Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-01

h-~M~----s-@ -s~st ~
called to Scotland Yard and found
with Tomas Mr.. Montague Finchamp-
stead, the public prosecutor, that large
and forid man.
why do you look so happy.
Finch" he asked anxiously.
"Finchampstead hopes to take &C.
ton in the T'rale murder" Tomas ex-
planned.
"zeai-all zeal" Reggie murmured.
II think it will probably be my
duty. Fortune" said Mr.. Finchamp-
stead. Il have therefore called a con-
sultation. On the facts brought
before me / consider there Is
strong case against Douglas Charl.
bury. / do not. of course, wish TO
charge him with murder unless /
can be reasonably sure of convie-
ton" Here Tomas yawned. II shall
be glad of your opinion on that"
You're not a moral man, Finch,
said Reggie sadly. You want to
know IL you can convict him. You
ought TO want to know If he did it."
81 see no difference" Finchamp-
stead rebuked him with dignity. II
consider the matter as a lawyer"
That's what l complain Of" Reg
gle murmured.
BE good enough to consider the
case. Douglas Charlbury had quar-
relied with his uncle about the way
Sir Rodney conducted his racing af-
fairs. Sir Rodney's horse should have
won the Rutlandshire Handicap. and
- ,olo i 1cC
money
Like the rest of the world" said
Tomas 1.-THE old man was a black
guard"
Quite possible Finchampstead
swept on There were other cases
Charlburv wrote furious letters. He
suspected his uncle OF arranging that
the favorite should not win the Leeds
Cup. and we have a letter in which
he declares violently that he will in
terfere. That was written three days
before the murder. On Wednesday.
Thursday and Friday Charlbury was
playing cricket at Southampton. The
match finished at noon. The rest of
the team went on to Brighton by
train. Charlbury had with him a
small two-seater car. He left South
ampton in the afternoon alone. He
and his car were seen in the road
near Chantries that evening. We
have a tramp who will swear that
he saw a small car like Charlbury's
deserted in the lane by the park
that night. We found traces of that
car, large footprints and the stumps
of Aristides cigarettes. We know
Char1bury smokes that brand. We
know that Sir Rodney was attacked
by some one familiar with his habits.
I understand you are prepared to
testify that Sir Rodney's injuries were
inflicted by man of great physical
strength The cumulative force of
this evidence is very strong. | shall
be glad to hear if you have any
doubt that it proves Charlbury guilty
of the murder
IT don't know" Reggie said slowly.
Have you thought about the I'M
known quantities, Finch? My quartz
face, my bit of ivory? They don't
fit with Charlburyg
"They don't fit with anything"
Tomas grumbled.
II consider them irrelevant" said
Finchampstead.
We'll, WELL" Reggie sighed. TITS
wonderful thing, the legal mind.
You'll have to. produce me, Finch.
And l shall have to say there was
punctured wound in the mans right
eye, which could not have been made
by a fist. That's rather relevant"
You said yourself that he might
have fallen on a stump, or splinter,
or spike"
Yes. But we didn't find spike, or
splinter, or stump"
What does 1t matter? 1t is a
trivial injury. You say so. And the
assault was violent. Come, Fortune,
have you any real doubt Charlbury
was the murderer"
"Oh. yes! Some / don't like the
case, Finch. I can't satisfy myself.
And you don't satisfy me-
do you advise me not to bring
Charlbury into court?"
"If / were on the jury-would l con-
vict?" Reggie said slowly. II don't
know, Finch. I don't know
ut will be a doosed unpopular
prosecution" Tomas grumbled. THE
shady old uncle who robbed the public
rigging races is done in, and you put
in the dock this handsome nephew
who's a god on cricket and footer
grounds. Finch, you'll be hooted in
court"
IT am aware 1t will be unpopular"
said Finchampstead. THAT is another
reason for pressing the case. will
let you know my decision" He went
out in majesty.
y II \
+ OMAs at least was right. The
II prosecution was most unpopular.
All England and the newspapers
rallied round Douglas Charlbury.
Yet a brutal bench of magistrates
committed him for trial. His counsel
was content to say nonchalantly that
MFR. Charlbury preferred to reserve
his defense, but had perfect answer
to the charge And the opinion of
the Junior bar was that he would
want all the answer he had got. The
carefully marshaled evidence for the
crown was impressive.
When the case was tried before
little Justice Golding, cross-examina-
ton made hole or two in the prose-
cution. The tramp who swore to
seeing a car In the lane became a
vague and unconvincing tramp. In
spector Mordan could not swear that
the footprints in the long grass would
At Douglas Charlbury's feet, and con-
fessed that they were not precise
footprints. Inspector Mordan adj
mitted that many people smoked
Aristides cigarettes. Inspector Nor
dan could not explain how the body
came from the scene OF the fight to
the lake. Mr.. Fortune, mistaken.
unsuitable upon his evidence that
the injuries were inflicted before
death by strong mans lists, declined