DEAD MEN'S SHOES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23215, 8 December 1938, Page 8

DEAD MEN'S SHOES

CHAPTER CXXX.—(Continued) "Did you," pursued Granger, gently But inexorably, "on the evening of the 9th receive through the post a further 'Joe MathewV letter delivered to you at 7 p.m. by the village postman? Before it reached you it had passed through the hands of the police. I have a copy of that letter." He spread it on his desk and read it out: — " 'Final: " 'Leave Young C. alone. Cops are after him. Ihey haven't got the goods on him, but if they don't know he did it they soon will. 'That mustn't come from you. 'Keep your heads shut —both of you. Leave it to me. ' Sam's finished. 'Draw twenty pounds at once in ■£l notes and mail it to Joe Mathews, Post Office, Middleford. Then sit tight and wait.' " The jury leaned forward from their bench. There was an outbreak of excited whispering throughout the court. Mrs. Selby sat with a face like death itself. "You are on oath, Sarah Selby. It is ■useless to deny that you received the letter of which this is a copv. Did you?" "Yes!" said the witness huskily. "Who," said Granger, "is 'Young C.', unless it is the prisoner, Brian Chalmers? 'Sam's finished,'; .whom does it mean, if not that Barber is dead? The letter menaces Brian Chalmers. But that accusation must not come from you —for fear it might recoil on you! 'Keep yOur heads shut, both of you!' To whom does that refer, if not to you and your daughter, Mrs. Selby? You kept yours shut —you kept silence. 'Leave it to me'—the writer of this letter. Who, if not James Selby? Do you agree?" The witness looked straight at him, almost defiantly, and did not answer. "Did you draw that twenty pounds from Barclay's Bank next morning—and post it to Joe Mathews, Post Office, Middleford, Mrs. Selby?" "Yes," she said quietly. "I did that." "So you must have knowri the letter was from your husband? What did you do with it?" : "Burnt it." v Burnt it. And sent the money." Granger bad the letter passed up to her. "What you burnt was a traced copy ,7 accurate in every detail—here is the original. Look at it. Is it in your husband's handwriting—l have samples here 1 for the jury to see. Doesn't it show his characteristic tricks and mis-spellings? Have you, James Selby's wife, any doubtabout it?" V' CHAPTER CXXXI. i ■ ?■; • "WHAT AM I ACCUSED OF?" Mrs. Selby took the letter and looked' at it. It'shook in her fingers. Then she dropped it as if it scorched them, and stood 1 erect. "it's not Jim's!" she almost shouted out. "It's not; When I got that letter first 1 thought it must be that he was living, an' that he'd written to me. I didn't dare do anything but what that letter said. But I was never sure. And now I knbw he never wrote it." "But'why should anyone write you a letter like that', Mrs. Selby, if it was not vour husband?" ' , "To fool . me —to make be believe Jim was living. So that I'd hold my toflgue an' not tell anyone what I knew." "But that was exactly the order your husbarid himself gave you, Mrs. Selby, before be left the house. Wasn't it? ,You have already told the jury so. Who else do you suggest could have written it?" ~ The witness sank back in her chair and shook her head. "How can I tell. Is that for ma. to gay?" "Apparently not. It is only left for tou to declare it was not from your husband. Why are you sure of that? Can you give us any real reason?" There was no answer. Granger took back the letter and tossed it aside. "Very. well. We will pass to another matter, Mrs. Selby—" The judge interposed. "I don't wish-to interfere with coun--1 eel's conduct of the case, but it can surely not be loft at that. Is there no explanation of this remarkable letter?" Staniforth rose. "The prosecution, my>lord, have had ?ossession 'of that letter for some time. Vq left it for the defence to produce, if they desired. Before the case is finished the jury will be able to decide :who wrote it." "I am sure they will!" said Granger. "I may say," continued Staniforth, "we are-convinced it was not written by James Selby, and its intention was to persuade the witness that her husband was livings at the time it was ■written. An attempt to mislead her, and, incidentally, to mislead the police. On that head I prefer to say no more at the moment. "The prosecution has not produced that letter because it is not considered that an anonymous accusation is in any wav evidence against the prisoner. ' "I thank my learned friend for his forbearance," said Granger blandly. "This sinister missive which attempts to throw the guilt of Bannister Coote's death upon the prisoner is not only not evidence against him, but is evidence of his innocence. I will proceed, if Mr. Staniforth has finished." He turned to Mrs. Selby, who was sobbing quietly in the witness-box. "Mrs. Selby," he said gently, as if she were a friend and not an opponent, "I am sorry to put this to you now. but did you know that your husband had several times previously been 'in trouble.' ? M "Of course I knew it! But that was long ago. He was put away. But there's been nothing against him since tl\en" — the words came with a rush, and the woman spoke with intense emotion — "he's been going straight for years 1" "Did Mr. Coote know of these cionTictions and of James Selby'a record?" was Granger's nex't question. "Mr. Coote did know," replied Mrs. Selby. "He knew before ever the police came pushing in to tell him." "Did you know that Mr. Coote's will provided a legacy of five thousand pounds for James Selby, with remainder to you on bis decease—and five hundred pounds -to your daughter, Deborah ?" "Mr. Coote never said a word of that to any of us, I didn't know it till two days after his death, when the will was read. Mr. C&ote would never have mentioned it; he was as silent as the grave about his affairs." "And now that Mr. Coote is in his grave the Selby family have a claim to Aye thousand five hundred pounds. Then that, since he could not ha\*e known of it, was not one of the reasons S Selby's devotion to his maswJ i r, .f' oote lived was your husband well paid?" treated " Ben6ro,lSl " V paid ' and (RroS? T ° u J, hink < Mrs - Selby," said " that in S of a » te w , as worthy of such amotion as your husband's, to the point of laying down his life in defence of_his master if need be?" lips t 'Khtoned, and a u 8 ai ? ca ! nG *nto her eyes. 8 ' a^raost under her

