, 1916-04-13

SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS
Robert Strickland is on trial for killing
GERALD Trask in the latter's library ar
night. District Attorney Gray declares
strickland killed Trask, with the aid of
an who escaped, for the sake
OF 10000 in cash, which Strickland had
lust repaid to Trask. The defendant and
Irask were the onl! two who knew the
combination 10 the safe. Important fig
ures In the case are Arbuckle, counsel for
the defense, and Glover, who was Tracks
secretary.
Strickland would not make defense,
but law compels him to do SO. Mrs.
Strickland disappeared after the shooting.
Mrs. Trask. on stand. tells of telephone
call made on her husband, on the night OF
his death. by a woman who would not
give her name.
Trask returned from Long Branch that
night and told of giving by mistake the
combination of the safe to Strickland.
Mrs. Trask asked him In vain for name
OF woman who called him up. Glover and
Trask discussed Strickland and praised
him.
Mr.. and Mrs. Trask quarreled about his
attentions to other women, and she drag
ged out of the past that affair at Great
Neck" thirteen years before. In which a
DSohO was ihfoiNCh
Trask promised to reform. and his wife
forgave him. although it was only fear
of a divorce suit that prompted him. Later
when the two had gone to their respec.
tive rooms the telephone bell rang again.
Trask answering to some one he called
May" who is unknown to his wife.
Strickland entered the library, shot Trask
and was struck down by Glover. The
money was stolen. Glover il called to
testify.
Glover tells OF striking down Strickland
and taking from his pocket a card bear
ing the combination of the safe. Strick-
land tried to tear the card, he said, and
succeeded in tearing 1t almost in half.
Little Doris Strickland is called to the
stand against her fathers agonized pro-
test. :
Doris Strickland tells Of her father's
happy homecoming from Cleveland on the
fatal night. Before his return. she testi-
fes. her mother t~elephoned to the Jersey
railroad about a lost purse. Mother was
downtown shopping the day before, she
tells daddy. Doris Investigated daddy's
travelling bag and found a shining. me
tallic object.
I'D heard you say that Mr.. Trask
had a home at Long Branch-when
you wrote to me about the house. l
don't know much about house plan
ming, and l wanted to see a well plan
ned house. So | went down to Long
Branch to look through MI. Trask's
house"
Here Strickland made his first in
terruption.
with him?'
mo. alone: the housekeeper showed
me through"
so that's why you went down-to
look at the houseY'
Yes"
''Then why have you been lying
to meT"
II thought you might not like 1t. 1t
was a foolish thing to do-going to q
strangers homeland your manner
seemed so suspicious-you forced me
into it"
For a moment the past events of this
night shaped themselves IN ~Strickland's
mind. He asked:
when l introduced you tonight you
pretended you'd never met each other"
I'VE hadn't"
How did you know his address.
then?"
81 c~alledAhim up. couldn't go with
out asking his permission"
There was disbelief, strong and mark
ed. in Strickland's voice as he pursued
the relentless questioning again:
$50 you called him up to ask permits
sion to visit his house-a man you'd
never metz
Hes a friend of yours. l didn't see
any harm"
"And he gave you his address over
the telephoneY'
Yes"
Strickland's last question had been
put in a voice that marked the last
degree of repression. He had held
himself In leash since the outburst In
which he had wrenched the purse from
his wife's grasp. 1t had been a mighty
effort, and as he had questioned his
wife his hands had clinched and un'