The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-10

shadow of doubt was in his
! own mind as to the priso-
ner's guilt, and it was with con-
fidence that he called Mrs. Trent,
the Mottisfont housekeeper. He"
evidence was simple, clear and
bore heavily against Joan, though
the good. lady was greatly dis
tressed at having to testify. Nor
could Philip shake her story,
which was merely the cold truth.
She had, filled. the water decan-
ter herself, straight from the zap
that morning. And she had ar
rived to find Agnes in the throes
of the poisoning, alone win
Joan.
Next came the doctor who had
attended Lady Tallbois. He re-
lated the bare facts. 1t was a case
OF strychnine poisoning. The
patient, he said. had evidently not
had a very heavy dose; the water
had diluted it considerably. Yet 1t
would, he considered, have killed
three people out Of five. 1t was
due to Lady Tallbois' extraordinary
strength and vitality that she sur
vived. He gave other reasons. she
had, however, had an extremely
narrow. escape. Philip scarcely
cross-examined the doctor at all.
The, official analyst was then
called, He too, dealt in cleancut
facts, and his evidence was worse
from Joan's point of view than
that of Mrs. Trenton the doctor.
His testimony was scientific and
technical. The water remaining
In the decanter contained suspend
ed strychnine. He gave the
strength and formula. And in
Mr.. Philip Mottisfont's medicine
chest (which the police has found
unlocked, in the bedroom beyond
the hall), was small bottle which
contained only a few drops OF a
precisely similar poison.
"What Is the name Of the drug
you found in this bother" asked
Sir Charles.
Liquor strychnine,'' replied the
analyst and gave technical details,
also the medical uses to which
such a drug might be put. He
added that the medicine chest was
of French manufacture and all the
bottles bore French labels. 1t was
easier for a layman to obtain such
things in France than here.
Philip, to the surprise OF the !
jury, did not cross-examine the
analyst at all.
The constable who arrested Joan
was next sworn. The story which
is already known was told and he
stood down after two or three
questions from Mottisfont. He
was followed by the inspector who
had impounded the decanter and
the medicine chest and who dis
covered the necklace in Joan's
valise. This official was closely
examined by Philip and the judge
took down the answers verbatim.
A detective inspector Of the G. /.
D. department, who had assumed
charge of the case, corroborated
all the foregoing police evidence,
and knitted 1t together under the
skilled questions of the crown
counsel. When Sir Charles sat
down. Philip rose.
.You made a thorough search
Of the whole flat?" said Philip.
IT did," said the inspector.
"And you found, / think, some
thing for which the police have
not accounted" pursued Motifs
font, Tell the jury what it was"
ut was the broken end of a
shoelace," said the inspector. 81
found it myself near the portiere
curtain in the hail."
From an envelope he took out a
few inches of leather lace with a
pointed wire tab and broken end.
1t was the duty Of the police to
furnish the defense with an ac-
count of any clues they found.
-Mottinsfont had given notice for
this thing to be produced. The
inspector held it up. 1t was APP
parently no more than a trif1e-
scrap of rubbish. And yet the
jury and most people in court
looked at 1t with curious interest.
Evidently there was some reason
for exhibiting this morsel Of
dirty feather.
"This," said Mottisfont, was
found in my flat. 1t is from the
footgear OF a man, and not
woman"
Undoubtedly it is from
mans boot. Probably 1t hung
loose, was trodden on by the
other foot and torn off"
Does that not suggest" said
Philip, "that whoever lost this
scrap of bootlace was hurried and
abrupt in his movements?"
"It is possible" said the detec-
tive guardedly.
could the lace have belonged
to me-or to the police?"
"No." said the inspector frank
~. at examined carefully all
LaI-z-svnv fn iVa he
fiat. also the boots you were
wearing. You use, apparently,
only cloth laces. Nor do the po-
lice wear laces OF this pattern.
at suggests then, that some
man. to whom the police have
found no further clue. must have
had access TO the flat on the daV
that Lady Tallbois was poisoned?"
ut NAV be So" said the detec-
tive cautiously, "in spite Of the
Strtctest search, the police have
no other evidence to confirm it,"
THANK YOU. Inspector" said
Philip drily. that is all 1 have
TO ask YOU"
The detective retired. taking
with him the morsel Of leather.
The stout spectator in the gallery
after him with wonder
Ing eyes.
Whats the good o. that Jack?"
he murmured to his lone-necked
companion. "a bit o. hangma n =
rope would be as much use to
the, gal in the dock"
IT dunno" whispered the other.
faint SO sure. This Mottisfont's
a deep chap. I've seen him get a
murderer off that you'd have
betted forty to one against Look