Evening star., 1924-08-10

to send to the capital a historical
iron tablet of the Ming Dynasty,
which Is said to have a record for
producing rain. According to a story
which is widely accepted by the Chi
nese, magistrate of Hantanhsien
Shantung. in the days of the Ming
daily rations of grotesque horror
while the horror was news. When it
ceased to be news, they let ii drop
from sight. No sob sister" was sent
to interview Mahon in his cell or turn
spotlight Of publicity on Mahon's
home.
Speed Marks His Trial.
on without blare of trumpets Tues
day morning, July l5 Mr.. Justice
Avory, austere and aloof in his black
gown and wig of white horsehair,
came as usual into the tiny court
room at Lewes and the clerk of as
size called the case of the crown
against Mahon, who, in a low, steady
voice, pleaded Not guilty"
In charge of the prosecution was
Sir Henry Curtis Bennett. X. c. The
prisoner was defended by J. d. Cas-
sells, another kings counsel and a
me member of Parliament.
So rapidly and easily that the
newspapers made no mention of the
process of the time consumed, a jury
was selected and sworn, and Sir
Henry made his opening speech. He
began with Mahon's arrest at Water
loo Station when he went to get his
bag, and then went on to read the
prisoners signed statements to the
police. He told the jurors of the
gruesome discoveries in the bunga-
low, and then made his first direct
attack on Mahon's presumed defense
An ak with a broken handle. he
inches Of coal. But Careful pea eaaminas sa1
ton Of the door between living room
and bedroom had disclosed no such
ak, flung with sufficient force to
break its handle, had struck there
Furthe rmore he said when the
bungalow was let to Mahon the coal
ealdron was in the dining room, not
claimed Miss Kaye struck her head
on it. And again. when the police
searched the place. the coal scuttIe
was not, found in the living room.
Other Blows Are Charged.
Then he went on to the medical
evidence of the prosecution. promis-
ing to produce Sir Bernard Spilsbury,
who would tell the jurors that in
his opinion the woman, by a fall upon
that coal caldron, could not have re-
ceived injuries sufficient to cause her
death. and that she must have been
in some other manner hit upon the
head with such force that she died
almost instantly. ~. -
He would show, too he promised.
that Mahon, buying the butcher knife
and meat saw in London shop the
ing down to join Miss Kaye at
Pevensey, had lied to the police
about the date of the purchase, max
ing it subsequent to her DEATH, And
W. hrt
Miss Kaye, who would swear the
dead woman had been of notably
serious, placid temperament. and that
they had never known her to be
During the remainder of Tuesday,
all OF Wednesday and the early morn
ing of. Thursday he kept these
promises, producing all the witnesses.
he would have been through with
them sooner, but toward noon We'd
nesday one of the jurors became so
violently III that he had to be taken
nome. Tfe court announced the pro-
ceedings must be recommended.
Without delay another juror was
sworn in. Sir Henry, consuming less
than quarter of an hour this time
recounted the case. for the crown.
and the witnesses heard Tuesday were
recalled long enough to listen while
were read to them. The total loss Of
time caused by the mishap to the
jury was four hours and a half.
THURSDAY morning Miss Ethel Dun
suspicious week end in the death
haunted bungalow. and the medical
testimony was given by a Home Of
fee analyst and Sir Bernard Spills
nury. Whereupon the crown rested
its case, and, Mahon was immediat tely
placed In the witness box by Mr..
Cassels to testify in his own defense.
Facts Alone Are Demanded.
He made a 1oquacious witness, or
would have but for Mr.. Justice
Avory, who was constantly pulling
him up with a What do you mean
by that?" or This is all so vague
We want to know what took place"
Once, when Mahon. on the verge of
emotional collapse. was dwelling on
his feelings during the final quarrel
the judge complained:
This Is descriptive sort of mar
rative. We want to know what hop
pened."
Il told her." Mahon answered. 'I
was going to bed and moved away
from the table toward the bedroom
door. Miss Kaye said something, and
as I turned she threw the ak. ]
over the door or framework of the
door. I was astounded by. the sud-
denness of the attack. Then she
leaped across the room, -clutching at
my race"
Here Mahon's voice suddenly broke,
his body lurching forward till it
seemed he would fall out Of the wit
ness box. He broke out into con-
vulsive sobs. ~.------
But the justice was calm. He
merely said, as. soon as the witness
had composed himself somewhat:
1--WE have got as far as 'clutching
at my face. Will you please go on?"
Friday he had to undergo a
searching cross and TO-
ward the end of the ordeal mani
ance and a chair was placed for him
in the witness box.
On Saturday morning, the moment
the prisoner had been put In the dock
by his warders. Mr. Justice Avory
told the jury three findings were open
In his view. he said, the jury could
only find the prisoner not guilty IL
It believed that, acting in self-de-
fense, 1t had been necessary for him
to kill the woman in order to save his
own life or prevent such serious bodily
harm as would have endangered his
life.
- shows F1aw In Testimony.
Mahon's testimony, he went ON, must
be taken into consideration equally
with the evidence Of the prosecution,
and one Of the, most important ques-
tions for their consideration was
whether they could accept his story rs
a true description Of what actually took
place. They must ask themselves, Tor
example, whether the ak handle could
have been broken as Mahon said 1t was
and why he went to- the trouble of ut
terly destroying the dead woman's head
il it bore. a wound confirming. his as
sertion of her. fall against the coal
caldron.
~-After calling the Jurors attention to
other Inconsistencies in the sole evil
dence put in by. the defense, the pris-
oner's own statement, the judge gave
the case into their hands. They were