Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-26
CHAPTER v.
Counsel for the Defense.

When I opened the office door twenty
minutes later 1 was surprised to find Cod
frey just within in close conference with
Mr.. Royce.
Here he isl" he cried. NO. no; don't
take off your coat; don't even take off your
hat! Come along; it's a mighty close thing
now" and he caught me by the arm.
It's all right, Lester" said our junior
seeing my astonished countenance. Mr..
Godfrey will explain ON the way OUT
That was enough; I needed no second
bidding. and ran after Godfrey to the eleva-
tor. At the curb a cab was waiting, and We
jumped into it.
James Slip" called Godfrey, and in an
instant were off.
The driver seemed to realize the need of
haste, for We bumped over the paving
stones at a prodgious rate. threading the
dirty streets of the Italian and Jewish
quarters, and finally pulling up with whirl
in the shadow of Brooklyn bridge.
Come on' cried Godfrey, and we cross
ed the ferry house at a jump, slammed our
tickets into the chopper and sprang aboard
the boat just as 1t was casting loose
THAT a close shave said Godfrey,
sinking into the nearest seat and taking off
his hat.
l sat down beside him and mopped away
the Precipitation. / had need of all my
breath for Il moment. but at last l managed
to blurt out a question.
What's it all about?'
We'll" began Godfrey, putting on his
hat again and looking at me with quiZZl-
cal smile, 'in the first place, the eminent
and widely known firm of Graham d Royce
has been engaged to defend one John Toll
bert Drysdale, now under arrest charged
with murder and robbery. You are on your
way to Babylon, Long Island, to look over
the ground. have talk with your Client
and get the case ready"
So" I nodded; yes, I read of the case
IN nj OIL But MIR DrySdaIe
has never l think, been client OF ours
How did he happen to choose US
He didn't; l chose you. wanted nm
to have the best in the market
Thanks l said. coloring little. But
how did the office come to take the case!
We're always rather shy of criminal cases.
you know ,..s
Yes, I know you are. But chlhheo
your junior a bit o,
That explains IT." said. laughing. "Of
course we'll do our best for him
conviction. Il was al Boston yesterday, or
I'd have gone down to Babylon at once ana
taken you with me-.
"Then I shouldn't have got to say good
bye to Cecily.
.oro CecjIv-Tremaine' sweetheart. you
know. He shipped her back to Martinique
this morning. ~
''Oh, did he?" and my companion eyes
narrowed suddenly why was that?'
| related briefly the incidents of the pre-
cedine evening and of the morning.
Godfrey" l added impulsively, III you
knew Tremane personally, l think you
realize what a poor case we've got against
him WHY it's no case at all! Theoriz-
jng's all very well, but what jury wants
is evidence-plain, straight-out, direct eVi-
dence, and we haven't enough OF 'hat 10
build a cobweb. I thought I'd found some
Yesterday afternoon. but 1t was all the Ell
feet of self-nduced hypnosis and told
him of nv visit to Sing Sing.
He listened with intent face.
I'm not so sure 1t was hypnosis. he
said, when l had finished Al least. II
have a look at those photographs myself
before I accept that theory. In fact
rather think it's Tremaine who has hyp-
Noticed you. not l..
II don't believe he's guilty 1 repeated.
'Then who is?"
"CeciIvT' | said bluntly. 81 believe she's
the one who killed Thompson anyway.
where's your evidence|
Il haven't any" said helplessly; only
a kind of intuition
well, I've the same kind OF intuition II
was Tremaine"
Tut we haven't any evidence against
him. either; not shred of real. direct, con-
vincing evidence.
Perhaps not" he agreed but we re
going to get it-enough to convict MN anu
some to spare.
Convict him of WHAT?
'Of two murders and one robbery"
Then you believe he's implicated in this
Edgemere AFFAIR."?
I'm sure of it.
But there isn't shred of evidence
against him" l protested again. coming
back to my old objection; really Godfrey
was allowing his prejudices to carry him
too far.
Not a shred apparently, he assented
readily.
wen. then, how
Here's the landing" he interrupted.
1--WE can talk it over on the train
We left the boat and fastened across TO
the station The train was waiting the
word to start, and was in motion moment
after stepped aboard. There We're not
many passengers for the morning travel
is toward the city not from 1t; and we had
no difficulty in finding a seat where we
could talk without fear of being overheard.
Now" began Godfrey "as you say. there
isn't a shred of evidence. apparently,
against Tremane. How about your cllentf'
Against Drysdale," l answered, the evil
dence seems to be unusually complete
'.You might have used stronger phrase
It's not only complete, it's consummately
perfect Not link is missing. He was on
the spot; his revolver is found near by with
blood on It, a button from his coat is in the
dead mans hand; when he returns to the
house he is visibly disturbed; at the moment
of his arrest he was preparing TO escape; ne
refuses to explain where he was at the
time the crime was committed; he's in
volved in steel speculation and presumably
needs ready money
'Well?'
We'll" said Godfrey earnestly, that very
perfection is its greatest weakness. It's too
perfect Any o9e of those things might
have happened; perhaps any two of them;
but that they should all have happened
outrages the law of probabilities. That
every link of the chain is complete means
that it has been artificially produced like
stage storm, where the lightning flashes
at Just the right instant. The fellow who
arranged il wanted to be too sure-he over
leaped himself"
THAT may all be true" ] said slowly,
after a moment, but it would be worse
than folly to use that argument with
jury To say that a man isn't guilty be-
cause the evidence against him appears to
be conclusive
Were not going to use it to a jury
we're using 1t between ourselves, in the
effort to find working hypothesis. And
here's another argument which would carry
no weight with jury, yet which with mo,
personally is conclusive: know Jack Drys-
dale; I've known him for long time: and
/ know that it's utterly impossible that he
should have committed such crime. He's
not very original fellow: not at all
genius: he's never done anything, perhaps,
which either of us would think really worth
dol hut hos hind and honest and