Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-09-09
CHAPTER XII.

over. HencefOrth was re-
garded as a decided factor In
this case-a case which from
this time on assumed another aspect
both at headquarters and in the minds
Of people at large. The reporters,
whom we had hitherto managed to
hold In check, now overlooked both the
coroner's office and police headquar-
tiers. and articles appeared in all the
daily papers with just enough sugges-
ton in them to fire the public mind and
make me. for one, anticipate an imme-
date word from Mr. jeffrey calculated
to establish the alibi he had failed to
make out on the day we talked with
him. But no such word came. His
memory still played him false, and no
alternative was left but to pursue the
official inquiry in the line suggested by
the interview just recounted.
No proceeding in which I had ever
been engaged interested me as did this
inquest. In the first place. the spec
tators were Of very different charac-
ter from the ordinary. AS l wormed
myself along to the seat accorded to
such witnesses as myself I brushed by
men Of the very highest station and a
few Of the lowest and bent my head
more than once In response to the In
Quiring gaze Of some fashionable lady
who never before, warrant, had found
herself In such a scene. BY the time
reached my place all the others were
seated, and the coroner raped for or
der.
I was first to take the stand. What
I said has already been fully amplifed
in the foregoing pages. OF course. my
evidence was confined to facts. but
some Of these facts were new to most
of the persons there. 1t was evident
that a considerable effect was pro-
duced by them, not only on the specta-
tors, but upon the witnesses them
selves. For instance, 1t was the first
time that the marks on the mantelshelf
had been heard Of outside the majors
office or the story so told as to make 1t
evident that Mrs. jeffrey could not
have been alone in the house at the
time Of her death.
A photograph had been taken of those
marks. and my Identification Of this
photograph closed my testimony.
AS I returned to my seat l stole a
look toward a certain corner where,
with face bent down upon his hand,
Francis jeffrey sat between Uncle Da-
vid and the heavily yelled figure of
Miss futile.
was followed by the other detec-
tives who had been present at the
time and who corroborated my state
ment as to the appearance Of this un-
happy woman and the way the pistol
had been tied to her arm. Then the
doctor who had acted under the coro-
ner was called. After a long and no
doubt learned description OF the bullet
wound which had ended the life Of this
unhappy lady-a wound which he in
sisted, with a marked display Of learn
ing, must have made that end instan-
taneous or at least too immediate for
her to move foot or hand after 1.-THE
was asked II the body showed any
other mark Of violence.
To this he replied:
There was a minute wound at the
base Of one Of her fingers, the one
which is popularity called the wedding
finger"
This statement made all the women
present stare with renewed interest;
nor was 1t altogether without point for
the men. especially when the doctor
went on to say:
"The hands were entirely without
rings. AS Mrs. Jeffrey had been mar.
ried with a ring. l noticed their alb
sence"
WAS this wound which you charac-
terlze as minute recent one?'
1T had bled n little. 1t was an abra.
sion such as would be made If the ring
she'usually Wore there had been drawn
off with jerk. That was the impress.
Sion i received from its appearance.
do not state that 1t was so made"
A little thrill which went over the
audience at the picture this evoked
communicated itself to Miss futile
who trembled violently. 1t even pro.
duced slight display Of emotion In
Mr.. Jeffrey, whose hand shook where
he pressed 1t against his forehead. Blu.
neither uttered a sound nor looked up
when the next witness was summoned
This witness proved to be Loretta
who, on hearing her name called
evinced great reluctance to come for
ward. After. the coroner had elected