Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-06
THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
A Detective Story by J. S. Fletcher

| iioW LUZ ulu you walk
AS far as Waterloo Bridge"
Always on the Temple side?'
| Just 80, sir-straight along on that
side"
Very good. When you got close to
Waterloo Bridge, did you meet any
body you knew"
Yes"
"Who?'
"Mr. .Aylmore, the member of Par
! lament"
Spargo could not avoid a glance a,
the two sisters. The elders head was
averted; the younger was staring at
the witness steadily. And Breton was
nervously tapping his fingers on the
crown of his shining silk hat.
Mr.. Anymore, the member of Parlia.
ment,' repeated the counsel's suave,
clear tones. ''Oh! And how did you
come to recognize Mr.. Aylmore, mem
ber of Parliament"
"Well, SIR in this way. At home,
I'm the secretary of our Liberal Ward
Club, and last year we had demon
stration, and il fell to me to arrange
with the principal speakers. ] got Mr..
Aylmore to come and speak, and nat
urally | met him several times, in Lon
don and in Scotland
80 that you knew him quite well?"
'Oh yes, sir"
'Do you see him now, Mr.. Lyell?"
Lyell smiled and half turned in the
box.
why, of course!' he answered.
"There is Mr.. Anymore"
There is Mr.. Anymore. Very good.
Now we go on. You met Mr.. Anymore
close to Waterloo Bridge? How close?"
"Well, sir, to be exact, Mr.. Ayl-
he eta ho
bridge on to the embankment."
''Alone?''
mo-
"Who was with him?
"a man, SIR"
did you know the man."
mo. But seeing who he was with,
1 took good look at him. I haven't
forgotten his face"
''You haven't forgotten his face. Mr..
Lyell--has anything recalled that face
to you within this last day or two?"
Yes, sir, indeed! -
"What?"
"The picture of the man they say
was murdered-John Marbury."
You're sure of that?"
I'm as certain. sir, as that my
names what it is.
at is your belief that Mr.. Ayl-
more. when you met him, was accom-
panied by the man who, according to
the photographs, was John MarburyT'
SIT is, sir. "
Very we'll. Now, having seen Mr.. |
Aylmore and his companion, what did
you do?"
"oh., just turned and walked after
them"
''You walked after them? They were
going eastward, then?'
Ii hr tbo
come"
You followed them eastward?''
Il did was going back to the
hotel, you see."
what were they doing?"
Talking uncommonly earnestly, !
sir
GLOW far did you follow them?"
81 followed them until they came to
the embankment lodge of Middle Tenn
pie lane, sir."
"And then?"
"Why, sir, they turned in there,
and I went straight on to De Keyser's,
and to my bed"
There was deeper silence in court
at that moment than at any other
period of the long day, and it grew
still deeper when the quiet, keen voice
put the next question.
saw Mr.. Aylmore take his companion
into the Temple by the embankment
entrance of Middle Temple lane on
the occasion in question:
81 do, l could swear no other, sir"
Can you tell us, as near as possible, |
what time that would be?"
"Yes. 1t was, to minute or so,
about five minutes past II"
The treasury counsel nodded to the
coroner, and the coroner, after whis-
oered conference with the foreman of
he jury. looked at the witness.
''You have only just given this in
ormation to the police, understand"
le said.
n Amiens, and l only returned by this
boat. AS soon as | had read
II the news in the papers-the English
raphs I determined to tell the police
hat | knew. and | went to New Scot
Ind Yard as soon as ! got to London
ais morning
Nobody else wanted to ask Mr.. David
yell any questions, and he stepped
own. And Mr.. Anymore suddenly came
,rward again, seeking the coroner's =
,tention.
May I be allowed to make an ex
anation, sir?" he began. t"
But the treasury counsel was on his
et, this time stern and implacable. II
ould point out, sir, that you have had
r. Aylmore in the box, and that he was
ot then at all ready to give explana-
ons, or even to answer questions" he
i'd. And before you allow him to
AXE any explanation now, ask you to
ear another witness whom I wish to
terpose at this stage. That witness
-