Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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. > The Strange Case of MARY PAGE ' » * . ' . . The Great McClure Mystery Story, Written by } REDERICK LEWIS In Collaboration With JOHN T. M’INTYRE, Author of the Ashton Kirk Detective Stories. 'Read the Story and See the Enteanay MoxJin# "Picture* Copyright. 1915, by McClur* Publicatfaa First Episode MARY’S DEFENSE W 8 Philip LmiRdon’s oar threaded L\ Ha way through the heavy / \ t ra ®c. dodj,'iug draya and clamorous trolleys ou its way toward the grim building where so many tragedies are staged by “the law" the young attorney felt his heart ■ink into eugulllug waves of doubt and fear. For the Crst time since the beginning of the trial he had lost his buoyant •tope, his tremendous faith lu bis abili ty to prove Mary Page Innocent and If deed be to snatch her from a cell by the sheer power of his love. The evidence was so overwhelming, •o Irrefutable. And Mary bentelf ut terly unable to explain those hist trug Ic moment* He knew she couldn't remember—couldnt explain. Hut the Jury would not be convinced, lie re allied that. Over and over In his brooding mind be saw again the tragedy of that night when the body of James Pollock, the clubman and wine agent, had been found twllb a bullet In Its heart and twaIda II the unconscious figure of Mary Page. Between them had lain that revolver with tta one accusatory empty chamber, the revolver that Mary herself admitted she bad carried That Mary was Innocent be had nev «r doubted file love was too great to admit of doubt, but he was a lawyer, and now he aaw only too clearly that bis defense mlffct prove nnroavlnctng in the faro of the damnatory tarts i Brat, that Mary had hated and feared Jamee Polio, k. who forced Me atfru Clone upon her. second, that she had earned the revolver hidden In the front of her dreae when she went Into the anteroom wbor* Pollock was watting, and. third, that the shooting had oc curred directly after the door had clan ed span the two of them. If be. Lsngdoa. bad only been fire minute* earl ter-that was the add that ate Into hta Soul If be had oaly reach ed that Bane fir# minute* sooner par haps that fatal shot would never have been fired He wondered Irritably why It was that the public, and that portion of It that comprised the Jury, couldn't eee Bow improbable It was that Mary would bar# ruined her career In such a faabtoa, however much a be bated Pollock. It waa Inconceivable that a girl who at the falling of the curtain at 11 o’clock bad touched the goal for which she had striven and been balled knew that beyond that pool of silence In which he stood another clamorous throng surged about tbe door of the court and filled ;the room Itself—thou sands v>f them, some men and many women, voracious for sensation, glut ted with the lure of this tremendous tragedy that was being played for tbcm by living puppets. The law had indeed discovered the secret that every theatrical manager sighs to know— "what the public wants.” With a word or two to the officials, Langdon went hurriedly down the echoing corridors to Mary’s cell; past row after row of monotonous barred doors, from behind which faces peered out with Idle curiosity—faces, savage, despairing, dull with indifference or ravaged by tears. Hut they meant nothing to laingdon, for heart and bralf» alike were siieedlng on ahead of him to that distant narrow room where Mary waited. At the cell door be halted and quick ly removed bis but, unbidden tears springing to hts eyes, for Mury was kneeling like a little rhlld, her bend In her mother’s lap. and the elder wo man waa praying aloud: “And God give us strength to go throngb this day and grant Justice to Ihla. my child!" “Justice, deer flod. Jturtle*!" echoed Mary. And do artistry of tha great actreaa coaid have given to that aim pie prayer tbe poignancy that a great faith and a great Borrow gave to It Then they spied Langdon. and Mary Jumping np. gate k cry of Joy and ran Into hta anna lie held her tightly sod the actress to her woowAate ap ptaoded If site had known the effort that lay bark of his cheery greeting hta word of botw and tbe tender amlle with whk b be put Into her hand white rose* to |4a against her dark frock. “I think wa had better go on Into court now.* ho anld aa aha drew (he blossoms through her belt The men are watting, and It's about time, yon know.