Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-15

crown. He w6s offensive from the
first, but Cell, whose spirits had risen
preceptibly, was not to be put out.
The witness he called first was Mrs.
Collistcr. The old mother had to be
helped into the witness box. Her poor
face was wet with recent tears;, and In
administering the oath StoweA hardly
dared to look Mt her. Remembering the
admissions she had made to him ut
l,allamoar he knew that she had come
to give false evidence in her daughters
cause.
She made timid. reluctant and
sometimes inaudible witness. More then
once Hudgeon complained that he could
not hear, and Gel, with great tender
ness. asked her to speak louder.
"Speak up, Mrs. Collister. There's
nothing to fear. The Court will pro-
tect YOU" he said. But Stowell, who
saw what was hidden behind the veil Of
| the old woman's soul, knew 1t was an
other and higher audience she was
afraid of.
With many pauses she repeated, in
answer to Cells questions, the story
she had told before--that her daughter
had returned home Ill on the fifth OF
April. that she had put her to bed In
the dairy loft and that the girl had
never left it until Cain, the constable,
came to arrest her.
"You saw her day and night while
she was at your houseV'
! Jaw, yes, sir, last thing at night
and first thing in the morning.
"And you know nothing that con-
flicts with what she says-that she
never had a child and therefore could
not have killed it?'
"Deed no, sir, nothing whatever
:, She had answered in tremulous
voice which the Deemster found deeply
affecting. Once or twice she had lifted
her weak eyes to his with pitiful look
of supplication, and he had had to turn
his own eyes away. II should do 1t
myself" he thought.
"And now, Mrs. Collister," said Cell,
'if you were here this morning you
heard what the Attorney General said
that your daughter had been Of n
lawless disposition and had run away
from home without apparent reason. Is
there any truth in that?'
Bessie was always a good girl, sir.
1t was lies the gentleman was putting
on her."
"Is the prisoner your husbands
daughter?'
"No, SIR" the old woman faltered,
"his stepdaughter.
SIS it true that her stepfaher has
always been hard on herr"
The old woman hesitated, then fall
tered again, "Middling hard anyway"
Don't be afraid. Remember, your
daughters liberty, perhaps her life, are
in peril. Tell the jury what happened
on the day she left home"
Then nervously, fearfully, looking
round the courthouse as II in terror of
being seen or heard, the old woman told
the story of the first Saturday in Au.
gust.
$50 your husband deliberately shut
the girl out of the house in the middle
of the night. knowing well she had
nowhere else to go to?"
"Yes, if you place, SIR"
"It's O lie--a scandalous lie =" cried
somebody at the back of the court.
"Who's that?" asked the Governor,
and he was told by the Inspector of
Police (who was already laying hold OF
the interrupter) that 1t was the hus.
band Of the witness. " e.
"a respectable mans character is
being sworn away" cried Dan. J"Put
me in the box and III swear it's a
lie."
In the tumult that followed the
Deemster raised his hand.
'This Court has been fenced" he
said severely, ''and II anybody attempts
to brawl here ="
"Then let me be sworn. I'm only a
plain Manxman, blood and bone, but !
can tell the truth as we'll as some that
make bigger mouth"
Behave yourself!'
"Give me chance to save my char.
acter and fix the disgrace of those bad
doings where 1t belongs"
II give you fair warning = ="
''Put the saddle on the right horse,
Dempster. He's near enough to your.
self, anyway"
"Silence!'
"Why doesn't he come out into the
open, not hide behind the skirts of q
girl with by-child!'
Remove that man to the cells, and
keep him there until the trial is over"
"What?" cried Dan, in loud voice.
Remove him " cried the Deemster
in q voice still louder, and at the next
moment Dan, shaking his fist Mt the
prisoner and cursing her, was hustled
out of court.
When the tempestuous scene was over
and silence had been restored, the wit.
ness was trembling and covering her face
in her hands and Hudgeon was on his
feet to cross examine her.
II think your father was the late
John Corteen, the Primitive Christian. u
Eyes, sir"
'He was a good man, wasn't hep
"As good man as ever walked the
world, SIR"
He had reputation for stric,
truthfulness--isn't that so?'
Deed it is. sir. The old Dempstel