Connecticut western news., 1910-05-12

his captain that they had not seen him during the night of the murder, and 1t would not have made any difference if he had believed them. They had made. a statement and could not contradict it before jury and expect the contra diction to be considered evidence.
 Nancy Alvord. after her terror at her lovers position and her chagrin at having denied that she had been with him had in Il measure subsided. began to think of some way to prove the un- truth of her first story. This led her to read carefully the newspaper ac- counts of the murder. and she saw that Murphys watch, which was found in his vest pocket. had stopped at thirty-seven minutes after 10 She remembered hearing n clock strike II while on the car returning from the island. This was fixed in her mind by the fact that she expected scolding on her return home for having stayed out so late.
 The civil authorities considered that Murphy's watch marked the time of his death. The murder occurred in an upper room used for card playing. no one but the murderer and the mur- dered man being present. That there had been a scuffie was evident from the shred of uniform and buttons picked up on the floor. The watch had undoubtedly stopped during this scuf- fie. At thirty-seven minutes after 10 on that eventful evening. with limit of ten minutes either way, Robert and Nancy had been among the shows at Coney Island. They had passed Mur- phys saloon at about twenty minutes past II. Had Nancy not been handi- capped by her first statement she could have told perfectly straight story that would have tallied with the facts and exouerated her lover. P.
 The next move she made was to go to Coney Island and visit the attend ants upon the various shows with view to finding some one who had seen her there with a soldier and if possible to secure that soldiers identi fication as Robert Hammond. She went over the ground. but found no one who remembered her or her sol dier escort.
 
 the result looked black for the young soldier. His mother was in agony oyer the situation. which was rendered more excruciating by the fact that in her effort to shield her son she had put it out of her power to save him.
 The morning before the trial Nancy was sitting by her open window over looking the lower bay. trying to think of her problem A woman came 10 window of the house opposite and hung d parrot caae containing a par rot beside the window. The woman left. and the parrot began to chatter.
 Nancy jumped from her seat, dashed into an adjoining room. seized her@hat, flew downstairs out Into the street and boarded car for Coney Island,
 What she did there will appear at the trial. which was called in the criminal court the next day.
 A jury had been impaneled aud the prosecutor had stated the case for the state and had produced his witnesses. They were but few and stated only what has been thus far given. Then the prisoners counsel took up the case for the accused calling him to the witness stand. He asked Robert n number of irrelevant questions not ap- parently bearing on the case. requiring him to give long explanations. Final ly the state attorney objected to the questioning as irrelevant. and the judge sustained the objection. Then the counsel called Nancy to the wit nI nd hn same course with her till another ob- 1ection was raised and sustained.
 Where were you" asked the coun- sel of Nancy. "on the night of the 18th of June between 10 and II o'clockT'
 At Coney Island"
 "Who was with you?'
 ''The accused. Robert Hammond"
 That will do."
 At a sign from the attorney a phono- graph was brought into court and set on a table. An operator put its ma chinery in motion. and voice. plainly Nancy's, began to talk. What had been spoken in the machine was of no importance detached sentences ex- pressive of the pleasure to be derived at visiting Coney Island.
 Then another voice was switched on. Every one started. 1t was the voice of Robert Hammond.
 r "rm soldier. I am. Got leave till Q o'clock. and here am at 10:30 talking into a photograph machine. I'll be broke tomorrow. I will. My chevrons will come off, and I'll serve the balance of my enlistment as Q high private in the rear rank. Come. Nancy; let's get along to the next show"
 "Your honor.r said the counsel for the defense. "I made the jury famn- far with the voices of my two wit nesses that they might recognize them in this photograph. which propose by its operator to prove received the voices at Coney Island about the time the murder was committed"
 Robert was acquitted. He had been saved by the squawky voice of the parrot that had brought to Nancy's