The Filer record. (Filer, Idaho) 1919-1930, 1923-05-17
CHAPTER vIII-continued.

want to spring him?" asked the
detective with a grin
BARLEY nodded. and Black went
away to arrange the matter. l could
see what BARLEY was after. Only the
police and oursel, es knew that the
man was to be placed on the stand
and BARLEY wanted to see what ef.
feet his sudden Introduction might
have on those present. There might
be someone so surprised by 1t that
he would give himself away.
In row of chairs. directly in front
Of the coroner's desk and about six
feet away, were seated the members
OF Sykes household. Sykes STEP
daughter Ruth, dressed In dark blue,
was between Miss Potter and en- old
man. who. / decided, was the minister
uncle who had brought her home the
night Of the murder. l could not see
Miss Potter's face, but her hands
showed a great nervous strain; they
were never still, picking necessarily
at the folds Of her dress. On her
right were two empty chairs for the
chauffeur and Roche. and beyond
them the butler and the other serv-
ants.
We had to walt some time for the
doctor, who had been delaye' by a
case. When he arrived. he pushed his
way hurriedly through the people al
the far end of the room, pausing only
for a moment to speak to the district
attorney. He took his place back OF
the desk. and, after removing some
papers from his bag, stood for mo-
ment looking over the crowd. he
seemed almost too worn and nervous
to preside.
A silence fell on the room. the curl
Gus, expectant silence that l have SO
often noticed at inquests. To most
of the people present, the doctor had
ceased to be their familiar friend and
had become an impersonal officer OF
the law, the instrument for unravel
ing mysterious death. Perhaps
some were thinking Of the man In
whose house they were and whose
dead body lay above awaiting burial
The silence was suddenly broken by
a heavy peal OF thunder.
To my surprise, tho doctor called
as his first witness Sykes sister-in
law. As rule, the first person
called at an inquest is the one wnc
discovered the body, but for some rea
son the doctor had decided to keeI
the butler for later moment.
The first questions. after Miss Pot
ter had taken the oath, were the usua
ones. They related to her name anC
her relationship to Slyke. She sale
her name was Alice Potter, and tina
she was the sister of his dead wife
Slyke had asked her to come and ruI
his house for him. and for the las
ten years she had done so. In re
sponse to a question as to whethe
she had been paid for her services
she flushed deeply and explained tina
while no real salary had been paid
whenever she had needed money sh,
had asked Siyke for II and he hat
given II to her. The sum varied
though she doubted II she had evel
received more than a thousand in an,
one year. He always had been willin,
TO give her as much as she asked for
and had not questioned the amounts
There had never been any trouble
over money matters between them.
This was all evidence that 7 knew
and. while she was giving II. glanced
about the room, then watched the doc
tor. He was finding his position q
very difficult one. as he was the fam
fly physician as well as the coroner
He put his questions with as mucf
delicacy as possible. The whole Anal
seemed to be very distasteful Il
him. II was particularly trying for q
man who was still feeling the effects Of
a nervous breakdown. Miss Potter. for
tunately, became more Mt ease as the
questioning proceeded. She kept hel
ewes down and gave her answers In
such a low voice that at times II wss
hard to hear them at all.
All through the early part Of Miss
Potter's evidence there were rumbles
of distant thunder. Leaning back In
my chair. I pushed aside the heavy
draperies that hid the window. and
looked out. II was almost Ike night.
big storm was close at hand The
thunder was still some miles away,
and could see distant. almost con
tlpuous flashes of lightning. After a
quick glance let the curtain fall
bac-s into place