Monitor_, every week?"

"Yes, sir, regularly."

"Did they send you a copy of the _Monitor_ in which there was a
facsimile of the threatening letter addressed to the late Mayor by some
anonymous correspondent?"

"Yes, sir."

"Did you look at the facsimile?"

"I did, sir."

"Notice anything peculiar, or strange, or remarkable about it?"

"Yes, sir, I notice that some of the letters were broken and some
defective."

"You noticed that as an expert mechanic, working at these things?"

"It was obvious to anybody, sir. The letters--some of them--were badly
broken."

"Look at the dock, Owthwaite. Do you know the prisoner, Simon Crood?"

"Well enough, sir!"

"How long have you known him?"

"Ever since I was a youngster, sir--always!"

"Have you ever seen Simon Crood at Green & Polford's, your employers?"

"I have, sir."

"When was that?"

"He came in two days after I'd seen the facsimile, sir."

"Bring anything with him?"

"Yes, sir, that typewriter before you."

"Sure it was this particular machine?"

"Positive, sir; it's an old Semmingford machine, number 32,587."

"Did you hear him say anything about it?"

"I did, sir. He told our Mr. Jeaveson--manager he is--that this was a
machine he'd bought in London, many years ago; that the lettering seemed
to be getting worn out, and that he wanted to know if we could supply
new letters and do the machine up generally."

"Yes; what then?"

"Mr. Jeaveson said we could, and the machine was handed over to me for
repair."

"Did you make any discovery about it?"

"Yes, sir. That afternoon I just ran the lettering off, to see what
defects there were. I found then that the broken and defective letters
were identical with those in the facsimile letter that I'd seen in the
_Monitor_ two days before."

"Just come down here, Owthwaite; take this sheet of paper, and run the
letters off again so that their Worships can compare the broken and
defective letters with those in the threatening letter. Now," continued
Meeking, when the mechanic had complied with this suggestion and gone
back to the witness-box, "what did you do on making this discovery?"

"I told Mr. Jeaveson about it, sir, and showed him what I meant. He
discussed the matter with Mr. Polford afterwards, and it was decided
that I should go over to Hathelsborough and see Mr. Hawthwaite, taking
the machine with me."

"Did you do that?"

"Yes, sir, next day, in the evening."

"Did you tell Superi