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?"