"Mr. Coote knew all about your busband. Did not James Selby—and you, in your turn —know a great deal about Mr. Coote?" "I didn't." "Did you know that Mr. Coote was an old associate of James Selby, that their association dated even from before vour marriage to him;that he was at the time of his- death defrauding the trust funds of the Coote estate; that he was—"

Staniforth sprang up to protest. "I need no further interruptions from my friend!" said Granger. "The jury will hear evidence that Bannister Coote was a scoundrel and an associate ot scoundrels; that his dealings with his cousin, Brian Chalmers, throughout were not only treacherous, but fraudulent. Does the prosecution deny that? "We shall deny nothing that can be proved!" retorted the Crown counsel. "Certain! v not that Bannister Coote's dealings with the Coote funds were irregular; that was one cause of the quarrel. If you claim that the prisoner had provocation —" _ . "I am claiming that he is innocent!" returned Granger. "Mrs. Selby, you need not answer for your husband, but only for yourself. Did you have any knowledge or suspicion ot these frauds on the C'ooto trust bctore the night of Mr. Coote's death? 1 am not suggesting that you had. I want the jury to-hear 3'our answer.' "No—none." "When did you first hear of them. "Not till the will was read. When Mr. Chalmers told us Mr. Coote had no money to leave, that he'd robbed the estate of £30,000. and none of us would <*et anvthing if Mr. Chalmers claimed it; Ho'said to us, '1 hold you all m the hollow of my hand —all of you! _ "You've got your answer now! said Staniforth. "And so have you!" returned Granger. "1 ask the jury to take careful note of it. Who was present, Mrs. Selby?" "Me and m.v daughter; McGinness, Mr. Coote's iawyer; and. a woman called Jcanette Barton. She's dead." "Who read the will?" -. "Mr. McGinness. He was executor. "Ho was executor. And all four of you named in the will?" * "Yes." 'This was at King's Elm House, wasn't it? Did you, at that meeting, hear the prisoner accused of murder by one of those present?"

"I did

"Yes, I did." "Did you tell Mr. Chalmers that you didn't care about the money—you ■wanted your liusband, who had failed to return?" "I did. And it was true!' "Well, naturally. He was a good husband to you, Mrs. Selby.'" "No woman ever had a better, she said huskily. "My Jim!" "A strong, active man, wasn't he? A good protector, not a safe man to molest? Did James Selby, butler to Mr. Coote, own a revolver—find did he habitually carry it on him?'' The witness did not reply. "Think, Mrs. Selby, for this is vitally important. Don't say you don't know, because you do. Was it on him when he left the house on the night of % the sth?" The witness turned livid. She stood up. "I refuse to answer I I've answered you till now—l'll tell you nothing more about him! If?iJims living they'll charge him with bavin' part in the murder! I'm his wife!" Sarah Selby's nerve had broken; she was hysterical, frantic. Suddenly her face set hard. She pointed a shaking finger at Brian in the dock. "They can't make the prisoner's wife tell about him! That's right—that's fair." There was no stopping the furious rush of words. "There can't be one law for her and another for me!" A dead hush followed. The spectators stared at her, petrified with astonishment; many or them, especially the women, with admiration. The face of the juoge alone remained expressionless as he. watched her. » "But you have already told us, Mrs. Selby," said Granger quietly, "that you know your husband to be dead." ' She dropped back into the chair, her hands before her eyes.sj "Dead—-dead!"> she murmured brokenly. "Can't you let-him be? What is he accused of? What am I accused of?" - \ "You are accused of nothing. It has been my duty to put these questions to you.'Yours is a sad position, and I am very sorry for you," said Granger gently. "I shall ask you nothing more." He sat dowji. , "No questions," said Staniforth curtly, and did not rise to re-examine. Sarah Selby left the box. She had to be supported and led away. It was some time before the excited murmurs in court died down. The witness's answers and her final challenge had made an extraordinary impression. • ' To Sonia, sitting alert in the gallery, herself deeply moved, it seemed that Granger had expected it, and deliberately led up to it. One thing was sure —the witness had been far less hostile to Brian than Sonia expected. • "Call Deborah Selby!"

