Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1906-06-21

crying softly. He was convicted yes
terday."
Convicted" he gasped. 'Why, Paul
would not have killed a hy."
There was a handwriting expert
acteristics were found in the letter.
They had a darkened courtroom and
lantern slide ENGAGEMENTS Paul was
uncle's sole heir, and he was known to
be in debt"
'Have they taken an appealY he
asked Surely the case will not be un-
contested"
There is an appeal" she answered.
'but Vincent, the lawyer says he has
no hope; that he cannot hope to contro-
vert the experts evidence. Can you
help me?" She rose from her chair and
held her hands toward him.
II can and WILL" he answered heart
lily. Believe me, Erica, before the
next trial comes we shall have the
proofs ready and Paul will go free"
For moment she looked into his
eyes. Then she dropped her veil and
turned away Il must go now" she an.
nounced. "Will you come to me tomor
row."
81 was there this evening" he said
simply. "They told me you had gone
out, but / heard nothing of the trial
will come at IL"
He learned little that was new In the
morning. Paul Westcott was James
Westcotts sole heir. He had been
caught in hole in Wall street, and it
was believed that he had committed
the murder in the hope that he might
realize upon this fact to borrow the
money TO save his margins. a letter
announcing the action as a suicide was
clearly shown to be forgery, though a
clever one, and the case indeed looked
black
Elder came away from the house dis
heartened. He was certain that his
friend had not committed the murder,
but even to one of the best detectives
In the country the case looked hope
less.
He went to the lawyers and arranged
for a copy of the testimony, and when
that was forthcoming he shut himself
in his room to study it.
At the end of a couple of days be
locked the typewriter pages in his
desk and gave himself over TO his So
cial duties. Elder was detective
through love of the work, not because
it was necessary for him to earn his
living in this fashion, and on those
rare occasions when not engaged in a
pursuit he was welcomed in fashiona-
BILE homes.
His temperance in society was ac-
copied as being an acknowledgment
that there was nothing TO be done for
Paul Westcott, for he was known to
have been Erica's sutton, and it was
argued that if there was any hope he
would have disappeared in search of
the murderer.
In spite of this Erica seemed hopeful,
and the trial, through political infiu-
ence, was pushed TO appeal. Gordon
westcott, her cousin, was opposed to
the haste and argued violently against
ii, but he had always been hostile to
Elder, and it was natural that he
should object to any of the latter's
suggestions.
AS in the previous trial, the evidence
hinged almost entirely upon the letter.
There was brief testimony to the eff
feet that Paul Westcott had been In
danger of being wiped out in the mar
ket to prove motive. 1t was shown
that upon his arrest he had been un-
able to negotiate loans and had lost
heavily. Then the prosecution put in
the evidence of handwriting expert,
who had testified at the previous trial
and who discussed learnedly the indi-
vidual peculiarities that, even in for
gerry, will unconsciously betray them
selves.
Almost letter by letter he compared
the formation OF the characters OF the
supposed last message with Paufs
handwriting, and with each fresh slide
there was more firmly established II
the minds of the jury the fact thai
Paul must have written the letter.
with the letter the prosecution rest
cd the case, and the defense began
Elder was the nrst witness, ana Y
Il