Of course, his first step is to get all the information he can
as to the actual facts surrounding the crime itself. He
immediately subpoenas all the witnesses, whether previously
interrogated by the police or not, who know anything about the
matter, and subjects them to a rigorous cross-examination.
Then he sends for the police themselves and cross-examines
them. If it appears that any witnesses have disappeared he
instructs his detectives how and where to look for them.
Often this becomes in the end the most important element in
the preparation for the trial. Thus in the Nan Patterson case
the search for and ultimate discovery of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan
Smith (the sister and brother-in-law of the accused) was one
of its most dramatic features. After they had been found it
was necessary to indict and then to extradite them in order to
secure their presence within the jurisdiction, and when all
this had been accomplished it proved practically valueless.
It frequently happens that an entire case will rest upon the
testimony of a single witness whose absence from the
jurisdiction would prevent the trial.
Pages:
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52