The superintendent stood down, and Meeking looked towards an inner door of the court. An attendant came forward at his nod, bearing a heavy package done up in Crown canvas and sealed. At the same moment a smart-looking young man answered to the name of Samuel Owthwaite and stepped alertly into the witness-box. CHAPTER XXI CORRUPTION The tightly-wedged mass of spectators watched, open-mouthed and quivering with anticipation, while the attendant, at Meeking's whispered bidding, broke the seals and cut the strings of the package which he had just carried in. Clearly, this was some piece of material evidence--but what? A faint murmur of interest rose as the last wrappings fell aside and revealed a somewhat-the-worse-for-wear typewriter. People glanced from it to the witness: some of those present recognized him as a young mechanic, a native of Hathelsborough, who had gone, a few years previously, to work in the neighbouring manufacturing city of Clothford--such began to ask themselves what he could have to do with this case and waited eagerly for his evidence. But Meeking, the battered typewriter before him, kept the witness waiting. Turning to the bench, he put in the depositions taken at the Coroner's inquest with respect to the typewritten threatening letter sent to Wallingford and by him entrusted to Epplewhite; the letter itself, and the facsimile of the letter published as a supplement by the _Monitor_, with a brief explanation of his reasons for bringing them into evidence. Then he addressed himself to his witness and got the first facts from him--Samuel Owthwaite. Mechanic. Employed by Green & Polford, Limited, of Clothford, agents for all the leading firms of typewriter manufacturers. "I believe you're a native of Hathelsborough, aren't you, Owthwaite?" began Meeking. "I am, sir." "Keep up your interest in the old place, eh?" "I do, sir." "Have you any relations in the town?" "Yes, sir, several." "Do they send you the Hathelsborough paper, the _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."