saw the cards had been flung to the floor;
a sure sign of rising tempers. The table
was littered was poker chips and there were
two half empty glasses.

The sheriff was still examining the scene
when Albert Rude appeared.

“T rushed the salesman to the hospital,”
he said to the sheriff. “He died soon after

he got there. You know who I mean, Fred
Smith, the seed salesman.”

— Ripke nodded. Rude and others were
now telling him what had happended after
‘Mr. and Mrs. Haldorson were shot. Van
had gone across the yard to the dance hall.
The people there were terrified. They fled
in a panic. One woman, too frightened to
move, remained there. Van approached her,
his rifle ready. She prepared for death
sudden and violent. Then, to her surprise,
he sat down on a seat and pulled her down
beside him. His voice was soft and calm
when he said, “They'll be after me with
dogs for this. I've got to get out of here.”

He then left the woman. Going out into
the night he fired a few shots and that was
the last she saw of him.

Ripke wasn’t satisfied with Livingston’s
explanation of how he happened to drive

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Van away from the murder scene. Accord-
ing to witnesses, Wan had stayed around
there for some time after the killings. The
sheriff went to Livingstone again and be-
gan to question him more closely.

The station agent’s story was clear and
concise. After the killing, Van had gone
to his own cabin to change his clothes and
prepare for flight. He had been in the
habit of leaving the key to his cabin at Guy
White’s store. He made no attempt to get
the key but tried to break the lock on his
door with the barrel of his rifle. He failed.
He then made another effort and broke
the stock of his rifle. He flung it to the
ground and walked back to Olney. He
forced White, whom he aroused, to return
with him and open the cabin. Here he
changed to bush clothes and packed a supply
of food. He selected his weapon with the
utmost care, a 30-40 long range rifle. He
had only a few cartridges for the gun. He
recalled that Charlie Swaney, a rancher,
had a 30-40. He drove off at a mad clip
towards Swaney’s place. He missed the
road. His Ford car piled up on a big
boulder. Then he went after Otto Liv

B. C. POLICE TRAINING SCHOOL, VICTORIA

CLASS No. 5, MARCH-APRIL, 1942

Ce oe ET

A Work Out on The Pistol Range.

Long-distance Telephone via Duncan

RIVERSIDE INN

Licensed Parlour

Where Personal Services Make
Your Stay Enjoyable

A Good Place to Fish All Year ’Round

M. Berti, Proprietor

ingston and forced him to drive him out
to Swaney’s ranch.

The rancher, who had heard of the
shootings, said that he had only a few
cartridges for his rifle. Van refused to
accept this. He insisted that he knew there
were more shells. Swaney had no option
but to obey. Van was acting mean and
it was evident that he wouldn't hesitate
to shoot if he was crossed. Swaney gave
him all of the cartridges he had in the
house, more than a full box. It was then
that Van returned to Olney and ran into
the sheriff.

That was Livingston’s story and it gave
Ripke a clear understanding of Van's
character. It was apparent that the killer
was cool and resourceful. He had not
hesitated to use these traits in an emergency.
Other killers usually fled headlong without
making any preparations. Not so Van.
He knew what he was doing and where
he was going.

Undersheriff Adams, who knew Van,
concurred in Ripke’s conclusions. He re-
called an incident when Van was prepared

SID’S STORES

Dry Goods, Groceries and
Confectionery
t)

Lake Cowichan, B.C.

e
Gordon Stores Ltd.
General Merchants

Youbou, B.C.

Compliments of

Industrial Timber Mills Ltd.

— TRADE— 44] &]

LOGGING OPERATIONS AND SAWMILL

YOUBOU (on Cowichan Lake, Vancouver Island)

Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island, B. C.

SUMMER EDITION

Page Twenty-three

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