Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 09.pdf/191

revolver went off in the steward's trial of it. They were the passenger Monks, the sailor He denied asking the passenger for his Charley, and the first mate Bram. All the revolver. He denied seeing the steward try others were forward. his own revolver. He denied that he spoke There was no evidence against Monks. It angry words to the second mate. He ad does not appear that anyone on board ever mitted that there were blood-spots on the top suspected him. Bram swore at the trial that of the after house. He claimed that the axe he never had suspected Monks. The bearing was stuck under the after side of the lashing- of Monks at the trial was unexceptionable. plank, not under the forward side, as the He endured a torturing cross-examination in passenger and the steward testified. He a manner which probably strengthened the claimed that the steward found it. He de jury's belief in his testimony. nied asking Loheac where Charley was after Charley Brown, who swore that he saw the coming up with the passenger soon after prisoner strike at a man lying where the two o'clock on the morning of the mur captain lay with something which looked ders. He admitted that he did not go near like an axe-handle, was a strong witness, and enough to the captain's body to see how it the jury evidently believed that he did see was cut. Although he gave very minutely it. He was of short stature, with fair hair detailed testimony about the sails, ropes, and a great moustache, from behind which boats and other things above the deck, he sounded a voice trained to do service in was very vague about what he did and saw storms. A large, muscular neck held his below. His mind seemed to shun any men head up straight and tossed it back now and tal view of the bodies and the places of the ¡ then as he talked. His manner was that of murders. When closely pressed with ques a seafaring man who had ceased to expect tions, he said, " I was not in my right senses. luck, and was not enthusiastic in the hope of I was so excited I could not remember all I justice. There was no pretension to virtue did. ... I lacked grit, courage." above the habits of his class. He spoke freely of the time when in Rotterdam " I His testimony stood alone and uncorrob orated by that of any other witness. The lost my money and my girl." He admitted testimony of the other witnesses was in some that he lied in telling yarns. He seemed to important respects conflicting, but in many be a man who could and would tell the truth essential things they corroborated each other in emergencies, and he gave the impression that he was telling it on the stand. It was directly and indirectly. Every witness except the one testifying was excluded from the an impressive moment in the court-room when he was asked whom he saw striking court-room. The case was interesting to students of at the captain, and he, looking straight at human nature because it was certain that the the prisoner, replied with a tone of solemn right problem was before us. The murders energy, " Mate Bram." It was in vain that were committed by someone who was on the defence tried to prove him insane, and board of the vessel. And everyone who to argue that because he was unconscious was on board was a witness before the jury. several years before, and had the peculiarities Therefore the jury and all who attended the already mentioned, he had had an attack of trial saw the murderer. It was a challenge homicidal mania, and did the murders per to our knowledge of human nature. The haps without knowing it. He had never question was soon narrowed down to the been in the after house, and there was no living persons who were in the after part of evidence that he knew where the axe was, or the ship between one and two o'clock on the even that there was an axe. It was hung on morning of Tuesday, the fourteenth of July. the after wall of the storeroom in the after