A Conflict of Evidence

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1302, 15 April 1905, Page 4

A Conflict of Evidence

By Rodiigues Ottoleiig Author of" An Artist in Crime,"

■'.'"CHAPTER.-Xll—Continued JOHN XKWI9 BUPPWBS A CLUB "Abl. Butwhom is sho shielding? you must.remember that she is doing a very dangerous tbing when she accuses bereolf. ; ■" Miss Lewis is a muob cloveror woman tban you nißy believe her to bo, and she '■ knows, wellonougb.thatabo Is bv f 'u A- mediate danger. Sho has conleswU '.:■ What what of that? When she is mode to appear in Court she will retract this conies- " lioD. Then bow will you couyiot ber / What evidsnoe is there against her own words P Sho will tell you that slip was , excited that shedid not rodto what she .: ■ was saying., What will you be able to do '•': : She is a woman, and the sympathy of the jury will be in her favour, bhe will-be acquitted, but. where will your real en- ; min»l be ? In some foreign land, Mr. Barnes listened with considerable - iiitereat to oil this, for it wcb prcoisoly what . . had been '. passing in bis own mind. He very well that a confession of so grave a crime,m' murder would not ■ by any meausossuro acoiiviciion, and be hadbynbmeansunderrated the girls V" ability.as a bold plotter. Still, he wood not dismiss from bis mind the possibility "that, afterall sbemigbt bo guilty. The ■ v ■'■ -fitory which she.had told was a moit plausible one. -Moreovor, lis very simplicity a .ithad boen manufactured. Beside!, it fitted 80 well all. the most complicated - points in the case. Then how did fto ■■'•"■ imow that there were two wounds? Neither the doctor nor Burroffs would have told her, mid sho was the last ' witness to enter.the room sho could not havo heard the previous lestimbriy. '■;■'■. ."Addressing his companion again, bo said— ■ '.■■■■■ ~ , ' "All thisis vory true, but suppose tliat Miss Lewis does not retroct P" " Bull she will, Why should Bhe allow herself to. suffer the r.ensUy- ■'■ and suoh a. pebalty-wbeh she is, innocent?: As soon as the real cntniinl lus had time to get away safely she will-tell a .very different tale. Yoo will see!" ■". :.('Wbyareybusoßuro tbatsheisaoting apart?".: "Why did she riot tell the truth at "' once, ifitwas.her intention to do bo?" "Ah I who can be sure of the! workings .of ; .a humon mind, and of tho motives which': actuate any given course?'' "In!: this case it teems to me quits '-.-. simplsi /When jshe first testified, .she ." thought the murderer was safo" ■"'-''. "Whom do thoy suspect then, then P" ■'-:': "Can you be in doubt? Wa!te.Mar. ;. vol, of course. : Whom else, but her lovor, would shorisk her life, to save.f !: "But tho dead mail waster uncle, her adopted father!- Did she. not love him :; enough to refuse to leave him forthis very . lover ? Tbeii why Bhould she not wish to ■'.- '.'.■'. avenge his.death"?'■'" , Granted that she loved him, bets dead, wbiloher lbvcris olive. She will -.'■..'''-.'•:' care mora for tbo. living thaa the dead. Theuaclecanooi.be restored; therefore ! the, lover muit not be sacrificed. Do you know what'sbe will do? She will exert every effort to.save him and then she will still refuse to marry him. She is a strange ■ .'.woman-!'' - ; .:,'." How do you kno-v her character' bo wsllf'mid the'ietectivo sharply- Lewis . ; siariod slighjly, hut replied quioijy—- *;.■/.,-.': - "I do not know I lam simply tolling ! '■ you my opinions, formed on the little that "-.-..'-.I have seen of her." ''■■'."/Mrr.'-BarriM.waß.iai-isfiod, with this :. ftuswet'st least bo did not let it.appear ■ : - if bo wis not, and resuming the thread of .their discourse bo asked-- » ! .'!Havoyouauyßpiciali'e3soii{orthink- '.- ing that Marvel is guilty ?'' ' ..... : ■' it iiot guilty how did his locket come . to be in tbb pcißsesiion of ruy father ? It is ; ; evident tbateven if Miss Lowis tills the ~.'.■'■ truth; she hm, not accounted for that myster-v This is a point that Mr Tapper - mentioned,". "Imean to investigate that matter, of oourfiH. imtl.havo seen stranger things . .than that wplained away." ' . .:..•'.Welltaeahtine call your attention . ti another, point, Do you remember tho glory thai the Squire fold us of the row at '■.■'.- ■■..the birthday fete." ■'":! .;-Certainly." : ."Very.gppa! lf.you do, you will re- .: collect thnt tho Sqiiiro siid that my father kept: Mftrvel'B p's 01. Now what has bo- .:: come of that weapon?,' . i;;/ -.:Jfx Barnes saw 3t once the value of : this, and if bad cor aiuly not occurred to .:: ;him. He was thankful for this convei- ... . eatibn. '. '".'■ I'We have not looked for it," here* ,-. ";■-.■'..'. pliodi" - - ' . .. \ ''You may not have done so,but I V. have sdarcheu everywhere, and it is noi to be found." . :: "Perhaps the Sqnire may havo it." "I have.asked him, and ho assures me that my father would not part with the .. evidence of the. assault which bad been ..maddonhim. More than that, the Squire ■';'■ fold me that ho kept it locked in a drawer ■•'■':■'■ in-the parlour," ■-.'.' "Hown,then, could Marvel havo ob- -; ■' ', tainodit?" .. "Myjdeaisthis. I think that, after .:■.' his: interview with Miss Lewis across the ; river, Marvel, as he admits, came to the ■ . farm. I thjnk he sought an interview '..'■■".-. with my father, and that they quarrelled, ''-■-:■ -:' and.that ;iny. father took up the piß'.ol, .- vwhoreuron Matvel got it away from him -'■'. and shot: bitn." ■Mr-Bariiejshook,hishesd. "Thero is o- ,; ■ :; -'» ' ~

no sign o' a struggle. Betides, if this " tho truth, how could your father have written tho name cf Wnltor Marvol on tho slip of paper ?" Lewis though a minute and then ro< plied—- " I have it I Whon my fatber heard the barking of tbo dog ontsido he took Manx's pistol and fired at the man whom ho saw there, At tho samo moment a bullet struck him. This was eitber from Lucas' pistol, or else was the shot fired by Miss Marvel from the snmmer-houso, as sho declared. Thon,' whon Marvel came, the weapon may hsvo beon on the hblo right at baud, for, us father was wounded, ho would scarcely have thought oj looking up the weapon again. As for the writing, that may be as Miss Lowis guessed. My father thought Marvel had fired the first shot, and bo wrote a lino to that effect, not realizing to what extent ho had been wounded." To k continued.