The prisoner rose and went over to the witness; he took him by the shoulders and turned him around toward the judge, so that his back was to the jury. He moved him until he got him in precisely the position which he wished and then he thrust his long forefinger in the man’s back, with the other fingers doubled up.
“How’s that, Colonel?” he said.
“Well,” said the attorney, “what do you think about it, Louie? Do you think it’s O.K.?”
“Sure,” said the prisoner.
Then he came back and sat down in the chair.
The whole court room was amused and astonished. It was as good as a theater.
The attorney returned to his examination of the witness.
“Proceed, Mr. Barkman,” he said. “What did they do next? Did they make Mr. Halloway go over to the bank? His car was seen there and he was, himself, seen going in, by some persons passing at the end of the street. He was alone. How did they make him go over there alone, accomplish the robbery, and come back to his house?”
Again the witness smiled shrewdly.
“They didn’t make him do it,” he said. “Old Bill there, he’s about the size of Mr. Halloway.”