** For aa Instant Mary shuddered and clung to him with closed eyas. “If I could only be there without go ing acrooa that awful bridge." she sigh ed. "Homebow the people are Ices terrible when they are sitting down and keeping quiet" “1 know. deaf. 1 know." said Lang don aadly “I wish to God I could spare you. but It'a really only their way of expressing sympathy, and III give you a happy thought to aay to yourself when you cross today. Just look straight ahead and aay over and eret: Today rblllp ktglns my defense In to pn James Pollock was waiting. And now tbe last man was ou the stand—the ho tel detective who, together with Lang don himself, had found the dead man with his living but unconscious com paulon. The monotonous questions of name and age and occupation were rattled off swiftly enough, and then the detec live, with the ease of one used to tes timony. gave a brief resume of how he had first been called by the head wait Today wa will begin to prova my lunu C€OC# “Then yon U»lnk“-crled Mrs. Pag*. The stale will undoubtedly rest It* rasa this morning," be answered grave "Wa found Mary Pag* lying in a lamt. 1 aa the greatest atar of Ibe century - 0 ur chance is coming now." could have killed a man of her own accord at midnight and watched the dawn come from a cell In the Tomlsx Ha knew bow much her career had meant to Mary. How clone to her heart waa the triumph and the fame, and to lose It this way— Hr sighed heavily, then, renllxlnc Ibat tbey were approaching the Tombs and that to tbe world at least be must be the confident attorney, be straight ened his shoulders and forced a smile <o hts lips Close to the curb two women were listening while a third read aloud from ! the early edition of an afternoon pa- j per, stippling the monotony of her tones by ejaculations and questions. From his car Langdon could plainly aee the huge headlines two women Were reading: LOVER’S LAST FIGHT FOR LIFE. State's Case Against Famous Actrsss Almost Complete—Young Lawyer Fight* Final Hopeles* Battle. With a shudder of aversion langdon dragged his eyes away. The notoriety of It was almost ns bitter to lilm as tbe awful overshadowing fear. He Bated to think that Mary's name-should be dragged in the mud of common gos alp as au actress who had shot a mil lionalre In the anteroom of a huge hotel, while Just outside the door, amid laughter and music and lights, the great world Indulged In supper danc ing. He hated the thought that hts Jove for Mary had become a spicy mor- ael to be rolled on the tongues of the general puITlIc, but, after all, what be had to bear was pitifully amall com pared to the burden on Mary’s own slim shoulders. The car drew op at the curb, and as Langdon leaped out somebody shouted harshly: “Here's Langdon!” And tbe whole throng of men and women came surg ing toward him. sweeping him Into the current of a wave of humanity. Jos tling and staring, they flung a thoo •and questions at him. pulled at his arms sod pressed against him until at last the Jnipreiliable donrr dangafl bs "Oh. then I shan't mind anything" cried Mar; amL-klaalng him. lifted her lovely head. And now the end was almost come The last witness fur the state wa* “If I could only be there-without going across that awful bridgs.” er, to * hum rvmpialuta bad been made of tbe riotous behavior of a big supper party from on* of Uts L heeler*. “It was a pretty noisy bunch." be said coolly. "Hut tbey didn t B* <-m to be doing any harm, au I Just stood at tbe dour watching them, and presently James fnlha-k came In . “lie was lo evening dress." be tinned, "and be railed a bellhop amt gave him a message, pointing out tbe young lady sht/ was sitting at tbe bead of the table with the noisy par ty.“ “Was that young lady Ml** Pager asked the district attorney, indicating Mary with a Jerk of his bead ■"“I! krlaT’ saU tha detective ffrtnfy Then Mr. Follock weutylown to w hat we call the little gray roum and. going In, abut the door. Tbe bellhop started Into the dining room, but almost be fore he'd taken a step tbe young lady. Miss Page, threw her wineglass on the floor with a hysterical sort of laugh | and came reeling out of the room with her bands stret. bed out, ns If she didn't know where she was going. “1 turned away to call one of the maids to take charge of her, and when ! came back she was making straight for the gray room, walking as firmly as If she’d never had a drink in her life. She wont In and shut the door, and a minute afterward My. Langdon there comes flying out of the cafe and shouts: •’ ’Which way did Miss Page goT ” ‘In the gray room,’ I answered, and with that he ran toward It. with me beside him, but before we got there we heard a shot, and”— He paused, enjoying to the full the sensation of the moment and the tense whispering wave of sound that quivered through the crowded room. “When we had broken In the door we found James ! Pollock shot through tl\e heart and i Mary Page lying In a faint beside him with a revolver not six Inches from the ends of her fingers." Mary, who had been watching him ns If fascinated, quailed from that curt, almost vindictive, description of the finding of the bodies of the living and the dead, and. resting her arms on the called to the stand, and Langdon drew a deep breath. Unless some one was called Jn rebuttal*he.knew