Susie looked at Stella, smiled and blushed. Isaac finally came to specific charges against John Graham. “Now tell the court what you know about John Graham’s connection with the murder of Judge Butler,” said Steve, who was conducting his examination. “Yassah, I knows all ’bout it, sah. Mr. John Graham de very man dat kill de jedge wid his own han’. I see ’im when he do it. Dey come slippin’ up back er de house, an’ creep in froo de winder while de odder folks wuz in de ballroom dancin’. Dey wuz eight un ’em--yassah. Dey slip up an’ grab de jedge an’ hol’ ’im while Mr. John Graham stick a knife right in his heart----yassah. I wuz lookin’ right at ’im froo de winder when he done it. When he kill ’im, dey all mix up wid de odder Ku Kluxes what wuz dancin’, an’ go way ter-gedder.” “Take the witness,” said Steve with a wave of his hand. “How did you know it was Mr. Graham?” asked General Johnson. “I seed ’im wid my own eyes.” “He wore a complete disguise, did he not?” “Yassah, but I seed ’im all de same.” “You could see through the mask?” “I seed ’im--I done tole ye!” “Answer my question,” sternly commanded the lawyer. “Could you see his face through the mask?” “Nasah.” “Then how did you recognise him?” “He tuck it off ter scratch his head, sah, an’ I see his face. I knowed it wuz him all de time fo’ I see his face.” Ackerman whispered to the lawyer. “Did you tell Mr. Ackerman, Uncle Isaac, that, as you started to run away from the masqueraders that night, you saw John Graham at your gate--ran into him?” “Nasah, I nebber say no sech thing!” Isaac shouted, glaring and shaking his head at Ackerman. “Didn’t you tell the same gentleman that later in the evening you saw John Graham seated on a rustic near the house watching it from the outside?” “Nasah! dat I didn’t!” “Do you know that if you swear a lie----” “I ain’t swar no lie!” Isaac interrupted with religious fervour. “I’se de Lord’s Sanctified One, sah. I ain’t done no sin since I got sanctification. Yassah, praise God!” “Don’t you know,” repeated the lawyer, “that if you swear to a lie on that witness stand you can be sent to the penitentiary for perjury?” “I knows dey ain’t gwine sen’ me dar--I knows dat,” Isaac said with a grin, and his Negro acquaintances in the jury box laughed. The lawyer changed his line of questions. “You say you saw John Graham strike the death-blow?” “Yassah, I see ’im wid dese very eyes.” “Were you close enough to hear what was said?” “Yassah, I wuz right dar by de open winder.” “What did he say?” “Des ez he raise de knife he say, ‘I got you now, you d---- Black Radical ‘Publican!’” “You swear that you heard him say that he killed the Judge because he was a Republican?” “Yassah! dat’s what de Ku Kluxes kill ’em all fur, sah!” Larkin shuffled uneasily, bent again in conference with Steve who rose immediately and asked for an adjournment of two hours.