White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-08-12
WHITE CLOUD, KANSAS THURSDAY, AUGUST D. 1853

of horses feet, and on turning to the slope
he found Simple and Jordan there.
Bilger was cross-questioned very Sc
yerely, but his testimony. was not to be
iawed. He was explicit in all his state
ments, and at the same time be professed
to feel deep regret that he was called
upon to testify against a man for whom
be felt as much respect as he did for the
prisoner. 49,.
At. length young Adams arose to tell
his story. He spoke clearly, and with the
tone of man who tells the truth. He said
that about an hour'after Matthew Hamp-
ton had left his shop on the evening in
question, he went to the sink and washed
his hands, and while there he trod on
something that attracted his attention
He stopped and picked it up and found it
to be pocket book. and on taking it to
the light it proved to be Mr.. Hampton's.
He remembered that after Mr.. Hampton
had paid him for shoeing the horse. he
went to the sink after a drink of water,
and that he must have dropped the book.
The young blacksmith's first idea, he
said, was to keep the book until Hamp-
ton came back, but on second thought he
resolved to saddle his horse and ovetake
him and restore the money. Accordingly
he set of, and when he reached the bluff,
his horse began to rear and snort. lie
discovered something laying by the road
side, and upon dismounting and going to
it, he found it to be the body of Mr..
Hampton, still warm and bleeding. He
first satisfied himself that he could do
nothing alone, and then he started back
towards M-for assistance. When he
was overtaken by Jordan and Bilger. the
idea of having Hampton's money with
with him, broke upon him with stunning
force. and hence his strange and incohe-
rent manner. .s.a
When the prisoner sat down there was
low murmur which told that his story
was believed. But the judge shook his
head and the lawyer did the same, and
the jury looked troubled and anxious
The prisoners counsel did all he could to
establish his clients good character. and
also to impeach the character Of Bilger,
but he could not refute the testimony
given in. Er
When the judge came to charge the
jury, he spoke of the testimony against
the prisoner. and of the coroborative
circumstances. With regard to the pris-
oner's story, he said it was very simple
and sounded worry much like truth but
he would have the jury remember how
easily such story could be made.
1t was long after dark when the jury
retired to make up their verdict. When
they were gone half an hour. and when
they returned. the foreman showed by the
very hue of his countensnce. that the
verdict was fatal All saw it, and / could
hear the shrobbing of the hundred hearts
that beat around me.
Gentlemen of the jury. have you made
verdict ?"
"We have"
"Shall your foreman speak for you ?"
eyes" 1858
"Abel Adams, stand up and look the
foreman in the face. Now. sir. is Abel
Adams, the prisoner at the bar, guilty Of
murder, or not 90
Hark The first syllable of the word
GUILTY" is upon the foreman's lips, but
he speaks it not. Those who yet crowd
about the windows shout with all their
might, and in a moment more a man
crowds his way into the court room. He
hurries up and whispers to the sheriff,
aud then be goes to the bench and whis-
pers to the judge. Henry Bilger starts
up and moves towards the door, but in
an instant the hand of the sheriff was
upon him. All is excitement the most
intense. Directly the mass at the door
begins to give way, and four men are
seen bearing upon their shoulders chair
and in the chair sits Matthew Hampton
not dead, but alive. True, he is pale
and CHASTITY, but his eyes are open. and
his lips move. At length the chair is set
down before the bench, and the old ply
stefan of Nj asks permission to speak.
AS soon as the fact becomes known, all
is quiet once more.
The physician says that neither Of the
wounds that 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 a state of catalepsy, which resem-
bled death so nearly that many an expe-
rienced person might have been deceived.
When he gave out that Mr. Hampton was
dead, be thought 1t was So But when
he found that Hampton was living. he
kept the secret to himself, for fear that
certain man. whose presence he much
needed. might be missing.
At this juncture Mr.. Henry bigger
made 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. He was too weak to
rise, but he spoke plainly. and in man
ner that showed his mind to be clear.
He stated that when he reached the
bluff on the night of the 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 that it was Henry
Bilger, when he received blow upon the
head from club that knocked him from
his horse. Then he felt sharp, singing,
burning pain In the bosom, and with .
starting of the muscles be II