Evening star., 1898-11-05
The Strike in the Third Smoker.

ner of the billiard table and going across
TO the shelf where the cigar boxes stood
You see wien a makes a cetectlVe
story to write down paper, he begins
at the butt-end and works backward. He
notes his poir.ts and manufactures his
clews to suit EN-, so it's all bound TO work
out right. In real life it's very different
he chose a Partaga. looking at it through
his glasses tboughtfully-"and 1 ought to
know; I've been studying the criminal mind
for half my working life
But" said OMalley, "a defending coun-
sci is a different class of animal to the
common detective"
80. is he?" said the @. G.; that's all you
know about it, He dragged one of the
big chairs up into the deep chimney corner
and settled himself in it, after many INK
urious shruggings; then he spoke on, be-
between whiffs at the Partaga.
Now Ill just state you a case and
you'll see for yourselves how We some
times have to ravel out things. The So
licitor who put the brief in my hands was
solicitors go, smart chap. He had
built mp a big business out of nothing, but
criminal work was slightly out of his line.
He had only taken up this case to oblige
an old client. and l must say he made an
uncommonly poor show of it. / never had
such a thin brief given me in my life.
THE prisoner was to be tried on the
capital charge; and if murder really had
been committed. it one of most cold
blooded nature. Hanging would follow
conviction surely 5 night comes on the
heels of day: and client who gets the
moose given him always damages his coun-
sel'S reputation, whether that counsel de-
serves il or not.
"As my brief put it, the case fined down
to this:
Two men got into an empty third-class
smoking compartment at Addison road
One of them. Guide. was a drain con-
tractor; the other, Walker. was fore
man in Guides employ. The train took
them past the Shepard's Bush ana Grove
Road Hammersmith stations without any
thing being reported, but at Shaftesbury
road Walker was found on the floor, stone
dead. with wound in the skull. and on
the seat of the carriage was small
miners pickax with one of its points
smeared with blood.
1T was proved that Guide had been seen
to leave the SALISBURY road station He
dlSheveled and agitated at the time,
and this made the ticket collector notice
him srecially among the crowd Of out
going passengers. After it was found out
who he was inquiries were made at his
home. His wife stated that she had not
seen him since Monday-the morning of
Walkers death She also let out that
Walker had been causing him some annoy
Rnce of late but she did not know about
what Subsequently-on the Friday. four
days later-Guide was arrested in the West
India dock. He was trying to obtain en-
ploy coal trimmer on an Australian
steamer. obviously to escape from the
country on being charged, he Surren-
dered quietly. remarking that he supposed
1t was all up with him.
That was the gist of my case and the
solicitor suggested that l should enter
plea of insanity
Now. when Id conned the evidence over
additional evidence to what I've told
you, but all tending to the same end-l
came to the conclusion that Guide was
as sane as any of us are, and that. as a
defense. insanity wouldn't have leg to
stand upon. The fellow | said, had much
better enter a plea of guilty and let me
pile up long list of extenuating circum-
sta noes A jury will always listen u those
and. feeling grateful for being excused
long and wearisome trial recommend TO
mercy out of sheer gratitude / wrote a
note to this effect. On its receipt a solic-
itor came to see me-by the way, he was
Barnes. man Of my own year ar Cam
bridge.
My dear Grayson' said he, I'm not
altogether a fool. / know well as you
do that Guide would have the best chance
if he pleaded guilty. but the difficult part
Of it is that he fatty refuses to do any
such thing. He says he no more Killed
this fellow Walker than you or l did.
pointed out to him that the man couldn Z
very conveniently have slain himself as the
wound was well over at the top of his
head and had obviously been the result of
a most terrific blow. AT the p m IL was
shown that Walkers skull was of abnormal
thickness. and the force required to drive
through ii even a heavy. sharp-pointed in
strument like the pickax, must have been
something tremendous.
- L tell you. Grayson, I impressed upon
the fellow that the case was as black as
ink gainst him and that he'd only irritate
the jury by holding out; but l couldn't
move him. He held doggedy to his tale
he had not killed Andrew Walker
He's not the first who's stuck to
unlikely lie like that i remarked.
- The curious part of it is said Barnes,
IaIfA
self to be telling the absolute truth
Then what explanation has he to offer?'
None worth listening to. He owns that
he and Walker had a fierce quarrel over
money matters. which eliminated in per-
sonal struggle He knows that he had one
blow on the head which dazed him, and
fancies that he must have had second,
which reduced him to Inconsistencies.
When next he knew what was happening
he saw Walker lying on the floor. stone
dead, though he was still warm and supple
On the floor was the pickax. with one of
It's points Shiny with blood. How 1t came
to be so he couldn't tell. He picked II up
and laid IT on seat. Then in an instant
the thought flashed across him how terri
bly, black things looked against himself.
He saw absolutely no chance of disprov-
ing them. and with the usual impulse of
crude minds resolved al once to quit the
country. With that idea he got out at the
Shaftesbury road station, and being an ig-
norant man and without money made his
way down TO the Radcliffe highway-beg
It's pardon, St Georges high street. Using
that as a center, he smelt about the docks
at Limehouse and MillwaN trying for a
job In the stokehold: but as that neighbor-
hood is one of the best-watchcd spots on
earth 1t Is not matter of surprise that he
was very soon captured. That's about all
can tell you
I'm afraid It doesn't tighten matters
up very much
never said 1t would. The gist of this
Is down in your brief, Grayson | only
came round to chambers because of your
letter
STILL 1 persisted. you throw out a hint
that Guide had offered some explanation
oh. yes, but such a fmsy improbable
theory that no sane man could entertain il
Tor minute In fact. he knew II TO be alb
surd himself. After pressing him again and
again to suggest how Walker could have
been killed with the view of extorting a
confesstoul he said, In his slow. heavy way.
why, suppose, Mr.. Barnes some one else
must ha' done it, Don't you think as a
man could ha' got into the carriage whilst
was lying there stupid and hit Walker
with the pick and got out again afore /
come to? Would that do sir?'