The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-07-16
CHAPTER xxlil-contlnued.

geSsed me. 1 was aware of having
done wrong to no one. A clear con-
science kept assuring me that IL was
misfortune and not error on my part
that had brought me here. At every
point In the strange chain of circum-
stances felt that had acted as a
man of honor should have acted. NV
sense of innocence upheld me even
though the deliberate malicious plot
ting of evil men might make 1t appear
to the judge, to the jurors, to the
whole world that / was murderer.
Even though should be sentenced to
death for killing woman / never had
seen the knowledge that at every point
had done what still believed to
have been right. brought me strong
comfort and filed me with new cour-
age.
Yet 1t was with lack of interest that
listened to the monotonous question
ing that formed part of the selection
of jury.
$50 far as / am concerned" had
said to my counsel in our last chat,
ANY sort of jury win do. Unless
we succeed in upsetting the evidence
against me with crash that all the
world can hear it makes no differ
ence"
Il guess you are right" he answer
ed, despondently, 1t seemed to me.
"and if the worst happens, we always
can take an appeal"
His reply convinced me that he, too.
was anticipating the result, which l
long ago had decided to be the only
outcome, unless something unforeseen
happened-a verdict against me of
murder in the first degree.
l heard, almost with amusement,
the district attorney, with eloquent
oratory, tell the jury the crimes he
expected to prove against me, even
smiling little at the picture he paint
ed of a gangster seeking employment
In an apartment occupied by families
OF wealth that he might find oppor-
tunities for plundering them, and
when he was surprised in the midst
OF his burglarizing, brutaIly choking
the unprotected woman whose home
he was despoiling and then as she lay
there, helpless and insRnsibIe, shoot
Ing her through the heart.
In fact, quite agreed with all he
said, even to his most strenuous adj
jectives-except for the one fact
That l knew | was not the man he
was talking about 1t had been bru-
tai, cowardly murder, and was fully
as anxious as the district attorney
could possibly be to see the miscreant
who had killed Miss Lutan brought
to book.
The testimony that was to come, l
devoutly hoped, would give some clue
mat would lead to the unmasking of
the real murderer. The first witness
called was one of the detectives who
mad arrested me. He told concisely,
as though repeating a we'll rehearsed
story, of having been summoned to
me Granddeck and finding there the
body Of Daisy Lutan. He said that
she had been shot through the heart.
Was there anyone in the apart
ment when You arrived?"
Yes, DOCTOR"
Anyone else?"
Yes, Mr.. Wick, the superintendent
OF the apartment and the prisoner"
What did they say? How did they
explain their presence there?"
They said they had heard a shot
and had come in to investigate"
he told Of examining the body,
questioning the physician and of max
ing search of the apartment for the
murderer, but finding no one else
there.
What did you do them"
My partner and / followed the
prisoner to his apartment and placed
MIN under arrest. We searched his
room and in the dresser found a
revolver with one chamber recently
discharged"
What made you suspect Nelson?
why did you arrest himT
My partner and I talked it over,
ana we both were of the opinion that |
II was an inside job, A burglar would |
nave no chance to get into building |
IKE the Granddeck and make his getS |
away. 1t was between the superin-
eendent of the building, who was a
man OF, responsibility, and this young
leilow-who was only a caretaker."
Had anything in Nelson's actions
made YOU suspicious of him?'
I noticed that he was greatly ex-
cited"
Anything else7"
After Nelson had gone upstairs to
ms own apartment, I questioned Mr.
WICK. He said he had been in the /
elevator when he heard the shot. He
mad gotten out at the fifth floor, where
II seemed to have come FROM AT the
door of Miss Lutan's apartment he
mad found the prisoner
That's ALL" said the district attor-
nee