Evening star., 1921-11-27
tcon.inuea from Fourth Paxe1

tGontinuel from Fourth .Page.l -
standing at''fhe side entrance as IL
looking. in. and he supposed had seen
thA ira gedy and been frightened
away. He had a. vague impression
that the man. was chauffeur, and
a large. private limousine: but he was
unwilling to swear definitely to either
fact No one else was on the block
at the moment. So far as DE could
rememberSit was a residential quar-
ter and therew were not apt to be many
people abroad at that hour.
The prosecutor cross examined the
manufacturer 4perfunctorily; but 1t
was plain to see he was puzzled. He
could not understand the purpose Of
this testimony.
From it. however Achison elaborated
der. The evidence had already demon
strated that from the position in
which the woman had fallen. she
must have had her back toward
Coombs and have been facing toward
the side door of the drug store. and
the contentioh of the state was that
Coombs had reached over her right
shoulder and stabbed her with a
swift. downward thrust.
BY his line of questioning, though.
Achison now suggested that the real
murderer was some expert juggler or
knife-thrower who, knowing Of the
woman's appointment at the drug
store, had been lurking at the side
door and had seized his opportunity
as she started to come toward him.
To substantiate this assumption. he
had dummy brought into court. and
then, calling team of professional
knife-throwers. furnished by one of
the theatrical agencies, he stationed
them at exactly the distance the
woman had been from the door, and
hA, Itrao tad Of ia 6viH
knife into the dnmmy's suppositi-
tious heart.
Swift as a fash the knife flew
through the air and buried itself in the
indicated spot. Again and again. as
AchiSOn named some particular part
of the body, the knives were thrown.
and each time with unerring aim and
precision.
Ramsey with his eyes on the jury
felt an eNultant thrill as he saw the
effect of this somewhat gruesoaae
touch of vaudeville. There was no
getting away from the conclusion
that the crime might have been COM
mitted in the manner claimed. and
that the mysterious chauffeur lurk
Ing at the doorway might have been
the real assassin. Already in the
faces of the twelve men in the jury
box might be discerned the dawnings
of a reasonable doubt
But Achison. not content with this.
was reServing an even more dramatic
climax. Changing the line of testi-
great surgeons authorities in anat-
omy especially in regard to points.
and bidding Coombs stand up, had
him bare his right arm. The experts
upon examination declared that there
was diSlocation of the elbow of
such long standing and with such
pronounced ankylosis of the muscles
as to permit but little or no use
of the arm. They were unqualified
in their opinion that Coombs could
Sands finally con1municat with you,
it was because she was in deadly ter
ror. A man she had great reason to
fear was at large after the expira-
tion Of prison term, and she learned
that he was in New York. She was
anxious to obliterate herself, to fade
away into some country landscape
and leave no trace behind: and this
proposal of her brother to take her
into partnership offered the desired
opportunity. Meanwhile, she was
actually afraid to walk the streets.
After her telephone conversation
with You that day, she spent the
rest of the afternoon in my office
rather than go back home: and she
became SO nervous and apprelIensire
as the time approached to set out for
her appointment. that l sent her to
the drugstore in my car. and gave
my chauner orders to wait and drive
her to Grand Central station, for she
was planning to leave the city at
once. 1t was he who was seen by the
manufacturer, and mine the mystic
rious car in which he drove away.
Naturally. l realized that some one
must have observed the incident. and
fortunately, when 1 found the person.
he proved to be impeccable for our
purpose"
Ramsey glanced up sharply.
Does that mean that it was your
chauffer who killed the woman?''
''Oh. dear, no. Henry did not see
the murder; but waiting at the side
door. his attention was attracted by
a commotion and looking within. he
saw woman stretched out on the
floor and heard some one cry. Muir
der- Then. fearful of being involved.
he made off,
''who did kill her, them" demanded
Ramsey.
"Coombs." replied Achison.
Never" cried Wallace. why,
that's impossible. It's" p