The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-19
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Mcclure motioned to me across
the courtroom. Reluctantly l went
through the swinging door in the
railing and mounted the witness
stand. I couldn't very well refuse.
l repeated the story l had told
him earlier. Eyes, I looked out
the upstairs bathroom window l
said. 81 saw Mr.. Montcalm come
out of the clubhouse and stumble
over the body. He did not strike
Markham. He acted frightened.
witnesses have testified that
someone threw a stool into the
river" Harvey Mcclure reminded
me. did you see anyone else IN
the g%arden?"
II saw no one in the garden but
Jerry and-the body"
"You didn't see William Calla?'
mo"
.How do you account for that?"
There may have been willow
trees in the way, or possibly he
was around the corner of the build
ing from me-"
do you have any reason to
doubt his story?"
None at all. He described Mr..
Montcalm's actions exactly as I
saw them"
The district attorney wasn't sat
isfied. He asked a few question OF
his own. This stool that supposed
" was thrown into the river-did
YOU see it earlier in the evening?
Where had it been s~tanding?"
I'm the rose arbor."
Gould a man have thrown it
from there into the river? Was the
river close enough"
"A very strong man might be
able to make such a throw"
The rose arbor was in plain
view from the bathroom Window"
ut was"
Can you swear there was 10
one in the Isl arbor?"
1 hesitated. INC, I can't swear
it. I saw no one there"
I was waved down from the
stand by a very puzzled district
attorney. He asked Jerry if he
was willing to testify. Jerry nodd-
ed, swallowed hard, and took the
stand.
The judge warned him that any
thing he said might be held against
him. file did not need to answer
questions.
II have nothing to hide" Jerry
told him.
Did you throw anything into
the river" the district attorney
asked.
"Mr. Strickland says that as far
as he could see there was no one
else in the garden. Mr.. Strickland
was upstairs. You have testified
that you saw him 60 up stairs. Was
he carrying a stool at that time?"
Jerry look surprised. mo. He
was not"
Are you sure?"
Sure I'm sure. He had nothing
in his hands"
the district attorney looked help
lessly at the judge. They say
somebody threw something in the
river" He shrugged his shoulders.
Its beyond me. No more ques-
tons"
George Markham spoke up. eff
it please the court, I have some
thing more to say"
The judge raised his eyebrows.
"You wish to testify"
Il would like the coroner to an
swer one question. Was my brother
stabbed by a man who was right
handed Or left-handed?"
The coroner, who was one of
the spectators and had taken no
part in the hearing, seemed flus-
tered for a moment, but on re-
quest from Harvey Mcclure he
went forward to the witness stand,
was sworn in and given the ques-
ton.
There is NO way to determine
positively that George Markham
was stabbed by a left-handed as
sailant," he said, but the position
of the wound indicated that it
could have been inflicted more
easily by a left-handed man." He
gave a technical description of the
course followed by the blade that
struck Alfred's heart. "Any evil
dence Of this nature is mullified
in part at beast, by the peculiar
shape of the instrument we believe
vas used. We believe it was a
garden trowel with a T-shaped
Bella LANAN-COURT RI
En,,p1o1 m Ao4,,