The Black Tortoise

id before the jury, when he was interrupted by a noise from the back of t

ld be th

and handed him a letter, saying a few words, which those nearest to him could hear. The mess

read, passed his hand across his f

ing, he addressed himself to the judge, saying, "I must ask that an hour's postponement be granted to my client;

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tting. The room was, if possible, even more crowded than before; no

d showed the excitement

to be allowed to examine the chief

ce in the witness box in his usual quiet manner, al

Jurgens and so skilfully got him to give up the diamond, he then told you

es

in any doubt as to whom he h

uestion, but his answer was as

pression that he was s

ne else who could possibly

d nonsense, to excuse himself, but it

e the name or the names which Mr. Jurgens

mportunate examination, and that he had to exert

er to excuse himself, he began with some nonsense about having bought the diamond from-from a person who

you do to get him t

grew redder still in the face. At la

as much as to say that the young lady, for whom I have-have the greatest respect, is a thief and a liar, as information of the robbery was

et go of him that he gave th

s you will

I have for the present no

e. It was old Frick who rose, red as a turkey cock in

his lips. Miss Frick stared at him with an asto

for the defence brought forward. He was a tall, squarely-built man, with broad round

he judge. The witness seemed q

r na

m Abrah

ld are

hree yea

s your

and commis

do yo

Street,

bout the case which is

about it in

n the case, or have you in any other way obtained any

ith his sharp, dark eyes-"but I did not believe I could give any informatio

t the further examination to

ow this young girl,

n once or twice to my

what sort o

gly): "To pawn a

at sort of s

emember, they were some rin

ice was heard-not loud,

om me. They were presents, and she

but decided tone not to speak until she was qu

it from the young girl

"Yes, mos

plain yourself more clearly; or does it mea

ave nothing to hide-the law and the police I have always esteem

e, Abrahamson!" which was

10th of May a lady came to me and asked if I would lend her some money on some jewelry,-a lot of rings, brooches, and bracelets wit

t, then, the young

"I don'

: "Don'

d that if everything was all right, I could lend her two thousand kroners on them. She knew that the things were worth five thousand kroners, she said, and if I could give her four thousand, I could buy them of her. I must have time to examine them, I explained. But she would not let me. She seemed on t

find out if it was the gir

ing): "Yes, I did; for I am a law-abiding man,

e know that, but

nd the carriage-for she had come in a hired carriage which wa

s it Mr. Fri

Yes, so th

t as a proof that it rea

she, after all, for she had a veil on, and th

w was the la

ith a feather in it, and a jacket

ou remember th

es, and I thought it best to notice her dress, in case

e was it when the

hen she came, for she was with me a quarter of an hour

ibility of inquiries from the police that you

ss: "

quite certain abou

e certain; I confer

It is superfluous to remark that the two last witnesses had made a deep impression upon all who were present a

n complete silence, but only to be

round Miss Frick, and old Frick was seen in the middle of it, gesticulating wildly, while the young girl leant back on the seat wit

him long, for the threat to have the court cleared had immed

any further. The public prosecutor had, in the meantime, nothing

ment which had enabled him not only to obtain valuable evidence, but which had also given him

time my client's innocence is brought to light, so at the same time the attention is led into another direction, and the ministers of justice have perhaps already found a new object in their search after the guilty person. But that is a matter which

only after the chief detective had treated the old man in, let us call it, a less polite manner, that he mentioned the name of the accused. The witness Abrahamson believed he received a visit from the accused on the same day the diamond was stolen. It appeared, however, that the lady whom he su

iss Frick herself who visited the pawnbroker that day; my object is only to show that if Mr. Jurgens has mistaken another woman

the accused in front of the cupboard where the diamond was kept, and that he had even photographed her in this position. The photograph, in which all will recognize my client, is now here in court. When I say that I can prove that this circumstantial evidence is false, I mean that here, also, we have a case of mistaken identity, and I can prove that the person who is photographed here (he took the photograph in his hand) is not, and cannot be, the accused. The proof is a simple one, althoug

e the ring finger of her left hand in a fall. The bone did not set properly, so that

it, to which she quietly submitted, but without lifting her eyes f

will at once see on the left of the lady's head an object on the shelf above. It is the little ivory elephant with the clock, of which mention has already been made in the course of evidence. The glass, gentle

by this time. She only came in through the garden gate at five minutes to six. And she could not, under any circumstance, be

tness of what I have told you, you will perhaps remember what

tograph c

e any further remarks till the jury have convince

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vail; he had to submit to the loud applause which the public bestowed upon the y

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limited, and I must conclude m

sonally to assure themselves as to what the photograph could tell. To all appearanc

greatest confidence that the evidence of the photograph could be relied upon, and when a medical witness dec

e of the foreman rang out clearly when he pronounced the w

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odern judicial dramas. No one can doubt that we shall he

roceedings in court were over, Miss Sigrid Frick was arr

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