The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-06
Tragedy Of a
Third Smoker

Il abominate detective stories" said the
O. c.. laying down his cue along the corner
Of the billiard table and going across to
the shelf where the cigar boxes stood.
. You see when a man makes a detective
story TO write down on paper. he begins
at the butt-end and works backwards. He
notes his points ami manufactures bis
clews to suit en-. so it's all bound to
work out right. In real life it's very diff
ferent'-he chose Partaga, looking at
it through his glasses thoughtfully-"and
I ought to know; I've been studying the
criminal mind for half any working life"
But" said o'Malley. "a defending
counsel is a different class of animal from
the common detective
"Oh, is he?" said the Q. c., 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 luxurious shruggings; then he spoke
on. between whifs at the Partaga.
Now III Just state you case and you'll
/ see for yourself how we sometimes have
/ to ravel out things. The solicitor who put
] the brief in my hands was, as solicitors go.
[ a smart chap He had built up a big busi-
( ness 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
/ must say he made an uneommonly 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 was one of a most cold
blooded nature Hanging would follow con-
! viction as surely as night comes on the
! heels Of day, and a client who gets the
moose given him always damages his eoun-
! sells reputation, whether that counsel de-
/ serves il or not.
"As my brief put il, 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 contrac-
/ tor; the other Walker, was a foreman in
Guides employ. The train took them past
/ the Shepherds Bush and Grove Road Ham
/ mersmith Stations without anything being
| reported; but at SALISBURY Road Walker
/ was found on the floor stone dead, with
wound in the skull, and on the seat OF the
4 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
/ was disheveled and agitated at the time,
| and this made the ticket collector notice
him snecially among the crowd of outgoing
! passengers. After il was found out who
]
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 annoyance OF late,
but she did not know about what. Subse-
Quently-on the Friday. four days later
Guide was arrested at the West India
dock He was trying to obtain employ
ment as coal trimmer on an Australian
steamer, obviously to escape from the
Z
quietly. remarking that he supposed il
was all up with him.
That was the gist Of my case and the
solicitor suggested that l should enter a
plea Of insanity
Now. when I'd conned the evidence
over-additional evidence TO what I've told
you but all tending TO the same end
came to the conclusion that Guide was as
sane as any Of us are and that as a de
fence insanity wouldn't have a leg TO stand
upon The fellow said had much bet
ter enter plea of guilty and let me pile
up a long list of extenuating circum-
stances. A jury will always listen to
those and feeling grateful for being ex
cused long and wearisome trial will rec
ommend to mercy out Of sheer gratitude
! wrote a note to this effect. On its re
eeipt the solicitor came to see me-by the
way, he was Barnes. a man of my own
year at Cambridge.
Ny dear Grayson, said he, I'm not
altogether a fool. ! know well you
do that Guide would have the best chance
II he pleaded guilty; but the difficult part
of Il is that he fatty refuses to do any
such thing. He says he no more killed
this fellow Walker than YOU or I did. I
pointed out 10 him that the man cOuldn't
very conveniently have slain himself as
the wound was well over at the top of his
III
Of most terrific blow. At the p. NJ. Il
was shown that Walkers skull was of alb
normal thickness. and the force required
to drive through it even a heavy. sharp
pointed instrument like the pickax must
have been something tremendous.
d" I tell you, Grayson, l impressed upon
the fellow that the case was as black as
ink against him, and that he'd only irri- !
tate the Jury BY holding out; but I couldn't |
move him. He held doggedly to his tale
he had not killed Andrew Walker
He's not the first man who's stuck TO I
an unlikely lie like that l remarked
&c The curious part OF it is, said Barnes, |
I'm convinced that the man believes him |
self to be telling the absolute truth
Then what explanation has he to Of |
fer?'
None worth listening to- He owns |
that he and Walker had a fierce quarrel |
over nancy matters which eliminated in |
a personal struggle. He knows that he had ,
one blow on the head which dazed him. and |
fancies ne must have had a 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 pickaN. with one OF its !
points Shiny with blood. How il came 20 |
be so he couldn't tell. He picked it UP and /
laid # on a seat Then in an instant the !
thought flashed across him how terribly !
black things looked against himself He |
saw absolutely no chance of disprovine |
them. and with the usual impulse Of crude |
minds resolved at once to quit the country. |
With that idea he got out al the Shafts
bury Road station. and being an ignorant
man and without money made his way
down to the Ratcliff Highway-beg its par
don. St Georges High Street. Using that
as a centre he smelt about the docks at |
I.imehouse and Millwall trying for job /
in the stokehold. but as that neighborhood
is one OF the best watched spots on earth
Il is not a matter for 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.
Z. I never said il would The gist OF this
is down in your brief Grayson. only
ZANE round to chambers because Of your
letter
".Stm. I persisted. you throw out
hint tina, Guide had offered some eXplana-
ton.
- On. yes. but such fimsy improbable
theory that no sane man could entertain 1t =
la.I