Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1858-06-26
Why should he have the knife So

Why should he have the knife so
boldly about him? I learned after
wards. He had not worn those panta-
looms before since the night Of the fire;
and now he used the knife without the
least remembrance of the loss it had
sustained, during very peculiar piece
of work, to the execution of which it
was made subservient.
We talked for some ten minutes, and
l found that eleven of the jury we're
bent on rendering a verdict of guilty +;
though most of them were in favor of
recommending the prisoner to mercy.
Moulton Warren was decided. He had
no mercy at all
Presently started up and pretended
to be faint. said l must 20 out a
few minutes. kicked at the door, and
the deputy sheriff came. He heard my
plea and let me out. As soon as we
had gained safe distance, I told him
all. He was astonished. He went
away, and when he returned he brought
the district judge and the sheriff. I
told again what had seen-that it was
no mere suspicion. And I explained
too, Warren's manner in the jury room,
his former connection with the prison.
err, and his known character.
The officers went away, and at the
end of ten minutes they returned with
constable added to their number, and
this constable had freshly written in
strument IN his hand. The sheriff babe
me point out the hat to them as soon as
we entered the rooom.
The door of the room was opened,
and I pointed them to the hat. The
sheriff took it and asked whose hat it
was. Warren leaped to his feet and
seized it, but was held back.
Word was instantly sent to the judge
that the jury could not agree. They
were discharged, and then Moulton
Warren was searched. The knife was
found upon him, and his behavior at
once exposed his guilt. The presence
Of that letter was accounted for by him
in dozen different ways within an
hour. A new jury was empanneled,
and Charles Ambold acquitted. Short
! ly afterwards, Warren was tried, and it
was plainly proved that he had set fire
to the house, and that the woman who
kept it was to have been burned up in
it, as he had contrived to lock her in
her room shortly after setting the fire.
She had incurred his displeasure in va
rious ways, and thieswas his revenge.
Not only she, but Two Of her girls had
suspected him from the first, but they
dared not complain, for fear he would
not be convicted, and would then be
sure to murder them.
The hardened villain confessed his
guilt after he had been condemned, and
then it was he told how he happened to
be so careless in regard to the knife.
1t was he who had robbed Ambold, and
when he took the old letter from his
hat to use for a torch in setting the
fire, he did not notice what it was, and
even when that partly burned half had
been exhibited IN court, he had entirely
forgot that he had torn off the other
half and put it back in his hat, as be
must have done. The letter had been
found in Ambold's pocket book, and he
had kept it because in it the youth was
warned against his influence. He con-
fessed that he had a slight idea Of call
ing the writer to an account when it
should be convenient. With regard to
the knife, it was as l before stated.
He took that from Ambold's pocket
and put it in his own and on the nj ghs
Of the fire he used it to pry up the sash,
and when he had broken it he put it
back in his pocket and forgot it.
Thus was Charley saved-and saved
from more than ignominious death, too.
He was saved to be noble, virtuous
man, and his mother once more took
delight and joy in the love and tender
care Of her only child.
When Charles Ambold knew that
Moulton Warren had expiated his crime
upon the gallows, he sat down and pom
deredupon his past life. The thought Of
his old companion being hanged, sent
a strange thrill through his Frame
But he was able to trace out, clearly
and logically, this terrible result from
the course Of life the Inflated man had
pursued. He shuddered as he remem-
bered how far he had gone in the same
course himself, and he was able to see
the only safe path for any youth.
Not only must he shun temptation
not only keep clear Of even the appear
ance of vice, but, above all, must he
shun evil companionship. A youth
may make all the good resolutions
thought can afford, but if he continue
one evil companionship he is not safe.