“Did you see him tie up the boat?”
“Yes.”
“Did you observe any stains on the rope?”
“I did not notice any.”
“What was the prisoner’s manner at that
time?”
“I thought he was surly.”
“Now, Mrs. Pitman, tell us about the following
morning.”
“I saw Mr. Ladley at a quarter before seven.
He said to bring breakfast for one. His wife
had gone away. I asked if she was not ill, and
he said no; that she had gone away early; that he had
rowed her to Federal Street, and that she would be
back Saturday. It was shortly after that that
the dog Peter brought in one of Mrs. Ladley’s
slippers, water-soaked.”
“You recognized the slipper?”
“Positively. I had seen it often.”
“What did you do with it?”
“I took it to Mr. Ladley.”
“What did he say?”
“He said at first that it was not hers.
Then he said if it was, she would never wear it again—and
then added—because it was ruined.”
“Did he offer any statement as to where his
wife was?”
“No, sir. Not at that time. Before,
he had said she had gone away for a few days.”
“Tell the jury about the broken knife.”
“The dog found it floating in the parlor, with
the blade broken.”
“You had not left it down-stairs?”
“No, sir. I had used it up-stairs, the
night before, and left it on a mantel of the room
I was using as a temporary kitchen.”
“Was the door of this room locked?”
“No. It was standing open.”
“Were you not asleep in this room?”
“Yes.”
“You heard no one come in?”
“No one—until Mr. Reynolds roused
me.”
“Where did you find the blade?”
“Behind the bed in Mr. Ladley’s room.”
“What else did you find in the room?”
“A blood-stained towel behind the wash-stand.
Also, my onyx clock was missing.”
“Where was the clock when the Ladleys were moved
up into this room?”
“On the mantel. I wound it just before
they came up-stairs.”
“When you saw Mrs. Ladley on Sunday, did she
say she was going away?”
“No, sir.”
“Did you see any preparation for a journey?”
“The black and white dress was laid out on the
bed, and a small bag.
She said she was taking the dress to the theater to
lend to Miss
Hope.”
“Is that all she said?”
“No. She said she’d been wishing
her husband would drown; that he was a fiend.”
I could see that my testimony had made an impression.
The slipper, the rope, the towel, and the knife and
blade were produced in court, and I identified them
all. They made a noticeable impression on the
jury. Then Mr. Llewellyn, the lawyer for the
defense, cross-examined me.
“Is it not true, Mrs. Pitman,” he said,
“that many articles, particularly shoes and
slippers, are found floating around during a flood?”
