The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-03-13

hlmSeII nel0 nothing. 1t was tre-
mendous-superb! 1t was probably
the most remarkable bluff ever
made in Q game OF poker.
II couldn't help admiring him
when he calmly showed forward all
his chips. knowing. as l did. that he
held nothing. He staked every.
thing. d. We see. wholly on his con.
viction that he could follow my
reasoning step by step and. in the
last analysis. outwit me. 1t took
courage and daring to do that. And
1t also took q degree of self-confi.
dence which would never have per.
mitted him to bet on q sure thing.
"The psychological principles In.
volved in that hand were identical
with those Of the Odell crime.
threatened Spotswoode with a pow.
crful hand-a pat hand-just as the
girl. no doubt. threatened him: and
instead OF compromising-instead
Of calling me or laying down-he
outreached me: he resorted to one
supreme coup. though It meant
risking everything. My word.
Markham! Can't you see how the
mans character. as revealed in that
amazing gesture. dovetails with the
psychology OF the crime?"
Markham was silent for a while:
he appeared to be bordering the
matter.
But you yourself, Vance, were
not satisfied at the time" he sub.
mitted at length. I'm fact. you
looked doubtful and worried"
'True. old dear. was no end
worried. The psychological proof
Of Spotswoode's guilt came SO
dashed Unexpectedly II wasn't
looking for 1t. don't y know. After
eliminating Cleaver had q parts
prts. SO to speak. in regard to Man.
nix: for all the material evidence
In favor Of Spotswoode's innocence
that Is. the seeming physical i'm.
possibility OF his having strangled
the lady-had. ! admit, impressed
me.
I'm not perfect. don't y know
Being unfortunately human. I'm
still susceptible to the malicious
animal magnetism about facts and
appearances which you lawyer
chaps are continuously exuding
over the earth like some vast as.
phyxiating effluvium. And even
when I found that Spotswoode's
psychological nature fitted per.
fectly with al: the factors of the
crime. I still harbored a doubt IN
regard to Mannix. It was barely
possible that he would have played
the hand just as Spotswoode played
It. That Is why. after the game was
over. ] tackled him on the subject
Of gambling. l wanted to check his
psychological reactions"
"Still. he staked everything on
one turn OF the wheel. as you
put It."
"Ah! But not in the same sense
that Spotswoode did. Mannix is q
cautious and timid gambler as com
pared with Spotswoode. To begin
with. he had an equal chance and
IN even bet. whereas Spotswoode
had no chance at all-his hand was
worthless.
"And yet Spotswoode wagered thu
limit on . pure bit Of mental calcu
lation. That was gambling in tn,
higher ether. On the other hand
Mannix was merely tossing q coin
with IN even chance Of winning
Furthermore. no calculation Of an,
kind entered into It: there was q,
planning. no figuring. no darine
And. - ! have told you from tn
start. the 0dell murder was ore
meditated and carefully worke'
out with shrewd calculation an,
supreme daring. And wha
true SAMPLER would ask IN adve,
cary 70 double . bet on the secon,
Nip Of the coin. and then accept q
o1ter TO redouble on the third nip
II purposely tested Mannix 1
that Way. % - 70 preclude an
possibility ot error. Thus NO
only eliminated him-I expunge
him. eradicated him. wiped him On
utterly. L cost me = thousand %