A Conflict of Evidence

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume V, Issue 1317, 4 May 1905, Page 4

A Conflict of Evidence

By Rodrigues Ottolengui

• CHAPTER Xy;.;' (Continued) .: ■ The woman stalled up in dismay, and excitedly exclaimed— :- j " Then do you admit that you know him?" ■■ '" " I know vrho he is, but what is it ( that you know, and why do you mention ] his name?" . ; ■'". t "Iknow,madam, that your husband ; left thiß eitvfot the East: on Saturday night last, and that on the folldwing.nigbt ( John Lewis was murdered!" i '! My God? This is terrible I" cried the | woman, as she sank into a chair and cov-; •( sred her faoe with her hands. J; Mr. Barnes waited a moment for her to recover-" from ■ her surprise, md then said— — : . " I will tell yon more. An .innocent. ,man has been arrested.for tbo crime, and; : ia in prison." "How does all this interest me?:. Of course it shocked me to hear so suddenly thaipne whom I knew has been murdered, but further than that, what iB it to rce ?.;■■■ *> That is what I am trying out, * Wasthis Mr; Lewis a friend of:yours?''■■ I " A friond ? Far from it,"' she . answered almost fiercely, "Ah I Then "it is. not his death that troubles you V" : " Who says that 1 am troubled ?" "I do, and I think it is because yon know, or think that your husband went to that town expressly to kill Lewis 1" "Hedid nothing of. the kind," she answered quickly, losing her self possession uher excitement, "My husband only to recover his ; child whom that manhad stolen from him I" V-V.'-'-:-'-/; "Atlast wejtave it I".said Mr Barneiy , with satisfaction. "Your husband then is the' father of the girl, In that case; you must >be her mother, and therefore Lewis' sister?" " His sister ? Her mother ? Yon arc madl" "Explainit then!" •Mr Barnes was puzzled, i ■' I will explain nothing I You have got more out or me now than I should hnvu told.' , "Then I will hunt for vonr husband for be must be the man who killed Mr Lo'wisV Let me tell'yoa that I huve traoked biai backwards from-,the scene of the orims id, tbu city. Another detective followed bis trail from the murder, but he did not socj ceed in apprehendtoghim," \ " Then thank God, he is safe!" " You are wrong. The other detective failed, but I will noti" " Yon dare to tell me this, and want my help?" . -V '•■•'/■''•'■/■ " We must think o!\he innocent 1" " What do I care for the' innocent ? Ldo not know them." • ,/ \\ " Let mo tell you who they are. There \ ii the girl, the daughter of your hueband I' 1 "Ah I Ib she accused?'/ '•■' "•She is thought to be -*n accessory,." "Good, 1 am glad,l/ And' the oiher, ' whois that? Ybu spoke of,a man," 1 ; - " The other is. thought to be the murI >■ deter; It is Walter Marvel I" " What, yopifg Walter ? This is worse than I.oould have imagined).;Well,so be It I I card nothing for^iim ' ■' Madam, have you no heart 1 Would r you see the innocenl suffer for'tbe guilty ?" far "Theinnocent?- How should I know ' who is innocent? Yoa.tay Ithese .people ate accused. The authorities must' know what thdy are doing; there must be vevi- '. den.ee against them, and «most likely; they ' > >ianfy.what can Bdo, anyway ?", v" All I ask of you is to give me' the in* \ *' formation that I wißb." • . ■;/ i'^Wbatinformation?";;.. : :.'/■. !? I ."Tell me the exact relations which exist Jbetw«en your husband tied John Lewis?" \■' * I will tell you nothing," ; ; '•'•You ate determined?" v 'j,s . vj'lam!" Do your worst j"'::,' ' r * '' mndaiiit Perhaps l l may ( ' find a wayto. make you Buffer for your stnbborire&B."- , '•.. .." How dare'you threaten me ? I'll have ybu turnbdout of this botol I" ; . ''Stop a minute 1 lou forget that lam - a deKctivc, It yoa ; ring, I will arrest <■}%-."'t?Y' ■\-.' : ' : ' rj'Avresii-me'fzAnd pray, what charge lam not easily fright■''■'['will obarga v you with complicity,: in *' vtliemiirdeß of John Lewis!", " ■•' ' *' f J?hat is faro'caV I have been ia Ne,Y York only."" V;'" '. V' ■'.•'.''.' '■■..■

