The prisoner weakened then. His handcuffs rattled and his whole frame swayed as though he were about to fall to the ground.
"You do not deny your crime, nor the fact that besides poisoning your wife and murdering Perry Jounce, her brother, you assisted the latter, who had long been your tool, to decoy Silas Keene into a room in the rear of Billy Bowleg's saloon, where, some weeks ago, you committed another crime by hurling the detective into a well."
"My soul! This is too much!" gasped the quaking villain.
"Do you deny it?"
No answer from Barkswell, but his head was bowed upon his breast, and a helpless look filled his eyes.
"It would do you no good to deny that you and Perry Jounce murdered
Detective Keene—"
"How did you learn so much?" cried out the doomed man.
"There were witnesses present—"
"Witnesses?"
"There was one."