Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1910-06-17
CHAPTER VIII.

Oue VI SoHsluerdtlOn lot Mrs. Har-
court, whom her husband claimed was
delicate, and who really looked as
fragile as a piece of porcelain, the
Harcourts were not removed to the jail
but Gordon of sleuths was appointed
to patrol their apartments. The hotel
management was sorely wroth, and
tried to insist upon the departure of
the Harcourts. but Harcourt came
down handsomely with an enormous
amount OF cash, and the mollified man
-agement became less censorious. Ear
ly that afternoon, Mrs. Harcourt fell
very Ill with a seemingly malignant
fever-an outgrowth of their long resi-
~dence In India, 80 her husband said
There was brief preliminary hearing
at 2:30 in the Harcourt apartments.
MY name is Harold Harcourt, and
live in the Hill district, in india" at
tested the witness, when called. 1
am 35 years Of age and have been mar
ried to my wife for the past six years.
She is "a. and we have been travelling
for her health during the past two
years, following the accidental drown
ing OF our baby son. My wife's mind
has never been perfectly clear since
the narrowing moment when she pulled
our dead son out of the clutches of a
treacherous pool, not fifty feet from
her bedroom window. At the advice of
physicians, we have gone from country
to country, seeking novelty and change,
hoping to restore her to her normal
state. My occupation? Why, l have
none. l receive a large income from
inherited properties, so does my wife,
and Jointly we own several rich dia-
mond mines. We never saw the young
woman, Miss Lancey, l believe her
name Is, at all. / am positive my wife
never did until last evening. Why we
should be held like this is incompre-
hensible to me. On this card you will
find the names of number of London,
and Calcutta firms, who will give you
any references OF me you may desire.
THE night of the murder of Cerisse
Wayne we were In Milwaukee as our
hotel bills and receipts will show. The
following afternoon late we arrived and
went to the Directory Hotel. That
evening l was trying to explain to my
wife some changes 1 was contemplat-
ing In my Indian estate and was
sketching the plans with the idea of
keeping her amused, as she had been
particularly fretful and nervous all
day. The room was close and insult
ferable with the smell Of steam pipes,
so we had raised the window wide and
flung high the shade. l drew out my
wallet to get a memorandum and in
doing SO pulled out by accident a little
photograph of my wife that always
carry with me, and some important
passports. The wind sent the curtain
flying and whisked these papers out
of my hand. 1 hurried to the window
and saw them light on an opposite fire
escape and tried to recover them AS
the hotel clerk has probably told you
the papers were not recovered"
Now. l trust, gentlemen, that my
wife and 1 will be allowed to proceed
without any further reference or en-
tanglement in this most undesirable
affair"
Wasn't there a letter dropped out
of your wallet?" asked Larry Morris.
stepping forward. IF you please, I'd
like to submit two exhibits In evil
dence." He produced the picture and
the letter that had been fished from
the fire escape and proceeded to relate
how they had been acquired.
Harcourt's face flushed with pleas
ere at sight Of the photograph. When
the letter was handed to him he paled,
whether with fright or with anger was
tndistinguishable.
This is an insult" he hissed.
whats your wife's name, Mr.. Har-
court?" asked the court.
MY wife? Her name? Mrs Har-
>ourt, of course"
Her first name?'
"Narcisse."
Did you ever zee this letter be-
fore?
The hotel register was brought into
the room, and as expert testimony
went to the effect that the signature on
the register tailed with the conforma-
tion of the writing not only on the let
ter that had been picked up In the
court room, but with those found III
the Wayne death chamber, Mr.. Har-
court was requested to make copies of
the documents and hand them to the
court. He did this with great trepida-
tion. but the results were very unlike
the originals.
A movement was begun to prove that
Mr.. Harcourt had painfully disguised
his writing and the matter was thrown
to the experts again.
The mans garter Johnny Johnson
had picked up in the Closet Of Mrs.
Waynes room, and a second one, only
too plainly its mate, in the same gold
emerald and amethyst design, marked
with the initial H." that he had found
inside the threshold of the Flanders
house at "a Briarsweet place, were
shown to Harcourt. He disowned these