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knife out of his sleeve； and passed his fingers slowly up the
woman's side until he felt the heart beat under his hand； then he
raised the knife； gripped the handle tight； and drove the keen
blade into the woman's bosom。 The hot blood gushed out over his
arm； and down on his leg。 The body； warm and limp； slipped down in
his arms。 The man got up； pulled out the knife； and thrust it into
a sheath at his belt； unbuttoned the dress； and slipped it off of
the body。 As he did this a bundle of papers dropped upon the
floor； these he glanced at hastily and put into his pocket。 Then
he took the dead woman up in his arms； went out into the hall； and
started to go up the stairway。 The body was relaxed and heavy； and
for that reason difficult to carry。 He doubled it up into an awful
heap； with the knees against the chin； and walked slowly and
heavily up the stairs and out into the bathroom。 There he laid the
corpse down on the tiled floor。 Then he opened the window； closed
the shutters； and lighted the gas。 The bathroom was small and
contained an ordinary steel tub； porcelain lined； standing near the
window and raised about six inches above the floor。 The sailor
went over to the tub； pried up the metal rim of the outlet with his
knife； removed it； and fitted into its place a porcelain disk which
he took from his pocket； to this disk was attached a long platinum
wire； the end of which he fastened on the outside of the tub。
After he had done this he went back to the body； stripped off its
clothing； put it down in the tub and began to dismember it with the
great Mexican knife。 The blade was strong and sharp as a razor。
The man worked rapidly and with the greatest care。
When he had finally cut the body into as small pieces as possible；
he replaced the knife in its sheath； washed his hands； and went out
of the bathroom and downstairs to the lower hall。 The sailor
seemed perfectly familiar with the house。 By a side door he passed
into the cellar。 There he lighted the gas； opened one of the wine
cases； and； taking up all the bottles that he could conveniently
carry； returned to the bathroom。 There he poured the contents into
the tub on the dismembered body； and then returned to the cellar
with the empty bottles； which he replaced in the wine cases。 This
he continued to do until all the cases but one were emptied and the
bath tub was more than half full of liquid。 This liquid was
sulphuric acid。
When the sailor returned to the cellar with the last empty wine
bottles； he opened the fifth case； which really contained wine；
took some of it out； and poured a little into each of the empty
bottles in order to remove any possible odor of the sulphuric acid。
Then he turned out the gas and brought up to the bathroom with him
the two paper flour sacks and the little heavy bundle。 These sacks
were filled with nitrate of soda。 He set them down by the door；
opened the little bundle； and took out two long rubber tubes； each
attached to a heavy gas burner； not unlike the ordinary burners of
a small gas stove。 He fastened the tubes to two of the gas jets；
put the burners under the tub； turned the gas on full； and lighted
it。 Then he threw into the tub the woman's clothing and the papers
which he had found on her body； after which he took up the two
heavy sacks of nitrate of soda and dropped them carefully into the
sulphuric acid。 When he had done this he went quickly out of the
bathroom and closed the door。
The deadly acids at once attacked the body and began to destroy it；
as the heat increased； the acids boiled and the destructive process
was rapid and awful。 From time to time the sailor opened the door
of the bathroom cautiously； and； holding a wet towel over his mouth
and nose； looked in at his horrible work。 At the end of a few
hours there was only a swimming mass in the tub。 When the man
looked at four o'clock； it was all a thick murky liquid。 He turned
off the gas quickly and stepped back out of the room。 For perhaps
half an hour he waited in the hall； finally； when the acids had
cooled so that they no longer gave off fumes； he opened the door
and went in； took hold of the platinum wire and； pulling the
porcelain disk from the stopcock； allowed the awful contents of the
tub to run out。 Then he turned on the hot water； rinsed the tub
clean； and replaced the metal outlet。 Removing the rubber tubes；
he cut them into pieces； broke the porcelain disk； and； rolling up
the platinum wire； washed it all down the sewer pipe。
The fumes had escaped through the open window； this he now closed
and set himself to putting the bathroom in order； and effectually
removing every trace of his night's work。 The sailor moved around
with the very greatest degree of care。 Finally； when he had
arranged everything to his complete satisfaction； he picked up the
two burners； turned out the gas； and left the bathroom； closing the
door after him。 From the bathroom he went directly to the attic；
concealed the two rusty burners under a heap of rubbish； and then
walked carefully and noiselessly down the stairs and through the
lower hall。 As he opened the door and stepped into the room where
he had killed the woman； two police officers sprang out and seized
him。 The man screamed like a wild beast taken in a trap and sank
down。
〃Oh！ oh！〃 he cried； 〃it was no use！ it was no use to do it！〃 Then
he recovered himself in a manner and was silent。 The officers
handcuffed him； summoned the patrol； and took him at once to the
station house。 There he said he was a Mexican sailor and that his
name was Victor Ancona； but he would say nothing further。 The
following morning he sent for Randolph Mason and the two were long
together。
IV
The obscure defendant charged with murder has little reason to
complain of the law's delays。 The morning following the arrest of
Victor Ancona； the newspapers published long sensational articles；
denounced him as a fiend； and convicted him。 The grand jury； as it
happened； was in session。 The preliminaries were soon arranged and
the case was railroaded into trial。 The indictment contained a
great many counts； and charged the prisoner with the murder of Nina
San Croix by striking； stabbing； choking； poisoning； and so forth。
The trial had continued for three days and had appeared so
overwhelmingly one…sided that the spectators who were crowded in
the court room had grown to be violent and bitter partisans； to
such an extent that the police watched them closely。 The attorneys
for the People were dramatic and denunciatory； and forced their
case with arrogant confidence。 Mason； as counsel for the prisoner；
was indifferent and listless。 Throughout the entire trial he had
sat almost motionless at the table； his gaunt form bent over； his
long legs drawn up under his chair； and his weary； heavy…muscled
face； with its restless eyes； fixed and staring out over the heads
of the jury；