The Jasper news., 1920-10-28
CHAPTER xxIIl-cOntinusd.


science kept assuring me that It 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 l had acted as
man Of honor should have acted. My
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 a murderer.
Even though should be sentenced to
death for killing a woman never had
seen the knowledge that at every point
1 had done what 1 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 a jury.
$50 far as / nm concerned" had
said to my counsel in our last chat,
ANY sort Of a jury will do. Unless
We ouNNCCu ia upSCNtihB
against me with n crash that all the
world can hear 1t makes no direr-
ence."
II guess you are right" he answer
ed, despondently, II seemed to me,
land IL 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.
/ 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 gangster seeking employment
in an apartment occupied by families
of wealth that he might find oppor-
tunltles for plundering them, and
when he was surprised in the midst
of his burglnrlzing brutally choking
the unprotected woman whose home
he was despoiling and then as she lay
there, helpless and lnsensible, shoot
ing her through the heart.
In fact, l quite agreed with all he
said, even to his most strenuous ad-
Jectlves-except for the one fact
that / knew l was not the man he
was talking about. 1t had been a bru-
tai, cowardly murder, and was fully
as anxious as the district attorney
could possibly be to see the mlscreant
who had killed Miss Lutan brought
TO book.
The testimony that was to come,
devoutly hoped, would give some clue
that would lead to the unmasking of
the real murderer. The first witness
called was one of the detectives who
had arrested me. He told conclsely,
as though repeating a well rehearsed
story, of having been summoned to
the 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 arrlvedf"
"Yes, doctor"
Anyone else2"
"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 a search of the apartment for the
murderer, but finding no one else
there.
"What did you do thenT
MY partner and followed the
prisoner to his apartment and placed
him under arrest. We searched his
room and In the dresser l found q
revolver with one chamber recently
discharged"
"What made you suspect NelsOni
Why did you arrest hlm2"
MY partner and / talked 1t oven
and we both were of the opinion thai
It was an inside job. A burglar would
have no chance to get into a building
like the Granddeck and make his get
away. 1t was between the superin
tendent of the building, who was q
man Of responsibility, and this young
fellOw-who was only caretaker."
"Had anything In Nelson's actions
made you suspicious OF hlmT
Il noticed that he was greatly ex
cited."
~Anything elseT"
-After Nelson had gone upstairs I.
bis Own apartment questioned Mr.