Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-01-12

SSz@SSi little Doris and that only by
SSsYS@J the most skillful management
would Arbuckle be able to finish his
examination of her. But the lawyer
was an ideal man for the task, and
he won the admiration of the entire
courtroom by the way in which he han
died the witness. Even Judge Dins-
more involuntarily nodded his head in
approval.
Don't be afraid. Well be finished
in a minute. Your mother said, Is
that you, Gerald TraskY What hap
pened then?
81 don't remember"
"Try to think a moment Be brave
girl. Did you hear a noise through the
telephone"
eyes, SIR
Here the district attorney, despite his
evident sympathy with the little wit
ness, deemed it his duty to interfere
again. He addressed the judge:
IF the court please, l must again in
sist that my friend refrain from lead
ing the witness"
Before Judge Dinsmore could rule
Arbuckle said:
81 submit, your honor, that the child
is laboring under a terrific strain and
that l must be allowed some latitude"
For a moment the judge hesitated.
his palpable sympathy with the little
witness struggling within him with his
duty to hold the scales of justice even.
His words to Arbuckle were caution
airy, but his manner was kindly as he
said to the lawyer for the defense:
"Try not to lead the witness"
The mOmentary rest had done Doris
| good, and when Arbuckle asked her,
''You say you heard a noise, Doris :?
she seemed a trife less exhausted.
! She answered. Yes. sir"
what kind of a noise was it,"
81 don't know-a funny noise-like a
| little firecracker."
"And what did your mother do when
| she heard the nOise?"
The vivid recollection brought back
all of Doris terror and WEAKNESS. She
made a brave attempt to answer. say
| ing:
"She screamed and said, My God,
| he's killed himr Then the child fall
| tered and cried out: please let me go.
! | don't want to talk any more.
"Just one more question and you'll
be all through. What did your mother
do after she said. My God. he's killed
him?"
'She took me in her arms and kissed
me and said, 'GOOdby.' And ! cried
because it hurt when she kissed me.
And she went away"
"And have you seen your mother
since that night?"
The child sobbed: mo, no. | want
eyes rested upon her father, sitting in
the prisoners chair and staring at her
| in strained attention. Doris rose from
the witness chair and started from the
platform toward her father, crying:
| Daddy dear, why did you make
mamma cry and run away from meg
Before Doris could set foot on the
floor of the courtroom Arbuckle caught
| her in his arms and said to the court.
'Thats the child's story, your honor"
Strickland had started to his feet
when his little daughter had turned to
him. His right arm was suspended in
the sling. With his free left hand out
stretched he appealed to the judge, eX-
| claiming:
'For Gods sake. you're torturing my
little bahy!'
The court was astir with sympathy
for Doris Strickland if not for her ia
| Their. There were whispered words OF
| sympathy and quiet EXPLANATIONS as
| the dramatic scene was acted, and
some of the more susceptible among
the spectators started to their feet
Judge Dinsmore kept his judicial pose.
He raped thrice with his gavel and
said:
''Mr. observation-disclosures
''I move that the child's testimony be
stricken out" said District Attorney
Gray. But the hour was late, and the
trial of the case Of the people OF the
state of New York against Robert
Strickland for the murder of Gerald
| Trask was adjourned for the day.
That night the people of New York
read and discussed nothing but the
| case. And the feature that held them
most was the testimony of little Doris
Strickland. telling her story to save
her dearly beloved daddy" The uni
verSal comment was:
poor child! Her mother ought to
be here with herr
The opening of the next days pro-
| ceedings in the trial saw the courtroom
scene all set at 10 o'clock in the morning,
save that one of the principal charac-
tiers was missing. The trial could not
proceed without David Arbuckle, the
defendants chief counsel, and Judge
Dinsmore asked of the district attOr
ney:
MIR. Gray, have you seen Mr.. Ar
buckle this m0rningY'
! mo. Your honor have NOT +"