"Now can you recollect just how Mr. Parker acted when he was
shot? Could you-er--could you take his place and show us just how
it happened?"

"Yes, sir," said Downey. "He was sitting here at the head of the
table. Mr. Bruce, who is the 'CO.' of the firm, had been sitting
here at his right; I was at the left. The inspector has a list of
all the others present. That door to the right was open, and Mrs.
Parker and some other ladies were in the room--"

"Mrs. Parker?" broke in Kennedy.

"Yes: Like a good many brokerage firms we have a ladies' room.
Many ladies are among our clients. We make a point of catering to
them. At that time I recollect the door was open--all the doors
were open. It was not a secret meeting. Mr. Bruce had just gone
into the ladies' department; I think to ask some of them to stand
by the firm--he was an artist at smoothing over the fears of
customers, particularly women. Just before he went in I had seen
the ladies go in a group toward the far end of the room--to look
down at the line of depositors on the street, which reached
around the corner from one of the trust companies, I thought. I
was making a note of an order to send into the outside office
there on the left, and had just pushed this button here under the
table to call a boy to carry it. Mr. Parker had just received a
letter by special delivery, and seemed considerably puzzled over
it. No, I don't know what it was about. Of a sudden I saw him
start in his chair, rise up unsteadily, clap his hand on the back
of his head, stagger across the floor--like this--and fall
here."