V '" You are an accessory the fact. '. ■ ' You krtisw that your husband went 1 out of the cify with a murderous intont. There-, fore I think that in this sia'e, under put penal code,, .ypu.could be indicted bb a \ prinoipal/'. ' '.[■'-..■■:'. ~'." .",■ " Curse you, jou are a demon 1" Mr, Barnes considered a moment, and then said—' '. " > , : " I have balf a mind to arrest you any• wayl" •• i >■■■,■■ ■ '.■■■.; .. "Do so if. you wish I Rat I will ..tell you nothing, though I should be kept in. prison for ever." >y '■- .'■•■....■ " I haven't time to wait in the oily, or I : -would try the experiment, -fa' it//is, I must be sure that I oan when j.I, wautyou." So saying, Kir B lrnJa stepped up to the eleotrio call, and pressed the button, A moment latter, a bell-boy ' krlocked at ihe door,: Mr Barnes opened it andsaid— '■" " Call a district messenger, jand bring me some writing matorialßl" " What do you moan to do ?" asked the/ woman. " You shall see. 1 ' In a short, time the bell-boy returned, • and with him the messenger. Mr Barnes took 11 pieco of paper and wroto as fol- ■■■■' 'lows— '.■'■.■ ■■:/'. "Send me your best■'. shadow,: Impor- ■ tant, '.'■■''' ■■■;■'■'.".■'.■■'■■'■ :.:'■:'■'■■:.:■"'■■■■■: "Barnes" ■■ ■■■-

Placing this in oh envelope he sealed it, and addressed it to the Inspector whom he had seen at Police Head-quarters, ..Handing it to the messenger he. said— '.,;' '! Deliver thai as .quickly as..pessible. Here isan extra quarter for yourself,'''.' He then sat down, and commenced to ' read a newspaper.. The woman said, nothing for a time, but at the end of half, an hour she jumped up, walked to tbe window, and etooding looking out. Mr, Barnes may not have seen her. move, so little notice did he seem to tike. After a few minutes at tlio window sue .went in the direstiou of tho door, hut ' apparentlywith no special object in vww,. suddenly with the ugility of a cat, she, made a dart for the knob and grasped it, Still the.de* , teotivemade no sign, 'She turned:thb » knob and gave the doot a pull, but it did not open, and efier a few futile, attempts : ibe turned on Mr, Barnes like a fury—: : . ~.;■•■ : " How dare you lock my door?" ■ ■■■;

Author of "An Artist in Orimo."

',ls it' locked?" ".Of'obutso it is; and ybu. looked it I" "Yon arp mistaken I" , •'■How is.itfastened, then.?. 1 ' ' -.. v ''.You said it is locked, did you not? 1 have hot oxaminod it." VHpwdid it get. locked ?" , "Since you nre so anxious to know I"will be mbrq iiroiablo than you and tell ybu. I asked, the bell-boy to.turn.the.key Von tho.bntside." "Whydidydijdo that?''-..'■ '■'■' . "I. did not wish to lose your pleasan' company until tbo arrival of my friend, for. whom I have sout. Ah! There's his knock." .Going to tbo door he said: : "Turnthekey and come in." ■■ ..■ The look shot back and a man entered. Addressing Mr Barnes, he said—"lain No. 56." "A shadow?" V "Ashadow." ■ ".What is the meaning of this impertinence?, said, the woman.in a rage. But neither of the men appeared to notice hef. Mr. Barnescontinued—..."Look, at this womanwell, I will expeot ybuto know wheroshb is'when I asli you for her, do you understand ?" ; "ldo.";: v .■-.« ■'. " Good-morning." vKo,' 58 left the apartment. To be continued '