"Dimitri Goloff, who was the criminal associate of Arthur Mannion, and who accompanied Mannion from San Francisco. They were together in Washington until Goloff met his death by accident."
Peter Mannion could scarcely breathe, so great was his agitation. It was in his mind to rise and make a bolt from the room, but his limbs seemed to have lost their power of motion.
"The proceedings thus far have been somewhat irregular," remarked the court. "I presume that you are ready to proceed, unless there is objection from the other side."
Peter Mannion's attorney cast at his client a look full of disgust, and said nothing. He was ready to throw up the case.
"Before doing so," said Colonel Seaman suavely, "I desire to say that we shall need a subpœna for a Baltimore witness, Doctor Haswick, the superintendent of St. Luke's Hospital."
"What do you expect to prove by him?" asked Peter Mannion's attorney, in marked curiosity.
"We expect to prove that the man who died there a short time ago and who was buried as Arthur Mannion was not Arthur Mannion, but one Jonas Jilson, a petty thief and tramp. By other witnesses we shall prove that Arthur Mannion is still alive."
The colonel ceased speaking. Peter Mannion, shaking as if with the ague, his eyes bloodshot, and his lips blue and trembling, arose to his feet and staggered toward the door. No one stayed him until he neared the two men who had entered with Jackson Feversham. Both rose when the discomfited villain was within a few feet of them. Then acting simultaneously, they stepped forward and each seized a wrist of the fleeing man.
"Don't go," said one of them, in a voice that made the wretch's heart stop beating, "for you may consider yourself under arrest, Mr. Arthur Mannion, for the murder of James Playfair."