that now i of dock, she burled her face That i 1° them and for the first time sobbed Bind him leaving him braatblaas with • feeling at being bruised and battered ■fatally as wall as pbyatealty. the final stone was to he laid In carefully built tower „ of evidence against Mary Page. The police had sworn that they saw Mary threaten .James Pollock with a revolver In the park that afternoon Employees of the theater had testified to her fear of his attentions; her own maid had been forced -to admit with faltering tongue that her mistress bad cried out that be was a devil, and she wished be sras dead. Walters and In public, revelling In the publicity, had told gloatingly of having seen Mary Pago, drank apparently, reel from the eafa «• the night of tbe morder and is directly io tha saleroom vbera bitterly. A murmur of sympathy arose, and several people stood up, only to be rudely pushed back Into their seats by those behind. And now the district attorney, going to the grewsome array of •^exhibits" In the case, plckpd up tbe revolver and. showing It to tbe Jury, put It Into the detective's bands “Is this the revolver." he demanded dramatically, "and Is tbe prisoner the room with tbe dead body of James Pol lock r "Tea." answered the detective And st the word tbs pencils of tbs reporters ts spin tike mad scram the tar lug yellow of their copy paper, and a gasp of dismay wrung from some wo man's throat faded Into a stifled sob. One of the Jurors blew hU nose loud ly, and two or three exchanged slg nifleant glances, and Langdon, the sweat beginning to bead hla forehead, knew (hat they Lad already made up their minds that Mary was gullly. The detective, released, stepped down from the witness Pox, and now the district attorney turned smiliugly to the Judge and said, with an ora torica] flourish: • "Your honor, the state rests!” The last stoue in that brutal gallows of evidence bad been cemented Into place. "Tr - Four excited and self Important of fice boys scuttled out of the room bear lug sheetsx>n which was scrawled: "(State rests its case after evidence of Detective Farley.’’ And through the open door us they went came a murmur like the disunit roar of wild beasts, the unadmitted public clamor lug for tbe news borne by the. boys eu route for the newspaper offices. But wheu the door,closed again a tense silence held the* room lit- thrall Even Maty's sohs had ceased, and, lift ing her tear stained {aee. she smiled rainbow wise at Langdon. as If she would have said: "Now Is or chance! Now we will tear down this awful temple of doom that has been built for me!” Laugdpn $rew, a deep breath, flung back his' shouldccs as If breastiug a tremendous current and said quietly: "Your honor and gentlemen of the Jury, you have heard the case against Mary’ Page. Now listen to the case for Mary Page. "She has declared herself that she has no recollection of those final mo menta In that hotel room to which she had been lured by a miserable l*east She remembers only a flash-like a dream—<>f his leering face, and then blackness swept over her. Gentlemen. It la not the first time that Miss Page baa been affected In that same fashion. And If Mary Page killed James Pol lock she did It lu a moment of Insanity au|>rrindueed by tbe burror of Intoxica tion that has pursued her atnc* tbe day she waa born " Aa with one accord tbe Jury sat op and leaned forward In their seats, and onlookers broke out Into a and hub ble. In which the word “Insane bob bed like a cork on a era of rumor, and not even tbe Judge's gavel could secure alienee for several momenta In that time tbe color crept back Into Mary's cheeks, and somehow abe felt deep In bar heart that tbe tide of feeling at least waa turned again In her direr The district attorney waa frowning and whispering to bis aasistanL who nodded from time to time aa be nenr uualr fingered tbe pH* of papers In front of him. bat now Langdon was speaking again "It la my In tent loo. your honor and geo tie men ef the Jury, to show yon step by step through tbta girl a tlte tbe part which that horror of Intoxication has played, a horror that baa rutan glad her lo this mesh of tragedy. I shall call as my firm witness Mary Pag*." It came aa aa overwhelming ear prise, this calling of Mary to her own defense, and. although she strove to be calm, abe waa obviously startled and afraid, and wave after wav* of excitement swept through tbe room At tbe reporters’ table one “sob slater' wbisiwred to Ibe other: "Poor thing! She can't stand much more It'a wicked to call on her" “Mlsa Page." said Langdon. and hi* voir* was very geut.'e. "Isn't It true that U cau*e of a atrqnjLpreuatal Influ cnee you were boro with an unnatural horror of IntoxicationT" “It Is true." sighed Mary, but In an Instant the district attorney was on tils feet “I object!" he cried. That question concern* something ttiat took place be fore Mlsa Page's birth. 