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Page 108
Again Thompson was disturbed. Again he spoke to the prosecutor
and again that attorney objected.
"We have not asked to have Mr. Thompson testify in this case," he
said. "It is true Mr. Thompson is concerned about the result of
this trial. He is the nephew of the decedent and his heir. It
is only natural that he should properly concern himself to see
that the assassin is brought to justice."
He spoke to the girl. "Do you wish to make Mr. Thompson your
witness?" he said.
And again she replied with the hesitating formula:
"Why, yes, monsieur, if that is the way to cause him to hold up
his hand."
The judge turned to the clerk. "Will you administer the oath to
these two persons?" he said.
Thompson rose. His face was disconcerted and slack. He
hesitated, but the prosecutor spoke to him. Then he faced the
judge and put up his hand. Immediately the girl cried out:
"Look, monsieur," she said. "It is his left hand he is holding
up!"
Immediately Thompson raised the other hand. "I beg your pardon,
Your Honor," he muttered. "I am left-handed; I sometimes make
that mistake."
And again the girl cried out: "You see . . . you notice it . . .
it is true, then . . . he is left-handed."
"I see he is left-handed," said the judge, "but what has that to
do with the case?"
"Oh, monsieur," she said, "it has everything to do with it. I
will show you."
She moved up on the step before the judge's bench and laid the
menu before him. The attorney for the prosecution also arose.
He wished to prevent this proceeding, to object to it, but he
feared to disturb the judge and he remained silent.
"Monsieur," she said, "I have made a little drawing . . . I know
how such things are done . . . . My father was juge
d'instruction of the Canton of Vaud. He always made little
drawings of places where crimes were committed. . . . Here you
will see," and she put her finger on the card, "the narrow passage
leading from the butler's pantry into the dining-room used for a
library. You will notice, monsieur, that the writing-table stood
with one end against the wall, the left wall of the room, as one
enters from the butler's pantry. It is a queer table. One side
of it has a row of drawers coming to the floor and the other side
is open so one may sit with one's knees under it. On the night
of the tragedy this table was sitting at right angles to the left
wall, that is to say, monsieur, with this end open for the
writer's knees close up against the left wall of the room. That
meant, monsieur, that on this night Mr. Marsh was sitting at the
table with his back to the passage from the butler's pantry,
close up against the left wall of the room.
"Therefore, monsieur," the girl went on, "the man who
assassinated Mr. Marsh entered from the butler's pantry. He
slipped into the room along the left wall close up behind his
victim . . . . Did it not occur so."
This was the evidence of the police officials and the experts.
It was clear from the position of the desk in the room and from
the details of the evidence.
"And, monsieur," she said, "will you tell me, is it true that the
stab wound which killed Mr. Marsh was in the shoulder on the side
next to the wall?"
"Yes," said the judge, "that is true."
The prosecutor, urged by Thompson, now made a verbal objection.
The case was practically completed. The incident going on in the
court-room followed no definite legal procedure and could not be
permitted to proceed. The judge stopped him.
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