Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1915-10-14

But no. Byza tremendous effort she
pulled herself together, looked straight
into the attorneys eyes and started.
ming, to tell what she knew of and
had seen in the moments of the con-
summation Of the crime that had
shocked continent
"You need not repeat that-that
question" she quickly said. IL will
answer it fully. On. the night in ques-
ton I entered the library of my home,
-and-the telephone bell was-was
ringing"
Again she paused. Her cheeks, her
hands and her forehead twitched
nervously as sometimes they do in an
epileptic attack. She CROPPED as though
blindly for bottle of smelling salts
which she carried in gold mesh bag.
The once strong thread Of mental re-
serve and physical power had worn
too thin to stand the strain. 1t snap
ped.
The woman fell back in the witness
chair in swoon as she gasped feebly,
water, water" and the court attend
ants jumped to her aid.
-
After all, there was no just cause to
wonder at the unexpected collapse Of
Joan Trask on the witness stand. Few
people there are who could have en-
dured what she had endured without
emerging from the test-if they came
out of it at all-without either health
or mind vitality impaired. Years Of
suspense and Of sacrificing for anoth-
er things most dear to true wOman's
heart had but lily prepared her to face
the merciless prosecutor of notorious
murder trial, even though the silent
victim whose blood demanded VEN
geance had been the man she had loved
as husband.
What was it about that telephone
aid Trask which when on the stand
the first day of the trial. caused her to
faint at it's mention?
What was there about that talk over
the wire that broke down her reserve.
self contained demeanOr and determin-
ed poise when questioned about it by
the prosecutor, when even poignant re-
minders Of her husbands death had
failed to materially move her?
What was the mystery?
Undoubtedly the prosecutor knew
through her statements before the trial
began and by her testimony at the
coroner's inquest and in the grand
juryrOom.
The public, aroused to still higher
pitch of excitement over the case,
awaited impatiently the resumption OF
Mrs Trasks testimony. The trial,
postponed for day owing to her spec
tacular breakdown on the witness
stand, was continued at 1890 a. NJ, a
day later, with Joan Trask again APP
pearing in the role of central figure.
Her eyes were clear; her voice was
steady. She had conquered the weak
ness that had overpowered her. She
had resolved to go through to the end
with the part she had been called on
by the authorities to fill.
And then the public began to learn
as much of the inner details of the
tragedy as the district attorneys office
itself knew The woman barred her
heart to a gaping, thOughtless multi
tude that fed it's morbid mind on her
sorrow with the greed of a hydra
headed vampire. A heyday for the
cynics and the scandal mongers was
the case of the people versus Robert
Strickland, and they were not to be
robbed of any choice morsel of their
prey. No, indeed
Now let us consider just what man
ner of a story it was that Joan Trask
told in those soul trying hours during
which she occupied the witness chair
in Justice Dinsmore's tribunal.
She had heard the telephone bell in
her husbands library ring as she en-
tered the house on her return from a
dinner given by friend in honor or
the wife of one Of the members OF
foreign embassy who had been visiting
in the city. Knowing her husband to
be out for the evening, she entered the
library and answered the call.
The instrument was affixed to an
ornate mahogany desk Of modern de-
sign standing at the left Of the room,
a short space in front Of an alcOve and
few feet distant from safe in
which Trask kept valuable papers,
some family heirlooms and from time
to time bundles Of stocks and bonds
and sums of money. He frequently
used large amounts of cash in his
transactions at home, she testified.
A wOman's voice answered when
Mrs. Trask asked what was wanted,
voice that Mrs Trask was certain that
she had heard before. At any rate, she
had a faint suspicion as to who was
the owner Of the voice-nothing def
mite.
"Is this 1872 River?' came the query.
Eyes," replied the financier's widow,
who stated to the court that she had
trembled visibly at the sound of the
voice.
A further request to be allowed to
fa1ly RI Mr. TrocLz was mot nv the re-