The Case of the Mischievous Doll

“Did you ever at any time during the employment call Henrietta Hull?”

“No, sir. She called me.”

“Why didn’t you call her?”

“Because she told me not to. She said she would call me.”

“So you were never to call her at the house or her place of business?”

“Those were the instructions.”

“Given to you by someone who, for all you know, could have been Dorrie Ambler or any other woman?”

“Objected to as argumentative and not proper cross-examination,” Parma said.

“Overruled,” Judge Flint said.

“It was only a voice over the telephone,” Compton said.

“And from time to time this same voice would call you and give you instructions as to what you were to do?”

“Yes.”

“And tell you what instructions you were to give to Dorrie Ambler?”

“Yes.”

“You never met the defendant prior to her arrest?”

“No.”

“You didn’t ever have any conversation with her on the telephone?”

“No.”

“You never called the defendant to find out if she had authorized Henrietta Hull to make you any such proposition, and you never called Henrietta Hull?”

“That’s right.”

“No further questions,” Mason said.

Hamilton Burger rose to his feet. “If the Court please,” he said, “this next witness will undoubtedly be controversial. I am going to call him somewhat out of order. I am going to state to the Court that I make no apologies for what we have done in granting this witness a certain immunity from prosecution. We—”

“Just a minute,” Mason interrupted, getting to his feet, “I submit that this is an improper statement in front of the jury. This is not the time to argue the case, this is not the time to apologize for giving some criminal immunity in order to further the interests of the prosecutor.”

“Just a minute, just a minute, gentlemen,” Judge Flint interrupted. “I don’t want any personalities from either side, and there is no need for any argument. Mr. Burger, if you have another witness, call him.”

“Very well,” Burger said, turning and smiling at the jury, knowing that he had registered with them the thought that he wished to convey. “Call Dunleavey Jasper.”

Dunleavey Jasper was a rather slender young man in his early thirties who managed to convey the impression of slinking as he walked forward, held up his hand, was sworn, and took the witness stand.

“Now, your name is Dunleavey Jasper,” Hamilton Burger said. “Where do you reside, Mr. Jasper?”

“In the county jail.”

“You are being held there?”

“Yes.”

“You are charged with crime?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know the defendant?”

“Yes, sir.”

“When did you first meet the defendant?”

“It was around the eleventh of September.”

“Did you know Dorrie Ambler in her lifetime?”

“Now, just a minute,” Judge Flint said. “I’ve already ruled on this matter. The words, ‘in her lifetime,’ are extraneous. The jurors are instructed to ignore that part of the question. Now, the question is, Mr. Jasper, whether you knew Dorrie Ambler.”

“Yes, sir.”

“How did you get acquainted with Dorrie Ambler?”

“It’s rather a long story.”

“Just go ahead and answer the question and never mind how long it takes. Keep your answer responsive to the question but tell how you happened to meet her.”

“She stole my getaway car.”

There was a startled gasp from many of the spectators in the courtroom. The jurors suddenly sat forward in their chairs.

“Will you repeat that, please?” Hamilton Burger said.

“She stole my getaway car.”

“What was your getaway car?”

“It was a Cadillac automobile, licence number WHW 694.”

“This was your getaway car?”

“My partner and I were going to use it for a getaway. We didn’t have title to the car.”

“Where had you picked up the car?”

“We had stolen it in San Francisco.”

“Who was this partner you refer to?”

“A man named Barlowe Dalton.”

“And you say this was a getaway car.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Where was it when it was taken from you?”

“It was at the Montrose Country Club.”

“And why do you call it a getaway car?”

“Because my partner and I had intended to get in the women’s cloakroom, go through the cloaks there, get some fur coats, purses, anything of value we could find, and make a getaway.”

“And what happened?”

“A woman stole our car.”

“Can you explain that?”

“This woman was at the dance. She was intoxicated. She had a fight with her escort and walked out on him, jumped in our getaway car which was standing there with the motor running and drove away.”

“And what did you do after that?”

“Well, there was one thing we had to do. We had to find that car.”

“Why?”

“Because we had left something over ten thousand dollars in currency in the glove compartment.”

“And where did this currency come from?”

“We had held up the branch bank in Santa Maria and had taken about eighteen thousand bucks. Ten thousand was wrapped up and was in the glove compartment. The rest of the money we had divided and had on us, about three — four thousand dollars apiece.”

“This was stolen money?”

“That’s right.”

“And how about the money that was in the glove compartment? What were the denominations?”