"Are you objecting to the answer, Mr. District Attorney?"
"The witness is insinuating that I falsified evidence!"
"I am not!" said Pettigrew, visibly angry. "You asked me how I could
account for its behavior, and I told you one way! There are others!"
"The wheel will be examined," said Judge Lapworth darkly. "Tell us the
other ways, Dr. Pettigrew."
"Pure chance," said Pettigrew. "Pure chance, Your Honor. I'm sure that
everyone in this courtroom has seen runs of luck on a roulette wheel.
According to the laws of probability, such runs must inevitably happen.
Frankly, I believe that just such a run has occurred here. I do not
think for a minute that Mr. Thursby or anyone else rigged that wheel."
"I see; thank you, Dr. Pettigrew," said the judge. "Any further
questions, Mr. District Attorney?"
"No further questions," Thursby said, trying to hide his anger.
* * * * *
"Call your next witness," said the judge, looking at me.
"I call Mr. Jason Howley to the stand."
Howley sat down and was sworn in. I went through the preliminaries, then
asked: "Mr. Howley, you have seen People's Exhibit A?"
"I have."
"To whom does it belong?"
"It is mine. It was taken from me by--"
"Just answer the question, please," I admonished him. He knew his
script, but he was jumping the gun. "The device is yours, then?"
"That's right."
"Under what circumstances did this device come into the hands of the
police?"
He told what had happened on the night of the big take at the Golden
Casino.
"Would you explain to us just what this device is?" I asked when he had
finished.
"Certainly," he said. "It's a good luck charm."