Brain Teasers
The Case of the Dead Boxer
Tony Jack's worldly possessions were laid out on a small table in police headquarters. They consisted of a T-shirt, sneakers, and white cotton trousers. In a pocket of the trousers was a card, which read:
"July 28. Your weight, 173 lbs. Your fortune, You will enjoy a long life."
"His life lasted 22 years," Inspector Hobbs told Dr. Hall. "Late last night," he continued, "we got a call to come to the carnival. Somebody had started up a Ferris wheel. We found a male corpse jack-knifed over a strut. Glancing at the man's battered face, I thought he had been beaten. Then I recognized Tony.
"Last night Tony fought 'Killer Malone' for the state middleweight title," he continued. "Tony took a pounding. We know he left the arena still pretty dazed. He must have come out to the carnival. He used to be a roustabout, and he knew his way around.
"It looks like he got here after closing," said the inspector, "used the scale, and then started up the big wheel. He took a ride and fell out. The medical examiner says he died instantly."
Dr Hall, the famed criminologist, contemplated Tony's possessions.
"He might have been killed elsewhere and hung on the strut," said Hall. "I heard rumors of a fix in the Malone fight.
"It looks to me like Tony refused to take a dive and the mob made him pay the full price. The killers apparently did a clumsy job. To avoid giving themselves away, they changed his clothes and staged the scene out at the Ferris wheel."
How did Hall know?
"July 28. Your weight, 173 lbs. Your fortune, You will enjoy a long life."
"His life lasted 22 years," Inspector Hobbs told Dr. Hall. "Late last night," he continued, "we got a call to come to the carnival. Somebody had started up a Ferris wheel. We found a male corpse jack-knifed over a strut. Glancing at the man's battered face, I thought he had been beaten. Then I recognized Tony.
"Last night Tony fought 'Killer Malone' for the state middleweight title," he continued. "Tony took a pounding. We know he left the arena still pretty dazed. He must have come out to the carnival. He used to be a roustabout, and he knew his way around.
"It looks like he got here after closing," said the inspector, "used the scale, and then started up the big wheel. He took a ride and fell out. The medical examiner says he died instantly."
Dr Hall, the famed criminologist, contemplated Tony's possessions.
"He might have been killed elsewhere and hung on the strut," said Hall. "I heard rumors of a fix in the Malone fight.
"It looks to me like Tony refused to take a dive and the mob made him pay the full price. The killers apparently did a clumsy job. To avoid giving themselves away, they changed his clothes and staged the scene out at the Ferris wheel."
How did Hall know?
Hint
Reread the first paragraph.Answer
Tony fought on the night of his death for the middleweight, one hundred and sixty pounds. When found, he had on someone else's clothing, for the card in his pocket gave his body weight as an impossible "173 lbs." Tony could not have gained 13 pounds in just a few hours.Hide Hint Show Hint Hide Answer Show Answer
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