The Coroner here interposed a question as to whether it would have been possible for anyone but a man to commit the crime. At his words everybody moved impatiently. It was certain he was referring to the absent wife. The idea of Louise committing such a crime, or being able to commit it, was ridiculous. The Coroner presently stated that he had only asked the question so as to remove this possibility from consideration.
The Young Doctor immediately said that probably no woman in the hemisphere could have committed the crime, which needed enormous strength of hands.
The Coroner looked round the room. “The widow, Mrs. Mazarine, is not here?” he said questioningly.
Nolan Doyle interposed. “Mrs. Mazarine is at my ranch. She came there yesterday evening at eight o’clock and remained with my wife and myself until twelve o’clock. The murder was committed before twelve o’clock. Mrs. Mazarine does not even know that her husband is dead. She is not well to-day, and we have kept the knowledge from her.”
“Is she under medical care?” asked the Coroner. Nolan Doyle nodded towards the Young Doctor, who said: “I saw Mrs. Mazarine at the house of Mr. Doyle last evening between the hours of eight and ten o’clock. To-day at noon also I visited her. She has a slight illness, and is not fit to take part in these proceedings.”
At this point, Scarsdale, who had come upon Orlando and the dead man at the Cross Trails the night before, told his story. He did it with evident reluctance.
He spoke with hesitation, yet firmly and straightforwardly. He described how he saw Orlando climb down from the wagon where the dead man was. He added, however, that he had seen no struggle of any kind, though he had seen Orlando close to the corpse. Questioned by the Coroner, he described the scenes between Orlando and Mazarine in the main street of Askatoon and at the railway-station, both of which he had seen. He repeated Orlando’s threat to Mazarine.
He was pressed as to whether Orlando showed agitation at the Cross Trails. He replied that Orlando seemed stunned but not agitated.
He was asked whether Orlando had shown the greater agitation at the Cross Trails or in the town when he threatened Mazarine. The answer was that he showed agitation only in the town. He was asked to repeat what Orlando had said to him. This he did accurately.
He was then asked by counsel whether he had arrived at any conclusion, when at the Cross Trails or afterwards, as to who committed the crime; but the Coroner would not permit the question. The Coroner added that it was only the duty of the witness to state what he had seen. Opinions were not permissible as evidence. The facts were in possession of the Court, and the Court could form its own judgment.