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Then he addressed himself to his witness and got the first facts from him Samuel Owthwaite. Mechanic. Employed by Green & Polford, Limited, of Clothford, agents for all the leading firms of typewriter manufacturers. "I believe you're a native of Hathelsborough, aren't you, Owthwaite?" began Meeking. "I am, sir." "Keep up your interest in the old place, eh?" "I do, sir."
Meeking nodded to his witness, signifying that he had no more to ask, but before Owthwaite could leave the box, Stedman, the local solicitor with whom Simon Crood had held a whispered conversation on coming into court, rose and began to cross-examine him. "Did you happen to be in Green & Polford's shop the front shop, I mean when Alderman Crood brought in that machine?" he asked.
"I was there at the time, sir," replied Owthwaite. "Did he come quite openly?" "Yes, sir. In a cab, as a matter of fact. The cabman carried in the machine." "Did Alderman Crood say who he was?" "Well, sir, to be exact, he saw me as soon as he came in, and recognized me. He said, 'Oh, a Hathelsborough lad, I see? You'll know me, young man. Then he told Mr. Jeaveson and myself what he wanted."
"No, sir, he did not. He said he was in no hurry." "You were to take your own time about them, the machine remaining with you?" "Just that, sir." Stedman sat down, as if satisfied, and Owthwaite left the witness-box. At the calling of the next witness's name Tansley nudged Brent. "Now we may hear something lively!" he whispered.
"Just come down here, Owthwaite; take this sheet of paper, and run the letters off again so that their Worships can compare the broken and defective letters with those in the threatening letter. Now," continued Meeking, when the mechanic had complied with this suggestion and gone back to the witness-box, "what did you do on making this discovery?" "I told Mr.
An attendant came forward at his nod, bearing a heavy package done up in Crown canvas and sealed. At the same moment a smart-looking young man answered to the name of Samuel Owthwaite and stepped alertly into the witness-box.
"The whole business was quite open and above-board, then?" "Quite so, sir." "He drew your attention himself to the defects of the machine?" "He did, sir." "And this was after not before that facsimile appeared in the Monitor?" "After, sir." "Now I want a particularly careful answer, Owthwaite, to my next question. Did Alderman Crood ask you to get these repairs made immediately?"
"Notice anything peculiar, or strange, or remarkable about it?" "Yes, sir, I notice that some of the letters were broken and some defective." "You noticed that as an expert mechanic, working at these things?" "It was obvious to anybody, sir. The letters some of them were badly broken." "Look at the dock, Owthwaite. Do you know the prisoner, Simon Crood?" "Well enough, sir!"
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