Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-01-12
Abel Adams, stand up and look the

Abel Adams, stand up and look the
foreman In the face. Now, sir. is Abel
Adams, the prisoner, guilty or not 2n
bark /! the first syllable of the word
guilty" is upon the foremans g lips, but
ne speaks it not. Those who still crowd
about the windows shout with all their
might, and in q moment more q man
| crowds his way into the courtroom. He
hurries up and whispers to the sheriff
and then he goes to the bench and whis.
pers to the judge. Henry bigger starts
up and moves toward the door, but in an
instant the hand of the sheriff is upon
hlm. All is excitement the most intense.
uirectiy the mass at the door begins TO
give way, and four men are seen bearing
upon their shoulders q CHAIR large
stuffed ctair-and in that chair sits MAJ.
thew hampton-not dead, but alive.
True he is pale and gbastly, but his ewes
open and his lips move. At length, the
chair is set down before the bench, and
the old physician Of NJ asked per-
mission to speak. As soon as this fact
became known, all is quiet once more.
The physician says that neither of the
wounds which Mr.. Hampton had received
are mortal, though he had at first thought
! they were. The blow upon the head and
! the stab in the breast combined to pro-
duce state of catalcpsy which resembled
death SO nearly that many an experienced
person might have been deceived. When
he gave out that Mr.. Hampton was dead,
he thought it was SO. But when he
found that Hampton was living. he kept
the secret to himself, for fear certain
man, whose presence was much needed,
might be missing.
At this juncture, Mr.. Henry Bilger
made a savage attempt to break away
from the sheriff, but it did not avail him.
The jury were directed to return to their
box, and then Matthew Hampton was re-
quested to speak. lie was too weak to
rise, but he spoke plainly, and in a man
ner which showed his mind to be clear.
He stated that when he reached the
bluff, on the night of his disaster. he dis.
covered that his pocket book was gone.
He stopped his horse and was trying to
think where he could have lost it, when
some one came up from the road side.
He had just time to see it was Henry
Bilger, when he received hlow upon the
head from a club, which knocked him
from his horse. Then he felt q sharp,
singing. burning pain in his bosom, and
with momentary starting of the
muscles, he opened his eyes. He saw
that Bilger was STOPPING over him, and
ransacking his pockets. He could lust
remember Of hearing the distant gallon
of horSe-that he thought his BODY was
being dragged to the road side-and af.
ter that he could remember nothing till
ne awoke in his own house and found the
doctor by his bedside.
For little while longer the multitude
had 10 restrain themselves. remember
that the judge said nothing to the jury,
and that the jury whispered together for
moment. Then the prisoner stood up
once more, and the foreman of the Jury
said" Not guilty"
Then broke forth the hearty shouts of
the people. Absl Adams sank back upon
his seat, but in moment more he was
seized by a score of stout men, and with
wild and rending shouts they bore him
into the free, pure air, where the bright
stars looked down and smiled upon him.
A little way had they gone when they
met young woman, whose long hair was
flowing in the wind, and who wrung her
hands in agony. They stopped and set
their burden down. Abel Adams saw
the woman, and he sprang forward and
caught her to his bosom.
Mary! Mary I'm inuocent-inno.
cent-free."
The wife did not speak-she only clung
wildly to her noble husband, and wept
upon his bosom.
A wagon body was torn from its axle
tree-the blacksmith and his wife were
placed therein, and then they were borne
away towards their home, and long after
they had passed from my sight could
hear the glad shouts of the impulsive
people, waking the night air, and reverb
Grating among the distant hills.
On the next morning, before the stage
started, learned that Matthew Hampton
had determined to make the young black
smith accept of one thousand dollars,
whether he was willing or not
Two weeks afterwards, while sitting
in the office of my hotel at Cincinnati, /
received q newspaper from NJ. Hen.
ry Bigler had been hanged, and on the
galiows he had acknowledged his guilt.
Matthew Hampton was slowly recover
ing, and the blacksmith had, after much
e1postulation. accepted the thousand dol
lars from Hampton's bounty.
MONUMENT TO THE MURDERED BUTLER.
The citizens Of Louisville have erected
a monument 10 w. Ii. G. Butler. the
teacher shot by Matt. Ward. 1t is an
elegant peice of wormanship, built of
Italian marble, and about Ten feet in
height. The inscriptions on its sides are
as follows:
"Wllliam II. G. Butler, born in Jeffer.
son county, Indiana, October Sd, 1925:
died Mt In,liSvi1le Ky No. Od 1920 ;,