"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 Superintendent Hawthwaite of your discovery and hand the machine to him?" "Yes, sir; both." "Did he have the machine wrapped and sealed up in your presence?" "He did, sir." "This machine, now on the table?" "That machine, sir." "And this is the machine that the prisoner, Simon Crood, brought himself to Green & Polford's?" "That's the machine, sir." Meeking nodded to his witness, signifying that he had no more to ask, but before Owthwaite could leave the box, Stedman, the local solicitor with whom Simon Crood had held a whispered conversation on coming into court, rose and began to cross-examine him. "Did you happen to be in Green & Polford's shop--the front shop, I mean--when Alderman Crood brought in that machine?" he asked. "I was there at the time, sir," replied Owthwaite. "Did he come quite openly?" "Yes, sir. In a cab, as a matter of fact. The cabman carried in the machine." "Did Alderman Crood say who he was?" "Well, sir, to be exact, he saw me as soon as he came in, and recognized me. He said, 'Oh, a Hathelsborough lad, I see? You'll know me, young man.' Then he told Mr. Jeaveson and myself what he wanted." "The whole business was quite open and above-board, then?" "Quite so, sir." "He drew your attention himself to the defects of the machine?" "He did, sir." "And this was after--not before--that facsimile appeared in the _Monitor_?" "After, sir." "Now I want a particularly careful answer, Owthwaite, to my next question. Did Alderman Crood ask you to get these repairs made immediately?"