8he can—«be must in fact—know it only by hear say." ”1 must sustain your objection." said tbe Judge. "Mr Langdon. your ques tlon was unfortunately worded. Can you alter It'/" "I think I can.” said Langdon. "Let us put It this way: What Is your ear liest recollection of your father?” “I object to that also!" stormed the district attorney. "It Is not relevant. What have a child's vague recollections to do with the action of a woman of Miss Page's age?” The Judge hesitated, and Langdon, still smiling, said quickly: I withdraw' my question. The wit ness is excused.” "Do you wish to cross'^ examine?” asked the Judge, and the district attor- ney, with a scow l, shook his head. Are—are you through with me?” gasped Mary In bewilderment, and Langdon nodded. And now, as the throng waited, he turned to the little gray haired mother, and his voice rang out (was it with triumph?): ‘“Mrs. Page!” In an instant the room was In an up roar. More copy boys rushed for tue door bearing flapping sheets covered with scrawled,disjointed words,and the onlookers, who had so far considered Mrs. Page ns merely a “prop." a bit of the setting In this gripping tragedy, now scrambled up on to their seats to gape at her. In rain the Jutjge thun dered with his gavel, and In vain the police shoved back the R|>eotators and even thrust one or two belligerent onea out Into the corridor, where they were welcomed with a roar from the wait log. The noise did not subside until curiosity had l>cen sated. ^ “Mrx-.Pnge.huw long awn—jt you met joffr husband. Daniel PageT’ “Thirty-one year* ago at Christmas, she Mid softly, and tbe district attor Bey leaned forward arowlingty. wait lag to Map at lb* first Irrelevant "Aiidi you became engaged almost at »uie. did you not?" The question and ;be answer were equally quieL “Yes.” “Hut you were uot married for aome iito«T^ ^ "No.” 'fi— gentle old voice shook uow. and a lu.lij flush crept Into the I Uln cheeks. -Why?" The question snapped sharp ly, but her answer was long lu coming “Because." site said at lasL “1 found that Pan drank, aud I—1 said 1 would not many a man like—like tbaL" "Hut you did later on?" “Yes.'' she continued. “He promised me that he would stop, and I believed —God knows u woman always believes that—from a man.” > "Please make only direct answers to the questions." broke in the Judge steruly. Bur some wotmiu in the back of the roolB said cloud: 'That's the truth she's speaking. l*\ her-say it." — . “Silence!" commanded the Judge. Aud now Langdon said: “Will you *ell us as concisely as pos sible of wbai happened after your mar rlage?” For a long time It seemed as if she could not go on. and Mary leaned to ward her. whlsperidg softly: “Oh. mother-mother, darling!” Hut as If the words were a draft of en conragement Mrs. Page took up tbe thread of her story. “What happened.” she- said wearily. "Is w-hat happens to thousands of wo men. We hadn’t been married very long before my husband began to drink ngaln Tbe—the first night he came bqme really drunk was the nlgbr I had planned to tell him that Mary was coming to us from God. 1 don't think I shnll ever forget tbe horror of that time. And all the while that I- was making ready for her he wan mak Ing my Inability to go out with him a^> excuse for debauch. “Oh. your honor." and now she turn ed to the Judge.' "Jt a no wonder my child !■ full of the fear «f drink. night after night I walked tbe floor, and I prayed like a wicked woman that my baby might die before tt came Into ■tbe world-beentt** I was afraid It would bear the taint—would be horn with that awful devastating third!" More than one man In tbe room and Indeed, more than one of th* Juror moved uneasily at the words, quietly spoken, but pregnant with tragedy. "On the night that Mary was mM ah* went on. “Dan waa t«o drunk to even be told-thut-be had a daugh lev" A murmur of aympeiby crept through the room, and one vul -e could h* bear! distinctly “Ob. well, that'* not unusual Mo* men d»—beastly drunk ” “t felt then.” «al»l Mr* l*age tendei ly. “that It didn't matter I had ir baby, and I wa* too Bill »r bapp dreams for her future to fear fur !.> improper and Insulting language Ha didn't mean It-he didn't Itnow what ha wa* aay ing—but it waa terrible for Mary, and abe urged Philip to leave at once. I heard them -ami heard Dan a words—and I ran out to help, leaving the poker thrust int'> the hot coala of the range, for I had been fixing the fire. ••\Pe_-we got Dan iuto the house and on to a sofa in the kitchen at last, where he lay babbling about Jamee Pollock, with whom he had been drink ing and who was ulsA-^nr who had tried to be—a friend <>f my daughter’s '" Again the whispering murmur of ex citement awept throngb the room, bat died of Its own accord. “Dan slept for a long Mrae. and whea ha woke up he wanted more to drink. * 4> 4 HUH i. <» . TS . j.