The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-27
CHAPTER ~TWENTY-FOUR

ut obviously was not DIS llllpoS'
sible for Mr.. Strickland to have
co~-mitted this murder as some
people seem to Think the coroner
commented. He threw a glance OF
triumph at Captain Mcdonald.
I might have collapsed, except
for the press of people around me
The room was reeling.
However," the coroner contln'
ued, 1--WE must look into al
angles" He asked his witness,
MIR. Berry, did you see Montcalm
go out into the garden shortly after
Strickland went upstairs?"
Yes, but I didn't think anything
about it at the time" !.
''Why not? That is positive evil
dence that Jerry Montcalm was
alone with the jeweler a few MIN,
utes before he was found dead
"But there was no murder then
I mean. we didn't know about II
then. A lot of us had gone out into
the garden Garlic, before the over
head lights were switched off,
Gould anyone have renamed
out there?"
Il suppose So, but I thought ev-
ervone was accounted for
The coroner didn't reply. We all
knew the answer. Everyone at the
party had been around the piano,
with the exception of Jerry and
me.
Poor Jerry was due for more
questioning. The coroner called
him, and Jack Berry stepped
down.
Jerry was even more nervous
than before. I guessed that some
n had been explaining to him
what a fix he was getting himself
into, He fingered the buttons on
his coat.
You are certain that Markham
was alive when Strickland went
upstairs?" Silver asked him.
Eyes. sir. Markham was looking
up at the sky"
And you were the next person
to go out into the garden where
Markham Was?"
Il thought I was. 1t was only
a couple of minutes later I went
out. Al wasn't standing there any
more. I couldn't see him. l started
walking across the court to look
for him. l must have turned to look
behind mel know I h d a
southland I stumbled over Al be.
side the lily pond. He was lying on
his back. 1t looked like he hao
just fallen and was hurt. I said,
What's wrong, APP
Eyes, I know" interrupted the
coroner. Tell us what you meant
you thought you heard a sounc
behind you"
well, it wasn't exactly behinc
me. 1t seemed to be above me.
Il really couldn't locate it, sir
"What kind of sound?"
ga sWishing-through the air
"Was that all? You didn't heal
anything else?"
Il don't know. Just at that min
ute I stumbled over Al. l forgo
all about the sound then
Gould it have been a bird?"
Il don't think so. There was (
Sort of hiss"
This new testimony apparently
was a surprise and a puzzle to the
coroner. He dismissed Jerry ano
called several other witnesses tt
ask if they could offer any explain
ton. No one could.
l seemed to be forgotten. All at
tention was conferred on Jerry, al
though a few minutes earlier 1 hae
thought 1 was as good as convicted
1t was not until Captain Mcdonald
took the stand, vas sworn in ane
began to testify that I was brough
back into the case.
And you looked at all the win
dows facing on the court?" the cor
oner asked him.
Yes. They were Ill locked
They were all dusty, too. No on,
could have opened them that nigh
without leaving a mark of SOM
kind in the dust, and there were n
marks. Only exception was tn
window in the upstairs bathroom
which was wide open"
Gould anyone have climbed GU
the bathroom window on a rop,
and back up ~again-or could h
have used the wire that held tn
electric lights on which to climb
I believe the north end of the wiz
was fastened near that window.
Captain Mcdonald shook hi
Ella ~LANAN-COURT