The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1911-10-21
CHAPTER XVI.
The Assistant District Attorney.

The Assistant District Attorney.
While Britz was struggling with the
tangled threads of contradictory cir.
cun1stances that constituted the fab
rio of the diamond mystery, the DIS
trict attorneys Office was not inactive.
with the slow stealthiness of cat
approaching its prey it combined the
disconnected fragments OF evidence
gathered by the police into the SEM
blance Of perfect case, and prepared
10 present it to a jury. The grand
i11ry had indicted E1inor Holcomb, and
again she was dragged into the glare
Of a courtroom, this time to plead to
the indictment. There remained only
the verdict Of a petit jury to open the
gates of states prison for her. Her
LAWYER was served with the fateful
notice OF trial. and she was made 70
realize the great struggle was about
to begin.
Assistant District Attorney Mott
was taking last survey Of the depo-
! sitions in the case, mentally plcturlng
the curtain Of gilt he would weave be-
fore the jury. To his mind the evil
dence was conclusive. 1t pointed ire
sistibly to Miss Holcomb as the thief.
And yet, the prosecutor felt there
was something strangely lacking IN
the structure; something that made 1t
appear hollow and unreal. No other
reasonable explanation OF the d1sap-
pearance of Mrs. Missioner's neck
lace offered itself, and still 1t was
/ hard to conceive Miss Holcomb as the
thief. Mott knew that the same I'M
certainty in the minds Of the jurors
would inevitably result In a. verdict OF
acouittal. The benefit of any reason.
l able doubt as to her guilt must go 20
/ her. and he realized he had yet 20
eliminate that last slim possibility o.
verdict favorable to the. prisoner.
4 Were it an ordinary larceny case ne
Il would be content to offer the test1'
mony at hand and leave the verdict
to the conscience Of the jurors. bus
This trial would fill Thousands Of news
4 paper columns. The press OF the en-
tire country was on the alert for It
It meant much to struggling assist
ant to obtain conviction in so IA
nous a case. To lose, he feared,
would reflect on his.oWn competence
The entrancea Of Britt brought tbs
prosecutor out of his absorption
Just the man wanted to see, hs
. greeted.
"And I'm equally glad to find you
!. linz the detectiveHreturned.
RI i've got the Evidence down pat,
/ Mott responded. TT seems complete;
) and yet, SOMEHOW, I feel that 1t is
not entirely convincing. want to get
! something to clinch it. It's pretty
tough propositionsat best to get con
: yiction on circumstantial evidences
: when the defendant is woman OF
: good appearance, and don't want to
! slip up on this case. We haven't go,
Z. much time left. The case is on the
n calendar for next Monday
i That's what came to see you
III about informed Britt. want t
!. get you to adjourn the trial month
s New facts?" anriously inquired the
d prosecutor.
o YES"
d who do you think did the trick7
e suddenly questioned Mott.
it Sands, Griswold or the Indian serv
IS ant" came from the detectives hesl
st tant} lips.
e The prosecutors hands went abov'
4 his head in despairing gesture.
it rs that as faras you've arrived
a. T,hroa e,cpacfe and yD31Sya no ide