“Are you acquainted with a young man named Jake Hines—a prominent member of the Samuel J. Coggswell Association? Before answering this question, Mr. Warren, let me remind you that you are under oath.”
“It ain’t necessary to remind me of no such thing,” retorted the witness indignantly. “Yes, I know Mr. Hines. I am proud to say that he is a good friend of mine.” He glanced across at the spectators’ benches, and Jake smiled at him an acknowledgment of this compliment.[Pg 52]
They had expected this question, knowing that it was the accused carrier’s hope to be able to make the jury believe that he was the victim of a conspiracy. They had decided that Warren should tell the truth, and admit that he knew Hines. To have denied the fact would have been dangerous. There was no telling that the defense did not have witnesses at hand ready to take the stand and swear that they knew of the friendship.
“Yes, I know Jake Hines,” the witness repeated, almost belligerently; “but that don’t——”
“Did you meet him, or in any way have communication with him, on the day you sent the registered package?” interrupted counsel for the defense.
“Yes,” replied the witness unhesitatingly. “Mr. Hines came to my office that day. He was in the neighborhood, and he dropped in to make a social call.”
This question, too, had been expected. Warren had made up his mind to answer it truthfully, for it was quite possible that Hines had been seen entering his office.
“And at that meeting between Hines and yourself, Mr. Warren,” counsel for the defense went on, “did either of you say anything about this watch which you were going to send to Harrington?”
“Not a word,” emphatically replied the witness, who was prepared for this question also. “Not a single word, sir. We never spoke about the watch at all. Hines didn’t know that I was going to send it.”
As the conversation which had taken place that day between Hines and himself had been behind a closed door, with no chance of anybody having overheard them, Warren felt that he was quite safe in making this denial.