-* ■'. ms I? 4--I heard Jam** Pollock mak* an in sulting taunt." wa* nth “Somehow," Mr*. I’a.t- . “th* years pa«M* L au<l M j sixteen, but eu< b of th.». : years had Increa-cJ Iter > I enneaa Sfie a a- e» a' •wot um in re.i h« • iucn-asl* ■r of ilr :t. ! rafij of hr father, aud Iwrait'e «e «*-rr fro t«>>, for her to have frefty < Mbe* «tji hta I “Dan was too drunk to b* told h* had a daughter.” could not go to the parties and things like other girls. And I suppose my own horror kept building and blending with hers—until—that—day.” She broke off. and now Langdon was on his feet, a red spot of color In each cheek and his bands nervously clutch ing a scrap of paper as be asked sharply: “What day do you refer to, Mrs. Page?" ‘To the ICth of June ten years ago," she answered. “Will you tell us why that day Is so clearly remembered?” asked Langdon. “Because,’’ she answered deliberate ly, “that was the night of Mary’s first wild attack!” “I object!” shouted the district attor ney, but the Judge frowned. “This seems to me to be particularly relevant to Mr. Langdon’s somewhat curious defense,’’ be said. T will let the question and answer stand.” • “Will you tell us,” said Langdon, “what brought' on that attack and what you know of It? Don’t tell It to me. but to tbe Jury, who wgr© not there." “I understand.” she salff Softly, and Langdon sat down, overwhelmed by bis own recollections of that terrible night and wondering where the frail little woman was getting tba strength for tbe ordeal /.“It was early evening." said Mrs Page, turning ,t£jhe “PhHtn- Langdon-had come to ask Mary to go to a ball game with him. for tbey were friend* even then." aba explain ad tenderly. “And wblla tbey were Madlag aa tba porch try—my—hue band cam* borne—drunk H* aa * tbe two *f I bad aent Mary to bad. and I alone with him. I tried to reason him. but fi* forgot I mas fits wife. Ho wa* tnsan* witfi that awful tblrat. lie ordered m* to bring film tfio bottle of whisky out of his t-sfilnaL and when I wouldn’t be-be beat me II* threw me down and kicked me and struck me with a chair And. though I tried t» keep bark a cry that would roua* Mary, she—she beard and came runalug dew*, poor child. In her little nightdress. “She screamed and ran forward and dragged at tier father. Trying pitifal ly to icotect ma—and at ia*t-t>* torn ed-upon tier ” She shuddered and buried her fare In bt-r bands—her tyse tear blinded and her mouth distorted with the an guish of memory “And then—b* aaw—tbs poker-1 bad forgotten—still thrust Into lit* fire —and he dragged It ouL” A quivering muan like a vocal erbe to bar mental agiaiy slipped from Mary's lip*, and dropping her heed, abe sobbed aloud. “Please go ou. Mm. Page. ” said leng don maruluglj. aud though th* moth er yearned toward her daughter.' she took up her story ugslu lu a vot<-e that roar word by wurd Into a |>ol£nant cry ((might from a mother's auguMbcd aoul. “He dragged Mary to the center of the room—(tut flaming poker in band He forced her to her knees, struggled to get to them, but I waa weak—dazed, half conscious becaua* of a blow on the head. It was all Just a nightmare to me! Hut I beard Mary scream and scream and scream, and then—I saw—tbe poker burn Into my child's forebead! I smelled the scorch! ed flesh and from somewhere I got tho strength to leap,upon him—and then— the door was burst open and—Mr. Langdon came In. "He—be had been worried about us.” she panted, her voice breaking now, “nnd. coming back to the house, heard the cries. My husband rushed at him and they fought. Then suddenly Mary, who had been lyiugrin a moaning little- heap on the floor, writhed—got to her knees—to tier feet-and before I could 8top her. begun to dance wildly about tbe two men, laughing aud shouting and singing. And then, while we stood there appalled, even Dan—sobered hr It—she ran on—out of the house—and Into the,streeL “Philip was after her In a moment But It seemed hours before 1 could crawl to the door, and 1 saw—Mary disappearing down the street - and heard James Pollock make an insulting taunt. Then 1 was knocked down by my husband, who rushed by me with an oath. “When I got up again Mr. Langdon was out of sight, and Dan and James Pollock were lying huddled lu the path struggling to get to their feet.” Her voice dropped now and sbe fin ished quietly, firmly. "Three hours later Philip brought Maty home—wrapped In bis coat, nightgown was In ribbons; her were torn and bloouy where sbe danced and run over stones and stumps In the woods near our burnt. Her bands were bruised frotp snatching at tree* and tbf .S'll... fclft-iTAfl la torture with the burn on her fore head. but sbe was—quite sane And. your honor, she bad no recvilertlon of anything that had happened after ■w her father advancing with the i ■Ur/e Her feet bad I x- 15 iHmmt $