CHAPTER CXXXII. DJvtfORAH ON OATH There was a fresh stir of interest as Deborah entered the box. Deborah was neatly and demurely dressed in black, her eyes were inexpressibly sad, her dark hair drawn back over her ears gave' the small, pale face almost the aspect of a Madonna. She was totally unlike the girl who had been turned adrift from King's Elm House. She looked tiny before the huge bulk of the Crown-counsel who questioned her. "You are Deborah Selby. Daughter of James and Sarah Selby . . . Lately employed as house parlour maid at King's Elm House? .... You attended Miss Sonia Neil on her arrival on the sth. . . . Did not see the prisoner arrive? .... But saw Mr. Coote, your master, go into the morning-room where the accused and Miss Neil were? . . . . Heard them talking loudly? .... Time, about 9 o'clock? . . . . Where were you then?" "I was in the doorway of the diningroom, just across the hall," replied Deborah in a low, clear voice that the jury heard plainly; but they saw the girl was as tense and strung-up as her mother had been, although under better control. "Alone?" "My father was standing by me." "And you listened?" "We both listened. Anybody could tell there was a row, and they spoke so loud you couldn't help hearing." "What did you hear? Think very carefully. The prisoner's voice? Unless," added Staniforth dryly, as Granger rose, "the counsel for the defence is going to object?" "I have done with objections," said Granger blandly. "I think the jury should hear this witness, since they heard her mother." "It was Mr. Coote I heard first," said Deborah slowly. "He ! sounded very angry. He said: 'Get out of my hoiiso! YoU little cheat and liar!' I couldn't hear any more than that—not plain. I think ho swore." "Mr. Cooto said," repeated Staniforth, " 'you little cheat and liar!' Jn anger—in the course of a quarrel. He did not say that to the prisoner—who is the bigger man of the two?" "No; to Miss Sonia Neil. Because she came out directly after, looking very upset. Mr. Chalmers said to her, 'Go and wait for me in the car;' And he

(COPYRIGHT)

By JOHN GOODWIN ' • - ~ Author of v sealed Ordera," "Paid In Full," "The Shadow Man, etc. A «tory of a crime that was beyond solution until a loving girl followed her intuition.

went back into the room. I heard a crashing noise—like somebody doing thrown down. And Mr. Chalmers voice—" ' a? "What did you hear? §$ "Mr, Chalmers snid, 'Another word from you and I*ll kill voir.' He shouted it out. He said something about 'fit to live!' And 'I haven't don 6 with you! "Think again. Nothing more than that?" "So." ; . ' Granger sat, his chin on his hand, watching the witness keenly, a slight smile on his lips. Staniforth tried her once more.

"That's all I can tell—except that Mr. Chalmers came out, and he and Miss Neil drove away in his car. My father went to Mr. Coote. . . He sent for me to bring some brandy tor the master. . . 1 gave it to Mr. Cooto. . . Ho was standing' by the table, very white. . . There was some blood on hjs handkerchief —and a piece of fresh black sticking plaster on his lei t hand. . . Yes, 1 was alone with him; not long, only a minute, maybe. . . He didn't tell me anything. . . Then 1 came out. . . My lather went away he told me nothing, neither. . . I heprd Mr. C'ooto going off on his horse, but 1 didn't seo him again." That was all. To the jury it sounded deadly. They did not see that the Crown counsel was disappointed and slightly taken aback. Instead of persevering with the witness, he suddenly dropped her abruptly, and sat down. Staniforth always knew when to stop. Then Granger rose. ""Miss Selby," ho said, "when Policesergeant Howo questioned you at Mr. Coote's house.on the day following his death, did you make this statement to him? 1 have your words here. 'I heard Mr. Chalmers* say: "Damn you. if you say another word I'll kill you! You d be better dead. You've kept me out of my own long enough!"-?'" Deborah was about to reply. llien her lips closed, and she looked at him dumbly. ; n "You have not been asked it you used these words. Did you? Will you swear that Mr. Chalmers said that.^ "I don't remember ever sayin it, she replied slowly. . "You don't remember? Do you remember, on the following day, when Mr. Coote's will was being read before four witnesses —pointing to the prisoner and saying this: 'He did it. I know he did it! He killed Bannister Coote. And he killed my father'?" Deborah stared at him again. She did not seem at all shaken, though her face was a little paler than before. "I might have said it," she replied, under her breath, but loud enough for the jury to hear. "(To be continued daily.)