Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1906-01-26
CHAPTER II.

CHAPTER II.
T1HE outer room was crowded
from end to end am and t,ot the at
mosphere reeked with 'unpleas-
ant dampness. Only behind the
lit e railing before the coroners desk
wa s%ere breathing spaceIand we sank
int 2,,r seats at the table there with
i of relief.>>
q q never realizes how many news
paI rs there are in New York untli
one attends an important criminal case
that brings their people out In groves
and swarms. The reporters took up
mot of the space in this small Soom.
Palst,r and pencils were everywhere III
evidence, and in one corner there was
n nan with a camera stationed, de-
ter,nined, suppose, to get photo
graph of our client should she be called
to the stand, since none could De oo-
tanned in any other way.
1 saw Singleton, the district attor-
ney, come in and sit down near the
coroner, and then the jury filed in from
their room and took their seats.
examined them, man by man, with
some little anxiety, but they all seemed
Intelligent and fairly well to do. Mr..
Royce was looking over their names,
and he checked them off carefully as
the clerk called the roll. Then he hand
ed the list up to the coroner with
little nod.
$50 ahead" he said. They're all
right I guess-they look all right"
Its a good jury" replied the cor
oner as he took the paper. Better
than usual. Are you ready. Mr.. Sin
gletonY'
ayes" said the district attorney
"Oh, wait a minute" he added, and ne
got up and came down to our table
you're going to put Miss Holiday
on the stand, suppose
"And expose her to all this% Ano
our Junior looked around the room
"Not If I can help it" 4.
"I don't see how you can help it. Al
alibi's the only thing that can save he
from being bound over"
"We'u cross that bridge when W,
come to it." retorted Mr.. Royce. 8
think the case against her will soon dl
of inanition."
"Oh, very WELL" And Singleton
abruptly went back to his desk. bitini
his mustache thoughtfully. He hat
made something of a reputation, sine
his election a year before, as solve
of abstruse criminal problems an
had secured q conviction In two o
three capital cases which had threat
ened for a time to battle the police. II
evidently scented something of tn
same kind here or he would have II
trusted the case to one of his al
sistants. 1t might be added that, Will
his successes had made him immensel
popular with the multitude, there ha
been about one or two of them hin
OF urprotessional conduct. which ha
made his brethren Of the bar loo
rather askance at him.
He nodded to the coroner after
moment, the room was called to orde
and the first witness summoned.
1t was Rogers, the confidential clerl
knew Rogers, of>course; had talke
with him often in business way an
had the highest respect for him. Il
had been with Mr.. Holiday much lol
ger than I had been with Graham
Royce and had, as Mr.. Graham ha
pointed out, an unimpeachable reput
ton.
There were the usual preliminaries
name, age, residence, and so on, Cor
ner Goldberg asking the questions. t
was a really good cross examiner al
soon came to the core of the matter.
'What is the position of your des
in Mr.. Holiaday's Officer" he asked.
ssThere is an outer Office for Il
clerks; opening from that small
room, where my desk is placed. Ope
ing from my room was Mr.. Holiday
private office"
Had Mr.. Holladay's Office any 9th
dor?"
NO, SIR
could entrance be had by the wi
dows?'
1.-The windows open on the stre
side of the building. We occupy
part of the eighth floor"
1.-The fire escapes
ssAre at the back of the building
there are none on the street sidt
nothing but sheer wall"
$50 that any one entering or leavl
the private office must necessarily ps
by your desk?"
necessarily; yes, sir"
ACould any one pass without yo
seeing him?'
mo. sir; that would be quite imp
.sihlen