The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-12

duty"
Sir Charles bowed gravely.
need say no more on that
head. Were YOU aware, Mr.. Mot
tisfont, OF any bitterness existing
between your wife and Lady Tall
bois, who succeeded her in the
Knayeth estate2''
The bitterness was wholly on
the side of Lady TaIlbois."
Your, wife never expressed any
resentment to you? You state
that she showed no anger what
ever against the rival who dis
possessed herr
She scarcely spoke of the mat
ter to me. Malice and vengeance
are wholly foreign to her nature.
tsThen-'t
.sSir Charles said Philip stern
". YOU know as well as that
under the law of England, a hus-
band cannot be compelled to tes-
tify against his wife, or a wife
against her husband. " On my
own free will am answering
these questions, and am speak
ing the truth upon oath.
81 shall ask You, then, no ques-
tons regarding the prisoner. but
only concerning your own act
ions, said Sir Carries a little
grinlly You possessed q medi-
cine chest containing poisOns.
How did you come by it?
Il bought it in France in 1916
while serving in the r.. T.. @.
have some knowledge Of drugs
and first aid. I have always kept
ii BY me. bought the chest
complete Some of the drugs 4
had little use for
When the police seized It there
was one bottle that had contained
liquor strychnine. a deadly poison.
Had you ever used any from it2
No
scan you ten us how it came
to be empty"
II emptied il myself.
IA ripple of excitement and iTl-5
Credulity ran through the court.
II was the, last answer any one
expected,
You eImptied it yOurself? re-
peated sir Charles, when
Nearly fortnight before the
arrest Of my wife.
why did y0tI do this?
because the liquor strychnine
was the only dangerous drug
among the lot. the chest did not
lock, and as was no longer living
alone I considered ut safer not 90
keep the stuff at all. So poured
il away. The drop or two that re-
manned would not have poisoned =
mouse.
THAT is your explanation Of how
the bottle came to be empty"
Exactly.
The Judge made a full note Of the
answers.
eve win leave the medicine
chest. Al claim was filed against
your wife, Mr.. Mottisfont, for oven
10000 pounds due to the Knaytn
estate. What answer was made TO
tfat?"
ssThe claim was just. replied
that 1t should be paid.
6T1ad you sufficient money, Mr..
Mottisfont?''
''No. The claim was increased" "
''FfoW much were you shortg'
.'Eeventeen thousand pounds.
"Yet you replied to the solici-
tors, eventually, that you would
settle in full, and were ready to do
49, How did you make up that
1900, Mr.. Mottisfont?'
'.I received. unexpectedly, a sum
Of 10000 pounds" said Philip
quietly. (which disposed of the diff
1icuIty.''
Sir Charles craik placed his
hands on his hips and smiled
blandly.
"Will you tell the jury, Mr.. Mot
tisfont, how you came by this con-
venient sum of 10000 pounds?"
Mottisfont answered steadily.
''It was sent me through the
post.
Through the post! BY whom?"
do not know"
.eYou do not know repeated Sir
Charles slowly, do you know this,
Mr.. Mottfsfont-that the value Of
the Knayth pearls lis between TWEEN
ty and thirty thousand pounds?
Yet you state upon oath that an
unknown and nameless benefactor
sent you the sum OF twenty thou
0and?"
Very grimly did Philip realize
how fate had conspired against him
and that it was worse than useless
to lay before a jury his own vague
suspicious concerning John Good
enough, retired footman of Knayth.
II know nothing Of the value Of
the Knayth pearls" he answered
briefly, nor have they anything
whatever to do with this twenty
thousand, as shall prove. That
money was blackmail, unwisely
paid by my wife to shield the men,
Ory of her parents, when she held
the TalIbois title, And that same
money it was which was anonym-
ously returned to me through the
post! The very banknotes handed
over by my wife. the numbers Of
which are known, were sent back,
and will be tracedw
Again the ripple of sensation
stirred all who heard him-sensa-
ton. and blank incredulity.
Who, then, were these mysteri-
Gus ,blackmailers, Mr.. Mottisfont, I"
asked the bland Sir Charles.
IF could tell you that. they
would be In the cells at Bow
street, returned Philip impatient
~. IT am convinced they are
none other than the Solicitor Theo-
philus Bell and his confederate
vaille, who supplied the evidence
OF my wife's claim-at a price
and who have since disappeared.
Disappeared" echoed Sir
Charles with a faint smile,
s'another mystery; Mr.. Motifs.
font? And cannot they be found
to throw a little light on all this
darkness? For we hear of their
importance now for the first time
$50 far, the police have failed"
I'VE must not be hard on the
police" replied the Crown counsel
suavely, their hands are very full