The After House - Page 95/108

The record of my examination is particularly faulty, McWhirter

having allowed personal feeling to interfere with accuracy. Here

and there in the margins of his notebook I find unflattering

allusions to the prosecuting attorney; and after one question, an

impeachment of my motives, to which Mac took violent exception, no

answer at all is recorded, and in a furious scrawl is written: "The

little whippersnapper! Leslie could smash him between his thumb

and finger!"

I found another curious record--a leaf, torn out of the book, and

evidently designed to be sent to me, but failing its destination,

was as follows: "For Heaven's sake, don't look at the girl so much!

The newspaper men are on."

But, to resume my examination. The first questions were not of

particular interest. Then: "Did the prisoner know you had moved to the after house?"

"I do not know. The forecastle hands knew."

"Tell what you know of the quarrel on July 31 between Captain

Richardson and the prisoner."

"I saw it from a deck window." I described it in detail.

"Why did you move to the after house?"

"At the request of Mrs. Johns. She said she was nervous."

"What reason did she give?"

"That Mr. Turner was in a dangerous mood; he had quarreled with the

captain and was quarreling with Mr. Vail."

"Did you know the arrangement of rooms in the after house? How the

people slept?"

"In a general way."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I knew Mr. Vail's room and Miss Lee's."

"Did you know where the maids slept?"

"Yes."

"You have testified that you were locked in. Was the key kept in

the lock?"

"Yes."

"Would whoever locked you in have had only to move the key from one

side of the door to the other?"

"Yes."

"Was the key left in the lock when you were fastened in?"

"No."

"Now, Dr. Leslie, we want you to tell us what the prisoner did that

night when you told him what had happened."

"I called to him to come below, for God's sake. He seemed dazed

and at a loss to know what to do. I told him to get his revolver

and call the captain. He went into the forward house and got his

revolver, but he did not call the captain. We went below and

stumbled over the captain's body."

"What was the mate's condition?"

"When we found the body?"

"His general condition."

"He was intoxicated. He collapsed on the steps when we found the

captain. We both almost collapsed."

"What was his mental condition?"

"If you mean, was he frightened, we both were."

"Was he pale?"

"I did not notice then. He was pale and looked ill later, when the

crew had gathered."

"About this key: was it ever found? The key to the storeroom?"