Middletown transcript., 1922-09-30

coolest and most deliberate murderers
that had ever lived, or he was the
victim Of an extraordinary well-woven
conspiracy.
Whether Wilton was innocent OF
guilty. Bob Payne meant to fight to
the last. He had taken a liking to
Carruthers, and he was resolved to
free him. That, of course, presumed
his own belief in his clients innO-
cence.
lie 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 go over
the facts together" he said. "There's
going to be fight. You realize that?
Not that you won't win out. OF course
you will. But when popular passions
are stirred-when newspaper cam
paign has practically prejudged the
case, it's apt to be reflected in the
minds of the jury. I've thought OF
asking for change of venue. But
I'm frank. charlottesville feeling is
widespread, and Clayton is the town
where your enemies have the least
influence. think wen fight them
here"
"Tn fight it out here" answered
Wilton.
your luck has been Internal. If 1t
could be proved that Bowyer hired
thuse men to kidnap Miss Mcdonald
and her fnther-though 1t 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 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 tina,
Phayre is director OF the Clayton
hospital, and donated large sum OF
money to it. Three weeks in private
room there offer opportunities"
"You do believe that Phayre is i'm
plicated!" cried Wilton.
II do, Carruthers. I'll be frank will
YOU. | didn't mt first. But I'm con
vir.ed that either Phayre or Bowyel
was privy to Joe Bostock's murder.
believe it was an accident, and tha
they're playing on 1t to get you con
victed.
That's what we can prove agairs
them. and 1t amounts to nothing. Nov
what can they prove against us? io'
were Joe Bostock's friend. You knev
all his affairs. You were his executor
For some reason or other Joe BOstocl
raised n loan of large sum on tiv
hundred Missutibi shares--probnbl
to cover some other investment, an
knowing that he could meet it wheI
the time came. There's nothing al
normal or unusual about that.
"The money disappeared. Checks az
gregating four hundred thousand do
lars signed by Joe Bostock an
made out in your favor are found i
your safe. 1t is claimed that you pr,
sented them; that they passed throug
the bank in the normal way, and tina
. they went back to you ut the time yo
signed the monthly statement as hi
executor.
"You are presumed to have cashe
those checks. Two days later yo
/ went into the bush with Mr.. BostocI
1 He died at your side. Do you see I'll
+ implication. as juryman would Sc
l. it?'
"And you believe forged thos
/ checks"
s u do not" said Payne emphaticall
l. "But-,Tll be fraus-I couldn't see
"Then it was Phayre.'
s "Phayre or Clark. Clark has a frs
II rate record. He was twelve years vii
the Regina branch of the Western y
8 tional. We haven't been able to tra
1t anything to his discredit. Still there
not the least doubt Phayre and Boz
n yer fixed up this scheme to get co
IS troll of the Missatibi and ruin you,
is the best. Joe BoStock'S death fitted
only too we'll with their purposes. B
how those checks got into your sal
| Carruthers-"
er "Chambers placed them there,
|! course. l went over the papers il
rs mediately | discovered that the su
was open, but the checks were the la
le thing | should have thought of loo
IT ing at | thought they were after t
ue-printS of the townships
er "Then Chambers must also have /;
stracted the checks showing how J
or Bostock expended that five hundr
X. thousand, and left those in their pla'
It's Il diaholical contrivance, and |
afraid we can't hope to make inu
impression with such story on
jury, Carruthers. Are you positi
YOU closed the safe?"
ot Il am absolutely sure, because |
nt, ways tried ii after closing, and ma
or sure that the combination WIS I
in set"
ut couldn't be opened without
he combination