Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-10-26

A'S
cence.
He found his client seated in his
cell, scribbling upon pieces of paper
covered with diagrams, just as he had
found him on the occasion of his pre-
viOus visit. Wilton rose and they
shook hands.
The lawyer sat down. Lets 20 over
the facts together" he said. "There's
going to be a fight. You realize that?
Not that you won't win ont. of course
you will. But when popular passions
are stirred when Il newspaper cam
paign has practically prejudg4d the
case, it's apt to be reflected in the
minds of the jury. I've thought of
asking for a change of venue. But
I'm frank. Carruthers-the FEELING is
widespread, and Clayton is the town
where you enemies have the least
influence. l think We'll fight them
here"
I'll fight it out here" answered
Wilton.
"Your luck has been Internal. If it
could be proved that Bowyer hired
those men to kidnap Miss Mcdonald
and her father-though it wouldn't
help directly-it would create a
prejudice in the minds of the jury.
We could bring that in as evidence.
1t would discredit Bowyer. 1t would
force him into the witness-box and
give us an opportunity. If those men
if Miss Mcdonald could go into the
witneSS-bOX-we could present some
thing Of a case. But they're dead-at
least those outlaws are dead-and
their secret died with them"
1--WE can get TOnguay there"
"You don't consider that he may be
a star witness for the prosecution,
Carruthers? He's got his neck to save.
And, if your implication of Phayre is
the correct one, you remember that
Phayre is a director OF the Clayton
hospital, and donated a large sun of
money to 1t. Three weeks in a private
room there offer opportunities"
"You do believe that Phayre is i'm
plicated?" cried Wilton.
L w. Sol ulilCiH L II pC "a w L
you. l didn't at first. But I'm con-
vinced that either Phayre or Bowyer
was privy to Joe BOstOck's murder. |
believe it was an accident, and that
they're playing on 1t to get you con-
victed.
That's what we car prove against
them, and it amounts to nothing. Now
what can they prove against us? You
were Joe BOstOck's friend. You knew
all his affairs. You were his executor.
For some reason or other Joe BostOck
raised a loan of a large sum on five
hundred Missatibi shares-probably
to cover some other investment, and
knowing that he could meet it when
the time came. There's nothing alb
| normal or unusual about that.
1.-THE money disappeared. Checks ag-
gregating four hundred thousand dol
lars signed by Joe Bostock and
made out in your favor are found in
your safe. 1t is claimed that you pre-
scented them; that they passed through
the bank in the normal way, and that
they went back to you at the time you
signed the monthly statement as his
executor.
you are presumed to have caShed
those checks. Two days later you
went into the bush with Mr.. Bostock.
He died at your side. Do you see the
implication, as a juryman would see
it,"
and you believe 1 forged those
checks?"
81 do not" said Payne emphatically.
"But-IIl be frank-I couldn't see"
'Then it was Phayre."
"Phayre or Clark. Clark has q first
rate record. He was twelve years with
the Regina branch of the Western Ma
tional. We haven't been able to trace
anything to his discredit. Still, there's
not the least doubt Phayre and Bow
yer fixed up this scheme to get con-
troll of the Missatibi and ruin you, at
the best. Joe BOstOck's death fitted in
only too well with their purposes. But
how those checks got into your safe,
Carruthers-"
chambers placed them there, of
course. l went over the papers i'm
mediately l discovered that the safe
was open, but the checks were the last
thing | should have thought of look
ing at. l thought they were after the
blue-prints of the townships"
"Then Chambers must also have alb
stracted the checks showing how Joe
Bostock expended that five hundred
thousand, and left those In their place.
It's a dlabolical contrivance, and I'm
afraid we can't hope to make much
impression with such a story on Il
jury, C%arruthers. Are you positive
you closed the safe?"
Il am absolutely sure, because l al
ways tried it after closing, and made
sure that the combination was not
set"
ut couldn't be opened without the
combinations"
Impossible. OF course, I'm not say
ing what mightn't be done by a master
craftsman"
But Chambers wasn't a burglar. He
was an engineer, and always had been.