, Inspector.
Howdy.
Hello, Mr. Clayton.
Quite a friendly party.
How's the Sutton case coming along?
You know, see here, Inspector, Mr. Clayton here, he's a figure on filing an application
for inquiry in this here case, and I says to him, let's go down and talk it over with
Inspector Blair.
Very nice of you, I'm sure, George.
Sure, sure.
All has got along fine with the Mounties and I ain't looking for no trouble.
I know.
We're really very nice fellows when you get to know us.
Sure.
I've been in this game for 40 years now.
When I was a young fellow, there weren't nobody in this here country could touch me for handling
criminals.
Ain't that right, Inspector?
I've often heard you say so, George.
Huh?
Well, anyway, that's been a kind of a misunderstanding and we come over here to trash it out.
Mr. Clayton here is acting for Pete Sutton as was drowned and I figure he's entitled
to an explanation.
Yes, you see, Inspector, I can't understand why you withheld that evidence at the inquest.
Wait a minute, Mr. Clayton.
Let me get you into that.
I'm sorry about that inquest, but I wasn't ready to release that information.
There were one or two things that weren't quite clear.
And it is all settled now?
Certainly.
Marshall gave you that evidence about the boat, didn't he?
Yes, I must say it was a clever piece of work.
Well, then, you're ready to go ahead on the murder charge?
Yes, I'm all ready to make the arrest.
Well, in that case, Sheriff, I withdraw that application for inquiry.
Fine.
There you are now.
What to tell you?
Just a minute.
Now, since I've been in misunderstanding, I think we'd better have a little drink just
to show there's no ill feeling, eh?
Sure, sure.
Is anything in that locker, Marshall?
Yes, yes.
Where are those glasses, Inspector?
That's all right.
I've got them here.
You'll take something, Mr. Clayton?
Well, yes, certainly.
Here you are then.
George?
Thank you, Inspector.
All right.
Oh, excuse me, but this glass is rather sticky.
Oh, sorry.
Let me have it.
Another glass, Marshall.
Yes.
Here you are, Mr. Clayton.
Try this one.
Thank you.
Well, Inspector, how's it looking at you?
Good luck.
Good luck, everyone.
He'll see you.
He'll see you.
That's better.
Well, I guess we'll drift along, Mr. Clayton.
You'll look after that matter, Inspector?
Yes, I'll get it worn out right away.
Marshall will see to the arrest.
Good.
Then I'll see you later.
Sure.
Well, did you develop those fingerprints on that sticky glass I gave Clayton?
Yes.
I got two good sets.
Look here, sir.
I don't get this at all.
What do you want Clayton's prints for?
Sit down, Marshall.
Let's be serious for a minute.
What does one ever want fingerprints for?
Just for a check, I suppose.
Yes, just for a check.
Let's go back to that boat.
You remember that second cross piece you took off the bottom of that boat?
Yes.
Well, you were so busy explaining about those sawn boards you found underneath that you never noticed the fingerprints.
Fingerprints?
Good Lord!
Fingerprints on a wet boat?
Yes.
The man who fixed that boat was in a hurry.
His hands were muddy with pulling the boat out of the water.
When he put back that cross piece, he left his prints on the smooth underside, the finest and clearest prints I ever saw.
And I am Mr.
Never mind that.
Here's the photo.
How does it check with those of Clayton on the glass?
Wait a minute.
Ken, what do you know about that?
Why, these are Clayton's prints.
Certainly.
He's your man, Marshall.
But that's impossible.
Nothing's impossible.
Clayton wanted to remove both Pete Sutton and his brother.
He and Mrs. Sutton were in it together.
He gave us the lead about the motive.
She gave you the tip to look at that boat.
If he'd put Fred Sutton away, they'd have got that money.
Well, I'm done.
And I miss those fingerprints.
Never mind that, Marshall.
Here's the warrant.
Go and get Clayton.
All right, sir.
You have heard the sixteenth episode of Blair of the Mounties.
Tune in for the next chapter in this series,
a story of dope smuggling in British Columbia.