The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-10-19
EXNOPsE8


 L0tlen had been assigned to {>Akn an he could about FRANK W CATMAX, wealthy and prom zH<nE who had threatened to sue mo HzaQe because the llewspa- Der reported Cmthay had been arrested. Later it was proven that tho man arrested, giving the name of OAthay and accompa1. st4 by girl called MARY BRIGGS, was an .iInposter. The Ux4de published the fetractiOn.
 Then NE0flzen is found dead and e few hours later comes news tlaat Cathay is dead--pos- eibly poisoned.
 eidnby Grin undertakes the oee& He calls on Cathay's physi- Cians ana then goes to see CHARLHE FISHER, Cathay's friend and lawyer. Fisher asks { GriR who is employing him. CHAPTER XII
 6rite did not answer the lawyer but continued smiling-a smile that told nothing.
 hvas 1t pefhaps." Fisher asked, @that is, if it's a fair question, the | district attorney of the county or < someone connected with the police xurce who employed you?"
 "The question" said Griff, "is kair, enough"
 There was moment of silence.
 ssThe ArlSwer?" Fisher purred in hia most suave voice.
 ssOh, the answerp Griff said. ssThht would be manifestly unfair. It's perfectly fair for yoh, repre- ssfiting your clients, to ask a ques- tion, but you understand we all of us have our professional obliga- tfuns, counselor"
 Fl see. I see," Fisher remarked, toying with a pencil on his desk nefyouSly. ''That Dr Cooper should bb proseeuted for criminal malfea- sanee. He disregarded his profess siChal duties and obligations and made an erroneous diagnosis, which was subsequently made pub
 s.What was the diagnosis he made?" Griff asked. :.
 .I would prefer not to discuss it in view of my connections with the famiiy.'' Fisher said firmly.
 II see" Gritf told him. There isn't any chance that his diagnosis was right, is there" tsas HNOb OM0 CuduC0 Ah o .s Not one chance in ten million" Tfsher said emphatically. His dtagnosis is a shining example or just how much harm a doctor can do when he shoots off his face. It's ah insult to Mrs Cathay."
 ''Indeed," said Griff. How IS Mrs Cathay affected by it?"
 s'Weli,", Fisher said, I'm not going to discuss it, but you can use your imagination, MT Griff. Nat ufatly, if a man is poisoned, one naturally suspects the young wi- dow who will be beneficiary under the estate, to the tune of several million dollars That is, you uiliisrstand, I'm simply comment ittE now upon the popular trend or thought, the idle street car gossip, the Widespread comments of sew ing circles"
 And Dr Cooper has now aban- dcned that diagnosis?" Griff asked.
 Oh, certainly. Tn fact. he never made any such diagnosis. He sim ply said that the symptoms were similar to :"
 Charles Fisher clamped his libv together and shook his head. He smiled tolerantly at the crim-
 I'm afraid, MT Griff," he said, "youll be drawing me out before know 1t. think, perhaps, you're rather an adroit cross-examiner."
 GFiff laughed.
 well" he said, "I talked with pr Cooper this morning, but couldn't draw him out any"
 sspr Cooper" said Fisher grimly, .sHijl probably find himself called before the medical board to ex- plain his rather strange state meuts. Particularly in view of the fact that he made those statements iii the presence of a newspaper re- p6rter,''
 Griff seemed completely uninter- ested in the future of Dr Cooper.
 II would" he said, "like to see Mrs Cathay."
 ssIt's impossible" Fisher said, ssShe's proStrated. She isn't seeing anyone. She talked with me over tic telephone and her voice was so choked and broken I could hardly understand what she said"
 "That," asked Griff. lis the only way you knew she was prostrat-
 Fisher's eyes grew hard. He said, Don't misunderstand me. I'm her attorney. I'm also her. friend. l was her husbands friend. Her hus- band's generosity was responsible for my success. I worked for Frank Cathay when he was in South Africa. Then he sold out his inter ests and came here. He sent for me to join him. He put up the money which put me through law school. He loaned me the money which established me in my law practice. I would cheerfully have died for him. I'd do anything for his widow. I say she's prostrated and I know what I'm talking about. Cathay's death was entirely due to natural causes. Those causes were brought about by dastardly libel which was perpetrated by metropolitan newspaper"
 The riewspapsr published re- traction" Grin said.
 s'In a way it was retraction." Fisher admitted. Ut was skill fully worded. It wasn't an apology mot by a long ways. The news paper admitted the mistake of the previous story, however, but it did 1t under the suise of publishing an additional item of news. Whatever Extraction there was, was merely incidental and by way of back ground for a new story"
 ssWill you" asked the criminoio- Rist, his eyes fastened intently up- on the lawyers lips. ''claim that it did not constitute a retraction?"
 Certainly not" Fisher said. "In the first place. believe that the action died when Cathay died which, of course, was a break for the newspaper. However. the mat ter, had been amicably adjusted prior to Cathay's death. handled the adjustment personally"
 cx1ff raised his eyebrows in in- fexroxation.
 eCan you tell me about that?" he asked.
 Unfortunately" said Fisher, T A.