Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-07-09

CHAPTER xXIIl-Continued.
-16-
No sense of shame nor of guilt pos
seSsed me- was aware of having
done wrong to no one. A clear con-
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 l felt that l had acted as a
man of honor should have acted. My
sense of innocence upheld me even
though the deliberate malicious plot
ting of evil men might make it appear
to the judge, to the jurors, to the
whole world that 1 was a murderer.
Even though l should be sentenced to
| death for killing a woman l never had
seen the knowledge that at every point
l had done what l still believed to
have been right, brought me strong
comfort and filed me with new cour-
age.
Yet IL was with lack of interest that
listened to the mOnotonous question
ing that formed a part of the selection
of a jury.
$50 far as l am concerned" 1 had
said to my counsel in our last chat,
"any sort of a jury will do. Unless
we succeed in upsetting the evidence
against me with crash that all the
world can hear it makes no differ
ence."
II guess you are right" he answer
ed. despondently, it 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
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, ever
smiling little at the picture he paint
ed Of a gangster seeking employment
In an apartment occupied by familie:
Of wealth that he might find oppor
tunities for plundering them, ant
when he was surprised in the mids
Of his burglarizing, brutally choking
the unprotected woman whose hom'
he was despoiling and then as she la!
there, helpless and insensible, shoot
ing her through the heart.
In fact, l quite agreed with all h.
said, even to his most strenuous ad
jectives-except for the one fact
that knew 1 was not the man b
was talking about. 1t had been bru
tai, cowardly murder, and 1 was full
as anxious as the district attorne
could possibly be to see the miscrean
who had killed Miss Lutan brough
10 book
The testimony that was to come,
devoutly hoped, would give some clu
that would lead to the unmasking Q
the real murderer. The first witnes
called was one of the detectives VIII
had arrested me. He told concisely
as though repeating a well rehearse
story, of having been summoned t
the Granddeck and finding there th
body of Daisy Lutan. He said tha
she had been shot through the hear
"Was there anyone in the apar
ment when you arrived?"
''Yes, a doctor"
Anyone else?"
"Yes, Mr.. Wick. the superintendent
of the apartment, and the prisoner."
what did they say? How did the
explain their presence there?"
"They said they had heard a She
and had come in to investigate"
He told of examining the bod,
questioning the physician and of NAL
ing a search of the apartment for til
murderer, but finding no one els
there.
"What did you do then"
"My partner and l followed II
prisoner to his apartment and place
him under arrest. We searched h
room and in the dresser / found
revolver with one chamber recent
discharged"
"What made you suspect Nelson
Why did you arrest him?"
MY partner and I talked it owe
and we both were of the opinion tn;
it was an inside job. A burglar wou
have no chance to get into a buildir
like the Granddeck and make his ge
away. 1t was between the superi
tendent of the building, who was
man of responsibility, and this your
fellow-who was only a caretaker."
Had anything in Nelson's actor
made you suspicious of him?"
J, 81 noticed that he was greatly e
!! cited"
l Anything else"
AFTER Nelson had gone upstairs
/ his own apartment, 1 questioned N
y Wick. He said he had been in II
elevator when he heard the shot. T
had gotten out at the fifth floor, whe
it seemed to have come from. At Il
. door of Miss Lutan's apartment
had found the prisoner"
That's ALL" said the district ATTIC
Ley triumphantly.
. My attorney waived cross-examin
ton. The second detective was o
on the stand and corroborated /
partners evidence in every respe
Both of them told of finding blood
my coat. The physician whom Wi
had summoned gave a somewhat tee
nical description of the bullet wou1
and the prosecution put in eviden
the bullet extracted from the bo
and the revolver the detectives h
found pointing out that they were
the same caliber.
Call Mr.. Wick" said the distr
attorney.
l leaned forward to listen to eve
! word of Wick's testimony. In ia
n from the moment he was brought