, 1915-03-18
XVI.
Free Again

IL while the attorneys
consulted. On the resumption of my
examination they made a desperate at
tempt to impeach my character as a
witness, trying to show that | had
sailed under false pretenses, that l
was so feared in the after house that
the women refused to allow me below
or TO administer to Mr.. Turner the
remedies | prepared and finally that l
had surrendered myself to the crew as
a suspect of my own accord
Against this the cross examination
threw all its weight. The prosecuting
attorneys having dropped the question
Of the key. the 'shrewd young lawyer
for the defense followed It up:
This key. DIR. Leslie. do you know
where It is now"
YES. have it"
"win you tell how It came into your
possession
Certainly. picked 1t up on the
deck a night or so after the murders
Miss Lee had dropped It" l caught
Elsa Lees eye. and she gave me q
warm glance Of gratitude.
Have you the key with you7"
Yes" I produced 1t.
Are you a football player. doctorf'
81 was"
81 thought l recalled you. l have
seen you play several times. In spite
of our friend the attorney for the CON-
monwealth ! do not believe we will
need to call character witnesses for
~ ntl go MI. 4 -
the key to the storeroom in Mr.. Tur-
ner's room?'
yes"
did it occur to you at the time that
the key had any signifcanceT'
II wondered how 1t got there"
you say you listened inside the
locked door and heard no sound. but
felt a board rise up under your knee.
A ONE or two later when you
called the prisoner he was intoxicated
and reeled. Do you mean to tell us
that a drunken man could have made
his way in the darkness through a
cabin filed with chairs, tables and a
piano in absolute ~silencef"
The prosecuting attorney was on
his feet in an instant and the objec-
ito vas sustained. was next shown
the keys. club and Gle taken from
S~ingleton's mattress. You have Iden-
titled these objects as having been
found concealed in the prisoners mat
tress. Do any of these keys ft the
captains cabinY"
mo"
"Who saw the prisoner during the
days he was locked In his cabin?"
II saw him occasionally. The cook
saw him when he carried him bis
meals"
did you ever tell the prisoner where
the AZ was kept?"
mo"
"Did the members of the e
known
81 believe 30. Yes"
was the fact that Burns carried
the key 10 the captains cabin a mat
ter Of general knowledgeY"
Nc The crew knew that Burns
and ! carried the keys; they did not
know which one each carried, un-
less"-
go on, please"
"If any one had seen Burns take
Mrs. Johns forward and show her the
az be would have known"
"Who We're on deck at that timer
"All the crew were on deck, the fore
castle being closed. In the crows
nest was McNamara; Jones was at the
wheel"
From the crows nest could III look.
out have seen Burns and Mrs. Johns
going forward"
mo. The two houses were con
nected by an awning"
"What could the helmsman seer
Nothing forward of the after
house"
The prosecution closed it's case with
me. The defense. having virtually con
Quoted Its case by cross examination
Of the witnesses already called, con
tented itself with producing a few
character witnesses. and rested"
Goldstein made an eloquent plea of
mo case,'' and asked the Judge SO TO
instruct the jury.
This was refused. and the case went
TO the jury on the seventh day-a sur
prtsingly short trial. considering the
magnitude of the crimes.
The jury disagreed But, while they
wrangled. McWhirter and | were al
ready on the right track. At the very
hour that the Jurymen were being dis,
charged and steps taken for a retriaL
we had the murderer locked In my
room In a cheap lodging house or
Chestnut street
My situation was better than # had
been In the summer. ! had my
strength again, although the long con
hnement had told on me But my posi-.
ton was precarious enough. | had INV
pay from the Ella, and nothing else
And AcWhirter, with a monthly slip