The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-08-31


you in the great name of the sovereign
state of Colorado. To do your full duty
in arriving al your verdict"
The jury. half risen from the chairs
some with their left hands held high
above them, some with their right.
swore in mumbling tones TO do their
duty, whatever that might be. The
coroner surveyed the assemblage
First witness" he called out {:
'Harry Harkins p
Harry went forward, clumsily seek
ing the witness chair He was ques-
TONED regarding nothing more than
the mere finding of the body, the iden-
LITIGATION by means of the watch, and
the notification of the coroner. Fair
child was called, to suffer no more
from the queries of the investigator
than Harry. There was a pause. It
seemed that the inquest was over. A.
few people began to move toward the
door-only to halt. The coroner's
voice had sounded again:
Mrs. Laura Rodainel"
Prodded to her feet by the squint-
eyed man beside her, she rose and,
laughing in silly fashion, stumbled to
the aisle, her straying hair, her ragged
clothing, her big shoes and shuffling
gait all blending with the wild, eerie
look of her eyes, the constant MUNICH
ing of the almost toothless mouth.
Again she laughed. in vacant, en-
barrassed manner, as she reached the
stand and held up her hand for the
administration of the oath. Fairchild
leaned close to his partner.
eat least she knows enough for
that"
Harry nodded.
"She knows lot, that ole girl. They
say she writes down In a book every
thing she does every day. But what
can she be ere TO testify tor
The answer seemed to come In the
questioning voice of the coroner.
your name, please"
Laura Rodaine Least, that's the
name l go by. My real maiden name
is Laura Masterson, and"
"Rodaine will be sufficient. Your
ageT'
81 think it's sixty-four. If had my
book I could tell. +"
"Your book?"
Eyes, I keep everything In a book
But it isn't here. I couldn't bring it,
1.-THE guess will be sufficient in this
case. You've lived here a good many
years, Mrs. Rodaine?"
Eyes. Around thirty-five. Let's see
yes, I'm sure it's thirty-five. My boy
was born here-he's about thirty and
we came here five years before that.
81 believe you told me tonight that
you have a habit of.wandering around
the hills?'
Eyes, I've done that do it right
along-Tve done it ever since my hus
band and | split up-that was just s
little while after the boy was born
Sufficient / merely wanted to es
tablish that fact. In wandering about
did you ever see anything, twenty
three or four years ago or so, thai
would lead you to know something OF
the death of the man into whose de
mise we are inquiringT'
81 know something. / know a lot
But I've never figured it was anybody:
business but my own. So haven't TOLD
it. But / remember"
"What, Mrs. Rodaine?"
1.-THE day Siss1e Larsen was sup
posed to leave town-that was the day
he got killed"
do you remember the date?"
"No-I don't remember that"
"Would it be in your book?"
"No-no-it wouldn't be in my book
| l looked"
But you remember"
"Just like as if it was yesterday"
"And what you saw-did it give vol
| any idea
/ 81 know what / saw"
"And did it lead to any conclusion 2
eyes"
what, may / ask?"
''That somebody had been muir
| dered!"
"WhO-and by whom"
Crazy Laura munched at her tooth
| less gums for a moment and LOOKED
| watery, almost colorless eyes search
| ing, she began a survey of the bi,
room, looking intently from one fgur,
| to another. On and on-f1nally t,
reach the spot where stood Rober
Fairchild and Harry, and there the,
stopped. A lean finger, knottad b,
rheumatism, darkened by sun ant
wind, stretched out
| "Yes, know who did 1t, and I know
who got killed. 1t was 'Sissie' Larsel
he was murdered. The man VIII,
did it was fellow named Thornton
Fairchild who owned the mine-if
| amt mistaken, he was the father O
this young man"
81 object"' Farrell, the attorney
was on his feet and struggling forward
| tanning his horn-rimmed glasses int
pocket as he did So This ha
ceased to be an inquest; 1t has re
solved itself into some sort of an ir
QUESTION !"
II fail to see why" The corone
had stepped down and was facing hin
"Why? Why-you're inquiring int
death that happened more tina
twenty years ago-and you're basin
that inquiry upon the word of a won
an who is not legally able to give ties
tfmony in any kind Of a court OF o
any kind of a easel Have you an
further evidence upon the lines tina
she is going TO gfve?"
Not directly"
''Then / demand that all the test
mony which this woman has given b