Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-09-19

GO on; go on"
"You don't believe a word I say"
Nonsense, my good fellow. l be-
l1eve every word. Come, come, they're
getting impatient. You gave him a re-
ceipt and them"
Tom finished with a leaden heart
and tongue. To his surprise, however,
Mr.. Bassett was all smiles when he
had done. Then he put q few ques-
tons, and the lamer the answer the
%sprightlier the solicitors nod. The lat
ter, in fact, foresaw a defense about
as weak as one could be, but a case
even more sensational than he had
supposed. And sensation happened to
be this brisk practitioners profession
al loadstar.
Proceedings were resumed ut two
minutes past II, when the witness
Adcock, recalled, identified a pair Of
dilapidated shoes and the mutilated
elements Of a beaver as having belong
ed to the accused. Bassett had no idea
what point the prosecution designed to
make, but at once he gave q taste Of
his quality. He pressed the witness
and shook her as to the hat, but to
the shoes she stood firm; she had
cleaned them often enough, so she
ought to know. Then she cleaned the
dodgers boots herself? Well, not all.
And an adroit question or two reveal
ed the fact that Erickson had been her
pet and zone it was a pleasure to do
for" against whom she had appeared
with profound reluctance. Indeed, she
left the box and rejoined the husband
who had brought her there in tears.
And so the defense made q first mere
tricious point.
Nor was it the last. Jonathan But
terfield, unlike his relatives, had not
been called at the previous examina-
ton; but he was now, and his feelings
were worked upon in the same deft
fashion. AS, however, there was no
jury to be simultaneously touched, all
this was wasted dexterity, but it look
ed neat In the newspapers and, what
was better, but unintentional, imposed
upon poor Tom and gave him momen-
tary heart.
Meanwhile the shoes and hat had
done real damage, and this evidence
was the more deleterious from being
new to all. Guilty flight and ultimate
capture had been fully dealt with Oh
the previous occasion, but the equally
discriminating interim was only now
filled in by the officers who had chased
and lost a desperate ho~usebreaker in
the small hours Of Saturday, but only
afterward connected him with the
Hampstead murderer. The connection
was established by the beaver hidden,
but discovered, in the empty house and
by the shoes left on either side of the
nursery garden gate. Only two Off
GERS appeared; the third was in hos
pital, and n Of the two had a band
aged head.
The medical evidence had been taken
on the Monday morning, so had that of
the crafty householder of Kew, yet his
powdered head was again in court, and
his humorous, sly smile looked as be-
nevolent as ever, only broader and
more subtly droll. Tom heard this
public %benefactor taking snuff in ev-
cry pause.
The other new witness was one Rich
ard Vale, who brought a Whit of cog
nae into the crowded court. His words
ran into II another, but his evidence
was all too clear. Witness described
himself as a very old friend of the de-
ceased. He wore that deceased had
frequently told him he went in fear
of h prisoner, who had repeatedly
threatened him by letter, and to whom,
In fact, the deceased owed a sum of
money. The letters We're now put in.
They all related to q worthless check
for 935, the sum in question, and with
out a blush witness explained about
the check. The check book was an
old II of his own. He remembered
the deceased telling him he had made
use of it In the manner alleged in the
letters, but he could not himself de-
scribe the incident, as, to the best of
his belief. he was intoxicated on that
occasion. And the witness stood down,
having supplied the motive of revenge
to a case strong enough. in all con-
science, as it was.
Bassett hurried to the dock.
II suppose you lost that check" he
whispered.
mo; l gave it him back with the re-
ceipt."
Bassett turned abruptly and stated
that the prisoner reserved his defense.
A minute later he stood formally com
mitted for trial at the next sessions of
the central criminal court.
"I'll see you down below" said Bas-
sett, nodding airily to trembling Tom,
but the latter pulled himself together
on his blessed release from the public
gaze, and the subsequent interview in
the bowels of the police Office was
on both sides.
"When are the sessions" asked Tom.
''They begin next Monday. No time
to be lost"
give days more. Well, it's better
than waiting. So you won't give me
my ~benefactor's name?"
Il am pledged not to reveal it to a
Soyl"