He testified that he had been summoned that morning at about
quarter before eight o'clock. He had gone immediately to Mr.
Crawford's house, was admitted by the butler, and taken at once
to the office. He found Mr. Crawford dead in his chair, shot
through the left temple with a thirty-two calibre revolver.

"Excuse me," said Mr. Lemuel Porter, who, with the other jurors,
was listening attentively to all the testimony. "If the weapon
was not found, how do you know its calibre?"

"I extracted the bullet from the wound," returned Doctor
Fairchild, "and those who know have pronounced it to be a ball
fired from a small pistol of thirty-two calibre."

"But if Mr. Crawford had committed suicide, the pistol would have
been there," said Mr. Porter; who seemed to be a more acute
thinker than the other jurymen.

"Exactly," agreed the coroner. "That's why we must conclude that
Mr. Crawford did not take his own life."

"Nor would he have done so," declared Doctor Fairchild. "I have
known the deceased for many years. He had no reason for wishing
to end his life, and, I am sure, no inclination to do so. He was
shot by an alien hand, and the deed was probably committed at or
near midnight."

"Thus we assume," the coroner went on, as the doctor finished his
simple statement and resumed his seat, "that Mr. Crawford
remained in his office, occupied with his business matters,