Judge — December 1937 — page 24: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

WHO DONE IT? We Furnish the Clues. You Furnish the Murderer 1. Ma Kugel's boarding house has four idle roomers, not in- cluding: her husband, Jake. Two of the roomers are professional Santa Clauses, months in arrears with their rent. The others are Baira Thang, a snake charmer, and her mate, Wahla, ex-strong man. 3. Jake takes a cut on everything the Santas make. “Skinny,” he says, “Stop chiseling in on Fat'’s territory. Keep yer chimneys in your own streets and don’t pass out so many toys.” “We hate you,” they whisper behind his back. “We'll tell about you and Baira.” 5. Wahla, whose heart is in his stomach, loves Ma Kugel; especially when she’s in the kitchen. “I don't ask for doughnuts,” he says, “I ask for love.” Skinny and Fat pipe up: “We saw Jake kiss Baira.”” Wahla, jealous, enraged, stalks from the room. 7. That same night, Fat and Skinny, full of good cheer, pass out the gifts. “And here's a lovely package for you, Jake,” says Fat. “We hope you like it.” Ma receives a sack of potatoes, Baira gets a bushel of mistletoe, and Wahla is given a box of doughnuts, 20 2. “I am throwing out all this darn mistletoe,” Baira tells Ma. “Your husband holds it over my head every time I see him, the fresh thing.” “Oh, he does, does he,” says Ma. “Well I'll mis- tletoe him with a rolling pin!” 4. Suddenly Jake is stricken ‘ill. Skinny and Fat rush him to a doctor. “If this man takes another drop of Xmas cheer,” he cautions, “you can start shopping for a tombstone.” He hands Jake an all day sucker, and sends him home. 6. Early Christmas Eve, Baira walks into her boudoir to find one of her snakes writhing on the floor, poisoned. Its fangs buried in an all day sucker, it dies. “Foul play,” she murmurs. “Me and my cobra, Oscar, shall avenge it. It takes a snake to catch a rat.” 8. Two hours later Jake is discovered dead in his den. On the desk is an empty bottle. The Christmas package, marked “Spirits,” lies open beside him. Oscar the Cobra, higher than a kite, sleeps with its head near a sprig of mistletoe. WHO DONE IT? (Sce page 29) Judge comicbooks.com