The Pulaskian., 1920-07-08
CHAPTER xi.

Fortunately for me, there had re- gently been a wave of public criticism of the courts for the long delays in bringing criminal cases to trial. and the district attorney was moving with all celerity to bring my case to a con- clusion. An indictment against me for the murder of Daisy Lutan had been quickly found and the date had been already set for the trial-one week hence-so that the period of my incarceration and doubt as to my ulfi- mate fate seemed likely to be very brief
 Utterly absurd as the situation was. accused of murdering a woman whom I never had seen and hardly had heard of until I saw her lying dead in her apartments, conscious as I was of my entire innocence in the matter, still. as in the solitude of my cell reviewed the case, found myself fac ing the ordeal of a trial for murder with considerable apprehension.
 Circumstances certainly looked much against me. There was abso- lutely no way in which could refute the testimony of the two detectives that they had found the revolver with one chamber discharged in the drawer of my dresser. l myself had seen them find it. While Gofman still held that there was a possibility that they themselves had put it there, I knew that neither of them had been near the dresser after 1 had admitted them to my rooms. The only person whom I had the slightest ground for sus- pecting was C aire Bradford, yet what motive could she have had?
 Wick undoubtedly would testify that he had met me at the door of the Lutan apartment directly after he had heard the shot. He might say that 1 appeared to be greatly excited. This would be the exact truth There was even the possibility that he might swear that he had found me coming out of Miss Lutan's apartment. Even if he did not make the statement di- rect, shrewd questioning on the part of the district attorney could easily make it appear that had just left the Lutan apartment How could we possibly controvert his testimony?
 Then, in addition, there were the damaging statements that would be offered by Nellie Kelly. She would swear that the evening before I had taken her out to dinner and had been questioning her about the other ten ants in the house. Even though we knew that she was tool of Wick and was the wife of Lefty Moore, the bur glar. unless German was able to dis cover that she herself had criminal record. it seemed utterly hopeless to attempt to confute her statements.
 It would also initiate against me that at the time of the murder I was out of job and almost without funds. They were likely, too, to bring out the fact that I had teen discreditably discharged from the only position I had held in New York. The only man who knew anything about the matter, Mir. Wood. the head of the firm, had been suddenly called to France in con- nection with an order for munitions aau was not expected to return for several months. The fact would weigh against me. too, that I would he unable to offer the testimony of any character witnesses. Birge and Roller. my classmates wit, whom had roomed ever since 1 had come to New 1 York, were somewhere in France" with the American troops and could not possibly aid me.
 All of this was pointed our to me 1 by John McGregor. a young attorner 1 whom German had employed for ne.
 While German ane 1 had, thir's. sue l ceeded in convincing him of my inro- 1 .ence. the fact that he was continu- 1 aily citing the difficulties in inc way 1 6f cnr proving It male me realize hnt he was very dubious as to the outcome.