Johns, and the stewardess were released,
after examination. The rest of us were taken to jail. Singleton as
a suspect, the others to make sure of their presence at the trial.
The murders took place on the morning of August 12. The Grand jury
met late in September, and found an indictment against Singleton.
The trial began on the 16th of November.
The confinement was terrible. Accustomed to regular exercise as I
was, I suffered mentally and physically. I heard nothing from Elsa
Lee, and I missed McWhirter, who had got his hospital appointment,
and who wrote me cheering letters on pages torn from order-books or
on prescription-blanks. He was in Boston.
He got leave of absence for the trial, and, as I explained, the
following notes are his, not mine. The case was tried in the United
States Court, before Circuit Judge Willard and District Judge
McDowell. The United States was represented by a district attorney
and two assistant attorneys. Singleton had retained a lawyer
named Goldstein, a clever young Jew.
I was called first, as having found the bodies.
"Your name?"
"Ralph Leslie."
"Your age?"
"Twenty-four."
"When and where were you born?"
"November 18, 1887, in Columbus, Ohio."
"When did you ship on the yacht Ella?"
"On July 27."
"When did she sail?"
"July 28.
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