The After House Part 24

"He had been drinking."

There followed a furious wrangle over this point; but the prosecuting attorney succeeded in having question and answer stand.

"What did you do next?"

"The mate had called the crew. I wakened Mrs. Turner, Miss Lee, and Mrs. Johns, and then went to the chart-room to call the women there.

The door was open an inch or so. I received no answer to my knock, and pulled it open. Karen Hansen, the maid, was dead on the floor, and the stewardess was in her bunk, in a state of collapse."

"State where you found the axe with which the crimes were committed."

"It was found in the stewardess's bunk."

"Where is this axe now?"

"It was stolen from the captain's cabin, where it was locked for safe keeping, and presumably thrown overboard. At least, we didn't find it."

"I see you are consulting a book to refresh your memory. What is this book?"

"The s.h.i.+p's log."

"How does it happen to be in your possession?"

"The crew appointed me captain. As such, I kept the log-book. It contains a full account of the discovery of the bodies, witnessed by all the men."

"Is it in your writing?"

"Yes; it is in my writing."

"You read it to the men, and they signed it?"

"No; they read it themselves before they signed it."

After a wrangle as to my having authority to make a record in the log-book, the prosecuting attorney succeeded in having the book admitted as evidence, and read to the jury the entry of August 13.

Having thus proved the crimes, I was excused, to be recalled later. The defense reserving its cross-examination, the doctor from the quarantine station was called next, and testified to the manner of death. His testimony was revolting, and bears in no way on the story, save in one particular--a curious uniformity in the mutilation of the bodies of Vail and Captain Richardson--a sinister similarity that was infinitely shocking. In each case the forehead, the two arms, and the abdomen had received a frightful blow. In the case of the Danish girl there was only one wound--the injury on the head.

CHAPTER XX

OLESON'S STORY

HENRIETTA SLOANE was called next.

"Your name?"

"Henrietta Sloane."

"Are you married?"

"A widow."

"When and where were you born?"

"Isle of Man, December 11 1872."

"How long have you lived in the United States?"

"Since I was two."

"Your position on the yacht Ella?"

"Stewardess."

"Before that?"

"On the Baltic, between Liverpool and New York. That was how I met Mrs. Turner."

"Where was your room on the yacht Ella?"

"Off the chartroom."

"Will you indicate it on this diagram?"

"It was there." (Pointing.)

The diagram was shown to the jury.

"There are two bunks in this room. Which was yours?"

"The one at the side--the one opposite the door was Karen's."

"Tell what happened on the night of August 11 and morning of the 12th."

"I went to bed early. Karen Hansen had not come down by midnight. When I opened the door, I saw why. Mr. Turner and Mr. Singleton were there, drinking."

The defense objected to this but was overruled by the court.

"Mr. Vail was trying to persuade the mate to go on deck, before the captain came down."

"Did they go?"

"No."

"What comment did Mr. Singleton make?"

"He said he hoped the captain would come. He wanted a chance to get at him."