Omaha daily bee., 1916-03-28
CONTINUED from Last Saturday,
CHAPTER XI.
In the Alley.


A witness room, like an oceanliner,
begets stranget friendships in it's en-
forced intimacy. and also has this in
common with the great ships, that those
who come on deck only toward the close
of a stormy passage. find themselves
unreasonably ostracized by their fellow
passengers who have been daily shar-
ing the excitement of the voyage. Thus
the three newcomers among the wit
nesses in the trial of Mary Page were
left sitting primly on bench close to
the door while the incongruous, but
friendly group OF those who had al
ready testified stood near the window.
The trio themselves were oddly con-
glomerate-a burly man in what were
obviously his best clothes, with a col
lar q size too small and buxom
woman whose flushed face looked out
from under a marvellous purple bonnet
Her hands were encased in very large
white cotton gloves and she held back
her skirts aggressively from contact with
the short and elaborate gown OF the
over-dressed, tired-looking woman whose
face was pasty with powder and hard
with rouge.
All of the witnesses, for that matter
from the little beei-hop to Mrs. Page
herself, surveyed this last conner with
dsapproval; and Amy declared sue
cinctly, that II Mr.. Langdon put that
on the witness stand-it would be good
nightv
Langdon, however, greeted her with
a warmth that more than overbalanced
their chilliness, and his welcome to the
other man and woman was equally en-
thusiastic. To him, the presence Of these
three was a triumph. 1t meant that he
had succeeded where the police had
failed, and that he had still another sur
prise to spring upon the jury in this most
astounding trial.
Some hint of all this crept into his
tone lending it a new, almost boyish
note, when, at the beginning of the day S
proceedings, he rose and said
Your Honor and Gentlemen of the
Jury: Ever since the beginning of this
trial one point has remained mystery.
The state has admitted its inability to
offer evidence on this mooted subject,
and therefore, L crave the indulgence
of the court to digress from direct pro
ceedings this morning, to show you
where and how Mary Page spent those
hours between the death of David Pol
lock and her surrender to the law on the
following morning.
"Whatr' The startled exclamation was
wrung involuntarily from the district at
torney as he half rose from his chair
but it was drowned in the stir of ex-
element that swept through the entire
room For this had indeed been mooted
question and a decidedly sore point with
the prosecutor--the whereabouts of Mary
during those hours Immediately following
! the murder.
Miss Page" continued Landgon wher
the judges gavel had restored order
did not herself know exactly what wal
happening. As always follows an attack
Of repressed psychosis, the mind of th'
sufferer was like that of patient com
ling out OF ether-a flash OF recollection
and stretch of blank inconsistencies
therefore, it is not until now that l have
succeeded in piecing together the stor!
Of that night, and ] shall call as m!
first witness, Kate O'Neill!'
Kate proved to be the buxom woman
in the purple bonnet who gave her ag'
as round about 35'' and her occupation
as "a cook. and a good one" to thu
delighted amusement of the spectators.
miss O'Neill." said Langdon after th'