The Washington times., 1910-03-24
The Standing Alibi Of H. StanIeigh Storme

wildly. you are not going to let that
man go, Your honor. / viii be heard
! must be heard he cried insistently.
Il am not
Silence" roared the Judge again.
! ''Sir. il you interrupt the course Of this
| proceeding in this manner again. he
| continued severely, III nave you bound
( and gagged. You have counsel You Will
have an opportunity 10 he heard when
! your time comes BIT you must not
! interrupt the court"
] The man who had passed down the
| center aisle smiled slightly TO himself,
! ne prisoner took his seat with a re-
/ signed air
Let it he upon your own head then,
: your honor he said quietly. lit mat
| ters but little 10 me-
! Proceed" went on the judge iEnor-
! ing him.
That's our case" SAID the district
aii,orney. with a note Of triumph In mis-
Proceed with the defense excIaim-
I ed teh Judge
Now the counsel for the prisoner had
/ Geen doing some tall thinking during
| the testimony of the last witness. ana
| IN spite of thS startling nature of the
evidence ne was pretty well prepared.
! He knew one thinE-that lhe rcscm-
hlance between the two men, having de-
celVed many people before. would con
| stitute a strong argument with the jury
| lu the defendants favor. For 10 was
| lust as likely that the witness Warhur-
| ton had robbed the bank as it was that
the prisoner himself had done so
He had a dim recollection Of the cap
ital that had been made out OF the re-
! semblauce of Charles Daruav and sgd
ney Carton in Dickens Tale OF Two
| cities. and he purposed TO avail him
self Of a similar advantage here The
liked IT,
He had had. Of course. no inl<Iing OF
NWTF Hg T|H q h..
unable TO prepare himself for U. In
I tdct, his clients whole demcanOr had
changed from the instant the other man
had appeared He had ignored his
the witness and the court. He had not
even cOnhded to his counsel what it
was he had wished TO say.
But the lawyer was pretty sure from
the present insistent attitude Of the
prisoner that he could trust him with
out further preparation on tho stand.
His client was no fool
In addition. ne had evidence on which
he felt lac could absolutely rely as 70
the prisoners attendance at the dinner
me situation was not so bad as iJ
might seem to be.
He touched the prisoner on the arm
y on take the stand, he said
The prisoner looked al him. but did
not move.
You heard your counsel" said the
Judge with some asperity- Take the
witness stand
The man obeyed and was Immediately
sworn
Mr.. stQrme,' said his counsel. Twill
you tell the jury"
walt a minute" said the man on The
witness stand, interruptlnE him with a
gesture, you have made a mistake
my name is not Storme-"
What! exclaimed his counsel, un-
What" repeated the Judge. DO Won
mean 70 say. sir, that the name StOrme
Is an alias2"
The judge. from his manner. was un-
guilt
Il mean" replied the man in a loud.
nTrn voice, looking the Judge sQuarelv
II tne race, that my name is no,
Siorme-that I am not II Stanleigh
Storme-that I am not the prisoner
what's that2 What's that cried
The prosecutor. Not the prisoner
What in Gods name do you mean.
7 mean" replied the other ..fust
what 7 say. II. StauIs -h StOrme, the
prisoner, is the man w. has just left
the witness stand. and who has left the
court tried to tell YOU time and time
again that the man who took the stand
was the prisoner h.ms If. but YOU
wouldn't listen 10 me
He was the prisoner, the criminal
the bank rObber himEel-. and YOU ncverl
knew Il. He knew that I was coming
here 20 take the stand against him
though I had told no one but hirl-and
he took the stand in my place and told
my story-the story that 4 meant to tel
that I would nave told. He knew iri
Just as well as I did. and he could tell
IL better
i don't believe it, exclaimed the
prosecutor. Your honor, this is a mere
rgISe-"
The other man again Interrupted.
You haven't even the commouest OBJ !
seTation." ne said 10 the prosecutor. /
You know the voice Of II. StanIeich
Storme. Is Il ike mine2 You are IA
millar with his face. Look at mine
The one thing that StOrme did not tell
YOU was that the very points Of differ
enCe between us were in the voice and
in the color Of the skin His face Is
forid, more or less, mine Is always
pale"
BY George" exclaimed the sheriff IN
an audible voice 20 the crowd about
him that accounts for it,
The Judge adjusted his speCtacles ana |
looked LONG and earnestly at the man. ]
Then he leaned back with an air of
conviction.