The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-29
CHAPTER XVI.
The Assistant plstrlot Attorney

! While Britz was struggling with the
tangled threads of contradictory cir
cumstances that constituted the fab.
riciof the diamond mystery, the dis
trict attorneys office was not Inactive.
With the slow stealthlness of cat
approaching It's prey Il combined the
disconnected fragments Of evidence
gathered by the police into the sem
blance Of a perfect case, and prepared
to present Il to a jury. The grand
jury had indicted Ellnor 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 petit jury to open the
gates of states prison for her Her
lawyer was served with the fateful
notice of trial, and sne was mado 10
realize the great struggle was about
to begin.
, Assistant District Attorney Mott
was taking a last survey of the depo-
Bitipns In the case, mentally plcturing
the curtain Of gilt he would weave be-
fore the jury. To his mind the evi.
dence was conclusive. Il 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 II
appear hollow and unreal. No other
reasonable explanation of the disap-
pearance OF Mrs Missioner's neck.
lace offered itself, and still Il was
hard IN cOpcafva Me. tTot.....A - a..
thief. Mott knew that the same un-
certainty In the minds of the Jurors
would inevitably result in a verdict of
acquittal. The benefit OF any reason.
able doubt as to her guilt must 20 to
her, and he realized he had yet to
eliminate that last slim possibility of
verdict favorable to the prisoner.
Were 1t an ordinary larceny case he
would be content to offer the testi.
mony at hand and leave the verdict
TO the conscience of the Jurors. But
this trial would I'll thousands of news.
paper columns, The press Of the en-.
tire country was on the alert for IL.
II meant much to, a struggling assist.
ants to- obtain a conviction in so ia,
nous Ga caseo To- lose. he % feared,
would reflect on his own competence.
The entrance Of Brltz brought the
prosecutor outgof his absorption.
Just the MAJ | wanted to see," he
greeted.
And I'm equ ely glad to find you
fn.P the detective returned.
i've got the evidence down nat"
Mottnresponded, urIt seems complete;
and yet somehow, feel that IL is
not entirely convincing. want to get
something to cllnch IT, It's n pretty
tough proposition at best 70 set con,
viction on circumstantlal evidence
when the defendant is woman of
good appearance, and don't want tu
slip up on this case, We haven't got
much time left. The case is on the
calendar for next Monday"
That's what l came to see you
about" informed Britt. "I want to
get you TO aGt"2ga the trial month"
New fact; ;' sax aasly inquired the
prosecutor.
Eyes"
Who &C yon think did the trick?"
suddenly que toned Mott.
Sands. Grisl Old or the Indian serv-
ant" came from the detectives hest.
tant lips.
The prosecutors hands went above
his head In a despairing gesture.
rs that as far as you've arrived?
Three suspects, and you've no idea
which one you want! What sort of
weak stun is In your possession that
you don't know whom you're after?"
The circle is narrowing very quick.
ly% Britz observed. "In the next few
days IN know who committed the
robbery, how It was committed. and
where the jewels were taken. But |
have got to have the necessary time"
"All right agreed the prosecutor.
He called clerk and directed him
to inform Miss HolCcmb's lawyer that
the case had been withdrawn from the
calendar for a month.
The detective was reaching for his
hat when Donnelly and Carson burst
into the room. Donnelly's face was
flushed with the news of great dis |
covery. Carson was smiling approx
ingly on his partner.
We've got the motive for the |
crime" the two. men shouted in one '
breath.
Pritzl assumed cr attitude of eager /
interest The prosecutor loe,.cd sig.
ninoahtly at him.
eWhat have you discovered?" he ,
asked. t
THAT man Fitch is mixed up In tho |
case just as | alfiays thought" Don. |
nelly informed him. ''She stole those
diamonds for his sake. It's another |
case Of the girl turning thief to help
her lover"
We've run, the whole thing down
and We have II here IN hack and |
white" His fingers clasped three or |
four letters which he Haunted tempt |
ingly before the Gus of tho prosecu.
tor. They confirm our srspoion that |
Fitch is at tho bottom OF the whole |
case Rather. that he's the man high
er up"
Mott eatharad tha oonto,4. - -.