The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1908-01-16
CHAPTER y.-lContinued.
A u $ t y n

the room and the clerk laid down hi
pen, seized his gavel and raped for 81
lence, gazing Indignantly around him il
the universal manner of court function
aries, as if a sacrilege had been com
mitted
Have you any statement which yor
wish to make?' resumed the magistrate
Yes, / have. was not in the room
at tie time OF the commission of tht
murder. l was not even the first t.
enter the room. entered the room al
most simultaneously with another person
Monsieur Jules Chabot"
flake this diagram in your hands
There is Madame Roupell's chamber
This is her sitting room. Where were
you at the time the shot was fred?r
Il was just about to enter the sitting
room from the room beyond, which had
been my own apartment during my for
mer visits to the chateau. 1t still con-
tanned some things Of mine which | had
not sent for. l recollect a case of pis-
tols particularly, which was lying on
the toilette table,
Look at the pistol shown you, and say
If it is your pistol?'
1T is. 1t is one l brought from Amer
lea. | used this pistol for gallery prac-
tice, of which / am fond"
When did you last see it?"
About six weeks ago. 1t was then in
| the pistol case already referred to-.
Monsieur Jules Chabot, you say, was
already in Madame Roupell's apartment
! ing?"
I'VE entered simultaneously. He was
over by the other door"
Would it have been possible for Mon
sieur Chabot to have taken that pistol
from your case without your knowledge 2"
II cannot tell. 1t depends. He may
have done so, but he would have had to
enter the apartment by way of Madame
Roupell's sitting room, because the other
door was locked"
WHO locked it?
Van Lith hesitated for a barely per-
ceptible instant of time ere he replied:
81 locked it myself, so as to be secure
from interruption"
why did you wish to be secure from
interruption?
Because 1 did not wish 1t known that
l was in the chateau"
why did you not wish it known"
That is one of the questions | must
decline to answer"
The project and the judge exchanged
significant glances. The latter had no.
ticed the prisoners hesitation when stat
ing that it was he himself who had locked
the door. THAT is the first lie he has
told" thought NJ. Bertrand, ''and it is
told to shield someone. He has an &C
complete, evidently" Then he said out
loud:
Il have no more questions to ask. The
examination of the prisoner is concluded.
You will retain him in the closest GUS
tody, and allow no one but his counsel or
physician to see him under any pretext
whatsoever
Jules Chabot was the next witness to
be examined. His testimony was substan
tally the same as contained in the pre-
fect's report He swore positively enough
to finding Van Lith in Nine. RoupelPs
chamber Immediately after hearing the re-
pert Of the pistol. He also swore that
Nine. Roupell and Van Lith were on bad
terms, and gave, though with a we'll
assumed show of reluctance, a pretty full
of the facts which had
brought about the final quarrel between
them.
AT this stage of the examination, the
orefect was seen to whisper something to
he judge, and the latter then asked:
You testify that nearly an hour
Elapsed between the time when you WIRE
hown to your room and the firing of the
,istol The condition of your bed proves
hat you had not slept in it. and when
GU reached Madame Roupell's chamber
ou were fully dressed Why did you
ot retire to restT'
simply because l was not sleepy" re- {
lied NJ. Chabot, coloring somewhat, and I
ngering his long mustache nervously. Il
'as busy writing" |
What were you writing?" c
NJ. Chabot hesitated and stammered. 0
"If you do not Immediately answer J
" question, l shall have no alternative
ut to commit you. monsieur" said the s
ldge, in a stern voice. t.
Jules Chabot hesitated no longer. Draw e
g letter from his pocket. he handed it
. to the bench. Il
1T is confidential communication ad- v
.essed to a lady," he said, "and | trust
~ will respect it." il
NJ Bertrand could but with difficulty al
press a smile as he ran his eyes rap it
" over the letter, which was nothing
S. than the draft of written PROPOSE bl
IN of marriage to Miss Harriet Weldon. "
had evidently been the subject of much at
re, as the frequent erasures and inter to
leations showed. 1t was couched in pr
very and high-fown language, and full
the most extravagant expressions of sh
grafton. The most peculiar thing about tn
was the writer had evidently been I'M
tain as to which of the two young err
lies he should ask for, as the words ar
lille. Harriet Weldon" had been first
itten and then scratched out. as if he rel
ought there was no hope for him in ga
It direction. and Mile. Emily Weldon" b
/ in their stead. Victor Lablanche SUI
e again whispered in the ear of the Ca
ge of instruction and the latter said is
L would ask you if you were occu- kiI
d during all the interval which elapsed
ween the time of your retiring and FIRE
ring the report of the pistol, in writ hir
this letter."
I was not so engaged during the en-. to
time; the point of my pencil broke, knC
had no penknife with which to re- PHI
rpen it" bel
You were right, monsieur lie project" the
laimed the judge, with a meaning he
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