The Washington herald., 1914-01-18

ment, sucn as knife or dagger-some
instrument at least of which the blade
was short. The wound was just over
the heart and she had died instantly.
When the first doctor saw her she could
hardly have been dead more than twen-
ty minutes. Therefore, when Father
Brown found her, she could hardly
have been dead for three.
Sir Wilson Seymour gave evidence, as
he did everything else that he did at all,
not only well but perfectly. He was also
refreshingly lucid. He had been calling
on Miss Rome at the theater; he had
met Capt. Cutler there; they had been
Joined for short time by the accused,
who had then returned to his own
dressing room; they had been joined by
a Roman Catholic priest, who had asked
for the deceased lady and said his name
was Brown. Miss Rome had then gone
just outside the theater to the entrance
of the passage, in order to point out
to Capt. Cutler flower shop at which
he was 20 buy her some more flowers; |;
and the witness had remained III the
room, exchanging few words with the
priest. He had then distinctly heard the
deceased, having sent the captain on his
errand, turn round, laughing, and run
down the passage toward the other end,
where was the prisoners dressing room.
In idled curiosity as to the rapid move
ments Of his friends, he had strolled
out to the head of the passage himself
and looked down it toward the prison.
er's door. Did he see anything in the
passage? Yes, he saw something in the
passage.
Sir Walter Cowdray allowed an i'm
|, pressive interval, during which the wit
ness looked down, and, for all his usual
composure, seemed to have more than
his usual pallor. Then the barrister said
in a lower voice, which seemed at once
sympathetic and creepy:
Did you see it distinctly
Sir Wilson Seymour, however moved,
had his excellent brains in full working
order.
Very distinctly as regards its outline,
but quite indistinctly-indeed not at all
as regard the detail inside outline.
The passage is of such length that any
one in the middle OF it appears quite
black against the light of the other
end" The witness lowered his steady
eyes once more and added: Il had no.
ticed the fact before, when Capt. Gut
J Ter first entered itS There was another
silence; and the Judge leaned forward
and made note.
Well said Sir Walter, patiently,
what was the outline like? Was it, for
instance, like the figure OF a murdered
! woman"
Not in the least" answered Seymour
quietly.
''Wha, did it look like
1T looked to me- replied the wit
ness-''like tall man.
Every one in the court kept his eyes
riveted on his pen or his umbrella han
die or his book or his boots, or what
ever he happened 10 be looking at. They
seemed TO be holding their eyes away
| from the prisoner by main force; but
they felt his figure in the dock. and
they felt it as gigantic. Tall as Bruno
was to the eve. he seemed 10 swell tall
er when all eyes had been torn away
from him.
Cowdray was rcSuming his seat with
his solemn face. smoothing his black
silk robes and white silk whiskerS. Sir
i Wilson was leaving the witness box
after a few final particulars to which
, there were many other witnesses, when
the counsel for the defense sprang up
and stopped him.
Il shall only detain you a moment.
said Mr.. Butler. who was rustic-look-
ing person with red eyebrows and an
expression OF partial slumber. VIII you
tell your lordShip how you knew 1t was
tall man
A faint. refined smile seemed to pass
over Scymour'S features.
I'm afraid it is the vulgar test OF
trousers" he said When | saw day
light between the long legs | was sure
it was 4 man. after all.
| Buffers sleepy eyes opened dS sud-
denly as some silent explosion.
After all!' he repeated slowly. so
you did think first it was woman.
Seymour looked troubled fOr the first
time.
1T is hardly a point of fact" he said,
''Dut If his lordship would like me to
answer for my impression, OF course
shall do so. There was something about
the thing thai was not exactly woman
and vet was not quite man; somehow,
the curves were different. And II mad
something that looked like long hair.
Thank you." said Mr.. Butler, n. e..
and sat down suddenly, as II he had
got what he wanted. -,
| Capt. Cutler was a far less plausible
and composed witness than Sir NIl>on; !;
but his account of the opening incidents
was soldly the same. He described the
return of Bruno to his dressing room.
the dispatching of himself TO buy
bunch OF valley; his return
to the upper end of the passage; the
thing he saw in the passage; his suSpi-
cion of Seymour: and his struggle with
Bruno. But he could give little artistic
assistance about the black figure that he
and Seymour had seen Asked about ITS
outline he said he was no art critic
Asked If it was man or woman, nc
said it looked more like beaSt-wlth a
| too obvious snarl at the prisoner. But