The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-07-30

l.
ty miles of, met my old friend, George
@. He, too, had come to seek his fortune
in the West and we were both delighted
at the meeting. He had brought with him
he said sum of money which he desired
to invest in land, on which it was his pur-
pose to settle.
II expressed strong wish to have him
for neighbor, and gave him cordial
invitation to accompany me home, giving
it as my belief, that he could nowhere
make better selection than in that vicin-
ity; =.
"He readily consented, and we set out
together. We had not ridden many miles,
when George suddenly recollected COM
mission he had undertaken for friend,
which would require his attendance at
public land-sale on the following day.
"Exactlng promise that he would not
delay his visit longer than necessary, and
having given minute directions as to the
route, l continued my way homeward,
while he turned back.
II was about retiring to bed on the night
OF my return, when summons from with
out called me to the door. A stranger
asked shelter for himself and his horse for
the night.
II invited him in. Though stranger,
his face seemed not unfamiliar He was
probably one of the men I had seen at the
land-office, place, at that time, much fire.
quented.
"Ofering him seat, I went to see to his
horse. The poor animal, as well as could
see by the dim starlight, seemed to have
been hardly used. His painting sides bore
witness of merciless riding, and tremu-
lous shrinking, at the slightest touch, be-
tokened recent fright.
'On re-entering the house, l found the
stranger was not there. His absence excl
ted no surprise; he would doubtless soon
return. 1t was little singular, however,
that he should have left his watch lying
on the table.
cat the end of half an hour, my guest
not returning, / went out again to the sta
BILE, thinking he might have found his way
thlther to give personal attention to the
wants of his horse.
Before going out, from mere force of
hablt-for we were as yet uninfested by
either thieves or policemen-I took the
precautlon OF putting the strangers watch
In drawer in which l kept my own valu-
ables.
81 found the horse as I had left him, and
gave him the food which he was now suffi-
GENTLY cooled to be allowed to eat, but
his master was nowhere to be seen.
las L approached the house crowd of
men on horseback dashed up, and l was
commanded, in no gentle tones, to 'standP
In another moment was in the clutches
OF those who claimed me as their prisoner
81 was too much Supplied at first to ask
what it all meant. did so at last, and
the explanation came, it was terrible!
my friend, with whom had so lately
set out in company, had been found muir
dered and robbed near the spot at which
which |, and | alone, knew we had separa-
ted. was the last person known to be with
him, and was now arrested on suspicion
Of his murder.
"a search ofthe premises was immedi-
ately instituted. The watch was found in
the drawer in which had placed it, and
''as identified as the property Of the murdered
man, His horse, too, was found in the sta
BILE, for the animal l had just put there was
none other. recognized him myselfwhen
l saw him in the light
"What | said, l know not. My confl-
sion was taken as additional evidence of
guilt. And when, - length, / did COM
Wand language to give an Ineligible state
ment, it was received with sneers of incre-
dulity.
"The mob spirit is inherent in man-at
least in crowds of men. Itmay not always
manifest itself in physical violence. 1t
sometimes contents itself with lynching a
character. But whatever its form, it is al
ways relentless, pitiless, cruel.
Gas the proofs of my guilt, one after an
other, came to light, low mutterings grad
ually grew into clamor for vengeance; and
but for the firmness of one man-the officer
who had me in charge-I would doubtless
have paid the penalty of my supposed of
fence on the spot.
at was not sympathy for me that actu-
ated my protector. His heart was as hard
as his office; but he represented the majes-
ty of the law, and took sort of grim pride
in the position.
GAS much under the glance of his eyes as
before the muzzle of his pistol, the coward
ly clamorers drew back. Perhaps they
were not sufficiently numerous to feel the
full effect of that mysterious reflex influence
which makes crowd of men so much
worse, and at times so much better, than
any one of them-singly..
"At the end of some months my trial
came. 1t could have but one result. Cir
cumstances too plainly declared my guilt.
/ alone knew they lied.
1.-THE absence of the jury was very brief
To their verdict paid but little heed
1t was a single hideous word; but I had
long anticipated it and it made no impress
sion.
GAS little impression was made by the
words of the judge which followed it; and
his solemn invocation that God might
have that mercy upon me which man was
to just to vouchsafe sounded like the hol-
lowest of hollow mockeries.
ut may be hard for the condemned
criminal to meet death it is still harder
for him who is innocent. The one, when
the first shock is over, acquiesces in his
doom, and gives himself to repentance; the
heart of the other, filled with rebellion
against mans injustice, can scarce bring
itself to ask pardon ofGod.
II had gradually overcome this feeling,
in spite of the good clergyman's irritating
efforts, which were mainly directed to-
wards extracting confession, without
which, he assured me, he had no hope to
offer.
"On the morning of the day fixed for my
execution, felt measurably resigned. /
had 50 long stood face to face with death,
had on aoouetomod rnvoelf IN Iook ,,pon IL