Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-15

ers and the coroner-in order to and
out if there had been q murder CONS
or not.
one large hand holding firmly the
fleshy chin. looked at the
juryman somewhat contemptuously.
You mean?". ne queried with an OBJ
vious effort at patience.
Il mean" resumed the man more
firmly. lin this present instance. would |
a certain medical or anatomical know |
ledge be necessary in order to strike
er-or to thrust-so precisely-just ON
the right spot to cause Immediate
death?"
With ainiable condescension the cor.
more conclse words.
NO. no." replied the doctor quickly
The thrust argues no special anatom.
lcal knowledge. Most laymen would
know that il you pierce the throat from |
ear to ear suffocation is bound to en-.
sue. IT was easily enough done"
when he eceased's e was turn. |
ed away asked the coroner.
Why. yes-to look out on the fog |
perhaps: or at a passer-by. 1t would
DE fairly easy IL the would-be murderer
was quick and determined and the vic
tim unsuspecting."
And Doctor Blair. with long tapering
fingers. pointed toward his own throat,
giving illustration of how easily the
deed might be done.
Given the requisite weapon OF
course"
After a few more courteous questions
OF a technical kind. the first witness
was diSmiSsed-only momentarily, for
he would be required ~again-when the
green baize would be lifted from the
hidden something which lay there ready
TO hand. and the medical man be asked
70 pronounce finally whether indeed the
dasger stick Was the requisite Weapon
for the decd which had been so easy OF
accomplishment.
The chauffeur who had driven the
taNlcab was the next witness called. A
thick-set man. i'm dark blue Melton
coat and peaked cap. he came forward
With that swinging gait which betrayed
the ex-coachmam.
He gave his evidence we'll and to the
point. He had been hailed on the night
M question by two gentlemen in eve
ming dress. 1t was i'm Shaftesbury ave-
nue.. just opposite the Lyric %tleater.
ana a little while after he had heard ST
Martins church clock strike 9 o'clock.
'Ihe fog was so Dense" he added, you
could not see your hand before your
eyes,
He had just put down at the Apollo
ON>A ~ NV lCAN, w
down toward Piccadilly, when the two
sWells hailed him from the curb. He
couldn't rightly see them. because of
the log. but he noticed that both wore
J hats and the collar of their over
coats were urned up to their ears. He
hardly saw their faces, but he noticed
that n OF them carried a walking
stick.
Or 1t might ave been a umbrella"
ne added after a moments hesitation,
Il couldn't rightly say"
You must have seen the faces Of
Your fares" argued the coroner. 1T
You saw that one OF them carried a
walking St1ck-Or an umbrella. You
must nave seen something of their
races. he reiterated more emphatically
~ didn't retorted the man gruffly.
wa you out in that there fog. sir?
III YOU was. you'd know 'ow YOU COULDN'T
see your and before your eyes.
saw the point of the stick-or the UNI
orella. 1 couldn't rightly say which,
only because of them gents waved
it at me when e was 'ailing me-that's
oM seed he point"
n coroner allowed the question of
dentlfication to drop: clearly nothing
would be got out Of the man. The
gentlemen, he declared, entered the
CAP and then n of them gave direc-
ions to him, putting his head out Of
TN" right hand window.
- didn't turn to look at 'im." he said
bluntly. Il could ear is voice plain
enough-so why should l take a look
at i'm: 'Ow did l know there was
a goin' to be murder done in my cab,
snd me wanted to say What the muir
derer looked like? %
He loked round the room defantly.
as II expecting applause for this dis
play OF sound common sense, opposed
to the c%oroner's tiresome oficialism.
And VIA directions" asked the lat
ter: did the gentlemen give you?"
go along Piccadilly,' replied the
witness. It'll e told me to stop"
And when did he tell you to stop?"
b h ratings of Green park, Just
by 'Yde Park corner. One of en- puts
lis cad out OF the window and calls to
me to pull up"
Which you did,"
and standin' on the curb e leans back
to the interior OF the cab and says:
..S-long-see you tomorrow and then
e says to me: No. l Cromwell Road
and disappears in the fog"
Surely you saw him then?'
NO. The fog vas like pea soup
there. though 1t looked clearer on
knightsbridge away. And e got out
left side. OF course. I was up on my
box right 'and side-a long way from
i'm. I could see a man standin' there.
but not 'is face. Is at was pulled
down right over 'is eyes. and is coat
collar up to is ears"
Had he his ctick-or umbrella
with him them"
Yes. With is 'ands in rs pockets,
and the tip pointing upward, Ike a
soldiers bayonet."
You saw and not his face?" once
more insisted the %orone making a
final effort to draw some more definite
statement out OF the man. 1t would
| helm il1Sfico 40 much ~ only thio x,f<-