Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-02-21
CHAPTER II.
IN THE GRIP OF CIRCUMSTANCE

~ > its>N WdS tI.'it Dreaming space,
and We sank into our seats at the table
there with n sigh of relief.
one never realizes how many news
papers there are In New York until one
attends an important criminal case
that brings their people out in droNes
and swarms. The reporters took up
most OF the space In this small ROOM,
ape and pencils We're everywhere in
evidence. and in one corner there was u
man with a camera stationed, deter
mined. l suppose. to get a photograph
of our client, should She be called to the
stand. since none could he obtained In
any other way.
l saw Singleton. the district attorney.
come In and sit down near the corner.
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 in;elli-
gent and fairly well-to-do. Mr.. Royce
Was locking over their names. and he
checked them off carefully az the clerk
called the roll. Then he handed the list
up To the coroner with a little nod.
go ahead he said. .'They're all
right. 1 suess-they look all right
ms a good jury replied the cor
oner. as he took tho paper. Better
than usual. Are you ready. MIR. Single
toni"
Yes" said the district attorney. "Oh.
wait a minute" he added. and he got
up and came down to our table. You're
going TO put Miss Holiday on the
stand. I suppose
And expose her to all this" and our
Junior looked around The room. Not
II l can help It,"
Il don't see how you can help 1t. An
alibi's the only thing that can save
her from being bound over"
We'll cross tho bridge when we come
to It, retorted MIR. Royce. II think
the cass against her will soon die OF
inanition."
oh. very we'll" and Singleton ab-upt-
ly went back to his desk. biting his
mustache thoughtfully. He had made
something of a reputation. sine, his
election a yea before. as Il solver OF
abstruse criminal problems. and had
secured three
criminal cases which had threatened for
~ time 10 battle the police. He evil
IDENTIFY scented something of the same
kind here. or he would have entrusted
the case to one of his assistants. 1t
might be added that. while his success
with the multitude. there had been.
about one or two of them. a hint OF un-
professional conduct. which had made
his brethren OF the bar look rather ask
ance at him.
He nodded to the coroner after a mo-
f1ent, Inc room was cdIl"u W cioei anu
the !lrst witness summoned.
1t was Rogers. the confidential clerk.
I knew Rogers, of course. had talked
with him often In n business way. ana
had the highest respect for him. He
had been with MIR. Holiday much long
er than I had been with Graham Il
Royce. and had. az Mr.. Graham had
| pointed out. an unimpeachable reputa-
ton.
There were the usual prellminariea.
name. age. residence and so on. Cor
oner Goldberg. asking the questions.
He was Il really good cross examiner.
| and soon came TO the core OF the mat
ter.
What IS the position OF your desk
in MIR. Holidays office" he asked.
There's an outer office for the
clerks; opening from thai. n smaller
room where my desk Is placed. Open
ing from my room was Mr.. H~olladay's
private office"
Had MIR. Holidays office any other
door,"
No. sir"
Gould entrance be had by the win
dows?"
The windows open on the street
side OF the building. We occupy q
part of the eighth floor"
The fire escapes
Are at the back of the building
there are none ON the street side
nothing but a sheer wall"
so that anyone entering or leaving
the private office must necessarily
pass by your desk"
Necessarily. yes. sir"
Gould nyone PASS without your
seeing him.
No. sir. that would be quite impos-
sible."
The coroner leaned back in his chair.
There was one point settled.
\nr NJ. ADat " 1n Shtd 'Ntll
you kindly tell us, In our own way
and with as much detail as possible,
exactly what happened at your Office
shortly before . o'clock yesterday aft
e%inoon?"
1 could sos that Roger. wns deeply
moved. His face was very white. he
moistened his lips ~nervously from time
To time. and his hands grasped con-
vulsiveiy the arms OF his chair. Plain
ly. the task before him was far from
an agreeable one.
We'll, sir" he began. Tvs lad a very
busy day yesterday. and We're at tho
office considerable later than usual.
but by 5 O'clock We had closed up work
for the day. and all the other clerks.
with the exception OF tho office boy.
had gone home. I had made some
notes from Mr.. i~iolladay's dictation,
and a returned TO my desk to ar
range them. when the outer door OPP
ened and Mr.. H~olladay's daughter
came in. She asked me whether her
father was engaged. and upon my say
Ing no. opened the inner door and en-
tered his Office. St.. remained. ]
should think. about ten minutes: then
she came out again, walked rapidly
past without looking at me. and.
suppose. left the building. ] finished
arranging my notes, and then entered
Mr.. Holidays office to ask If he had
any further instructions for me, and ]
found him lying orwar on his desk.
with a knife sticking in his neck and
the blood squirting out. l summoned
aid. but he died without Yegaining
consciousness should say he vas
practically dead when ! found hiin.