The Washington times., 1937-05-27

vi pdPS1 All AS} C~ANS
meath a type metal paperweight
writing something's" I asked.
Brant's hand fell upon my
Ing in the way Of explanation. We
sat and were comfortable, he with
his pipe and I with cigarets.
Neither Of us talked of the trial,
though I knew it lay uppermoSt
IN his thoughts as it did in mine.
Later, though, with the Hults-
kamp warming my veins and
loosening my tongue, it was impos-
eible not to speak Of it.
"Brant," I said, for I was not
quite sober, you're a good fellow,
even If did use to think you were
q crab; and you're a smart fellow
and I want your opinion. Now
tell me, did Janice Fowler kill that
girl?"
II don't think she did It,"
"All right. Neither do I. But
what good does that do?"
None, I'm afraid" said Brant
solemnly, and he shook his head.
cts preposterouS to think that an
innocent girl could get herself in
volved so terrifically-yet it's
equally prepoSterous to think that
a murderess would allow herself
to get in the fix that Janice Fow-
ler'S in. Either way you turn, the
things incredible. It's fantastic" "
But a jury can only be guided
by the evidence"
There's the trouble. And be-
sides, If Janice Fowler didn't do
1t who &d?"
The escort, Of course" I
answered promptly.
You forget one thing said
ayAnt.
whats that?"
ZIP she's telling the truth there
was a BURGLAR in her room that
night. I have an idea he could
tell us what we want to know"
"But don't you remember what
you told me the day the story
broke? You said that the kind
Of crooks who were ready to do
murder didn't have to pluck dag
gers off wall"
II remember" said Brant with
a ESy smile. But I remember
also that that was said before we
heard about Janice Fowler's burg
lar. The whole thing is just a
headache"
It was worse than that, I said.
SPY all the rules of ordinary evil
dence, Janice Fowler is guilty.
And yet when she's arrested she
does something that no murderer
I've ever known ever did. She re-
fuses to hire a lawyer. Why, damn
it, the first thing that a guilty
person looks for is protection. She
refused it. When I interviewed
her the day after she was arrested
she had been up against a pretty
tough police grilling. You know
what those things are like. But
she wouldn't cry for help. She's
-ah, she didn't do it. She's toe
swell a kid. Where's my hat?
I'm going nome.
Brant laughed and found it for
me.
And. as Pepys might have
put it, $50 home and to bed, and
up betimes and to the Court House
to see a fair lady on trial for mur
der"
The corridors, as usual, were
damned with the morbidly curious
The drone of the bailiff then
"Oyez! Oyez! Overland The
third day Of the Fowler trial was
begun.
John Cropsy!"
Officer Steps Proudly
Toward Witness Stand
The chief of the Homicide
Squad, looking pretty sure of him
self. and with just the right de
gree Of seriousness, strobe pur
poSefully to the witness stand.
He was the first of the impcr
tant witnesses, and Francis Miles
began to open up a bit. Yester
day he had been matter of-fact
and conversational; today he hac
real drama at his command anc
he was the typical county prose
cutor Strutting his stuff at a muir
der trial. There was a ring il
his voice-a tone of triumph
that had not been there yesterday
and the day before. His aces were
coming up, the trap of the law was
closing down, his name that day
would make half the front pages
of the country. The governorsh;r
of Ohio was not too remote
now -.
Under his questioning CropsS
related how he had been called tc
the scene Of the murder, seen the