Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-02-22

$500
mot over five minutes"
And who was 1t entered?"
Miss Frances Holladay--the daugh'
ter Of my employer"
You're quite sure? You know he
well?"
VERY we'll. I've known her fol
office In the evening to take her father
home. / supposed that was what SHE
came for yesterday"
you looked at her attentively?"
Rogers hitched impatiently in hi.
chair.
II glanced at her. as l always do
he said. II didn't stare"
Holladay?"
Absolutely sure, sir. Good God!'
he cried. his nerves giving way for ar
instant. do you suppose I'd make al
assertion like that II / wasn't abso-
lutely sure7"
NO." said the coroner soothingly;
mo, l don't suppose any such thing
not for q moment, Mr.. Rogers; only
want the jury to see how certain the
Identification is. Shall / proceed?"
Go ahead, SIR" said Rogers. I'll try
to hold myself together a little better
sir
II can see what a strain this Is for
YOU" said the coroner kindly; land I'll
spare you as much as / can. Now, after
Miss Holiday entered the inner office,
how long did she remain there?"
About ten minutes, / should say;
not longer han hat certainly"
Did you hear n sound Of CONVEX
sation. or any unusual noise OF any
kind?"
mo, sir. II would have been a very
unusual noise TO be audible. Mr.. Hol-
laday's Office has heavy walls and a
double door which completely shut off
all sounds from within"
Miss Holiday then came out7"
Yes, sir"
And walked past your"
"Yes. sir; walked past ms rapidly"
"Did you not think that peculiar? ?"
why, sir, she didn't often stop to
speak to me. I was busy and SO
thought nothing particularly about It."
Did you notice her face? Did she
seem perturbed?"
NO. sir; I didn't notice. I just
glanced up and bowed. In fact, l didn't
her veil"
Her veil!" repeated the one
hadn't mentioned that she wore
q veil"
mo. sir; when she came into the Of
fee she had lifted 1t up over her hat
brim-you know how women do"
"Yes-so you saw her face distinctly
when h entered?"
YES, sir"
But when she went out she had low
cred her veil. Was 1t a heavy one?"
why, sir" the witness hesitated,
lust an ordinary veil, l should say"
But still heavy enough to conceal
her face?"
"Oh, yes. sir"
The coroner nodded. Now, Mr..
Rogers, how long a time elapsed after
the departure of the woman before you
back into the inner Officer"
mot more than three or four min
utes. / thought perhaps Mr.. Holiday
getting ready to accompany his
daughter, and l didn't wish TO detain
him"
And you found him, as you say. ly-
Ing forward across his desk with a
knife in his throat and the blood
squirting out. Did you recognize the
Yes, sir. 1t was his knife-a knife
he kept lying on his desk to sharpen
pencils with and erase and so on"
Sharp. was it2"
1T had one long blade. very sharp,
sir"
The coroner picked up a knife that
was lying on the desk before linn.
Is tulS lie htllle ne dSheus
Rogers looked at 1t carefully.
That's the knife, SIR" he said, and
II was passed to the jury. When they
had finished with 1t Mr.. Royce and I
1t. 1t was an ordinary one
bladed erasing knife with ivory han
die. 1t was open, the blade being
about two inches and a half In length,
and, as / soon convinced myself. very
sharp indeed.
sexITitI .,nYt HacnrIha AZ IyAIJoJn,sa
continued the coroner.
HE was lying forward on the desk,
with his arms outstretched and his
head to one side"
And there was a great deal OF
blood?"
"Oh. a great deal! Someone, appar-
entity, had attempted to check 1t. for a
little distance away there was a hand
kerchlef soaked In blood"
The coroner picked up a handker-
and handed 1t to the witness.
rs that the handkerchief" he asked.
Yes, SIR" said Rogers. after a mo-
ment.
rs 1t a mans or a woman's hand
k%erchief?"
"Oh, a woman's undoubtedly"
The jury examined Ii and so did we.
1t was a small square of fine cambria
with no mark that I could see, soaked
through and through with blood-un-
questionably a woman's handkerchief.
Then Rogers told the rest of the story
how he had summoned aid and in
the police.
Now, Mr., Rogers" said the cor
oner, when he had finished. there is
point more. Has there been any
thing in your knowledge of Mr.. Holla-
day or his business to suggest the idea
or suicide?"
The witness shook his head decid-
edly.
Nothing whatever. sir" he said pos
Ills business was prosper
Ing, he was happy and contented-
why, he was planning for a trip
with his daughter,
Let US suppose for a moment" con-
tinued Goldberg, that he did actually
himself in his daughters pres
ence; what would you naturally ex-
pect her to dor"
II should expect her to give the
alarm-to summon aid" replied Rogers.
Certainly unquestionably," and
Goldberg nodded to my chief. II turn
the witness over to you. Mr.. Royce"
said.
Now. Mr.. Rogers" began our Junior
impressively, you know. OF course,
this whole cases hinges. at present,
on your Identification OF the woman
who, presumably. was In Mr.. Holla-
days office when he was stabbed. I
want to be very sure OF that identif-
win you tell me how she was
dressed?"
The witness paused for a moments
thought.
''She wore a dress OF very dark red"
said Mt last. with Soma SORT ~ por-