The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-03-26


that" He laughed lightly.
"My political future may depend
upon it.
IF | can help you in that way I'll
gladly keep silent as long as you wish,
but l don't think care to make any
further terms"
snake sure of this" snapped the ia
ther-"your marriage will be annulled,
no matter what you prove or fail to
prove. Already Chiquita is repentant,
and shall not rest until she is free.
You have done me great injury. and
shall not forget it,
On the following morning the lead
| ing American attorney Of the city call
ed at the Jail. announcing that he had
been retained as counsel, but refusing
to tell who had employed him. Suppos-
| ing, Of course. that he had been sent
by friends who wished no publicity in
the matter. Kirk did not press him for
information. Together they outlined
their defense as best they could. With
characteristic optimism Kirk insisted
upon treating the charge against him
as Of little consequence. and it was
not until he had undergone his prelimi-
nary hearing that he fully realized the
gravity of his situation.
TO his unspeakable indignation. the
| officer who had discovered Cortlandt's
body swore that he had seen the de-
| ceased pass him shortly before the
time of his death, evidently taking a
walk along the waters edge for relief
from the heat. and that Immediately
afterward, perhaps minute or so, the
prisoner had also passed, going in the
same direction! There was street
light close by. he said, and there could
| be no possible mistake as to Anthony's
identity. A few moments later there
had been pistol shot, muffled, but I'M
mistakable. and the policeman had
fastened in the direction from which
IT came. The prisoner had appeared
suddenly out Of the darkness and hur-
ried past. In the politest manner pos
sible, the witness declared. he had
questioned him regarding the shot. but
Mr.. Anthony had neither stopped nor
answered. On the contrary, he had
broken into run. The officer had con-
sidered this strange behavior; but, be-
ing at all times most respectful toward
Americans, he had made no effort to
detain him. Passing on. he had found
the body Of the dead man. A revolver
was beside 1t.
When this amazing testimony was
| translated to Kirk he was astounded;
but his indignation was as nothing to
that which swept over him when a
servant in the Alfarez household swore
to having actually witnessed the MUIR
der.
This fellow declared that he had
been troubled greatly with toothache.
| Toward morning Of the night in ques-
ton, too restless for sleep. he had gone
out upon the sea wall Even now his
| face was swollen. and he made a de-
termined effort to show the court the
particular tooth which had made him
an unwilling beholder of the tragedy
| Overcome by exhaustion. he had fallen
| asleep after time. and he was awak.
ened by the sounds Of quarrel. On
opening his eyes he saw two Amer
| leans. one Of whom was Senior Cort-
landt. and the other Kirk Anthony.
Being utterly ignorant of their Ian
| guage. he had no means Of knowing
what was said. nor did he consider the
alteration serious until the large man
shot the Senior Cortlandt. Then, being
terror stricken at what he had beheld.
he had run away, entirely forgetting
his toothache. which was quite gone.
That was.all he knew of the matter
He recognized Anthony as the man
who had done the shooting. He was
troubled greatly with toothaches.
Wade was called next and told the
story of that damning incident at the
supper party. being corroborated by
the others. Then there were several
witnesses who swore to inconsequent
things.
For once in his careless life the
young man realized that he was face
to face with something bigger and
stronger than his own determination.
and it daunted him. He began to see
that he had underestimate these for
eigners, for it seemed an easy matter
to convict an innocent man in these
Central American courts. Suddenly he
decided to cable for Darwin X. An
thony-the one man who was strong
enough to save him.
When it came time for him to speak,
he told a straight story about his own
actions on that night, and he was cor
roborated by Allan: but be knew that
these words had little weight against
that other testimony. OF course. he
was remanded for trial.
Arson, the lawyer, gave him ray
Of encouragement as be left