Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-10-14

the night of my return. when a sum
mons from without called me to the
door. A stranger asked shelter for
himself and his horse for the night.
II invited him in Though a
stranger. his face seemed not unfa
miliar He was probably ore OF
tie men / had seen at the land
office, place, at that time, much
freqnented
Offering him scat. went t.
see to his horse. The poor animal.
as well as could see by the dim
starlight. seemed to have been l,adls
used. His painting sides bore wit
ness of m"rciless riding. and tre,n
ulous shrinking at the slighte-,
touch. hctokennd recent fright
.'On re entering the house.
found the stranger was not there
H., absence excited n' surl rise; lie
would doubtless soon return 1t
was Il little singular. however. that
he should have left his watch lying
on the table.
'.At the end of half an hour my
guest not returning. | went again t."
the stable. thinking he might have
found his way thither to give per
scnal attention to the wants of his
horse.
Before going out. from mere
force of hahit-tnr we were as vet
uninfested bv either thieves or po-
licemen-I took the precautiun of
putting the strangers watch in a
drawer in which kept my own WI
uables.
Il found the horse as l had left
him. and gave him the food which
he was now sufficiently cooled to be
allowed to eat. but his master was
nowhere to be seen.
LAS / approached the house. a
crowd of men on horseback backed
up, and l was commanded. i'm no
gentle tones. to stand - In
another moment I was in the
clutches of those who claimed me
rs their ''prisoner7
Il was too much terrified at first
to ask what it all meant. | did SO
at last, and the explanation came.
1t was terrible!
My friend with whom l had So
lately set out in conn any. had been
found murdered and robbed near
the spot at which |, but | alone.
knew we had separated | was the
last known to he with him. and |
was now arrested on the suspicion
OF his murder.
"A search of the premises was
Immediately instituted The watch
was found in the drawer in which
had placed it, and was Unidentified as
the property of the murdered man
His horse, too. was found in my
stable, for the animal had just put
there was none other | recognized
him myself wien | saw him in the
light
What l said I know not Nj,
confusion was taken as additional
evidence Aud when. at length.
did command language t. give al
intelligihle statements lit was received
with >neers oi incre, iullty.
The mob spirit is is Inherent IN
man-at least in crowds "f men L
l may not, always manifest itself il
physical violence 1t sometime.
c,nte MS Itself with ls hclii'ly Il char
Ger But, whatever its form. it $
e always relentless. pitiless. cruel
'.As the proofs of my guilt. one
/ after another, came to light. low
mutterings gradually grew into F.:
clan or for vengeance: and hut fol
the firmness of ose man--the officer
r who had me in charge-I wouit
doubtless have paid tue penalty o
nv supposed offense on the spot
1T was not SYM ;thy for me tha
= actuated my protector His hear
/ was :,~ hard as lis office: but ht
represented the majesty of the law
n and took a sort of grim pride i'll th'
{ position.
.-As much under the glance of hi
g eve as before the muZzlc of his Iis
i tol. the cowardly clamorers drew
back. Perhaps they were not sui1i
ciently numerous to feel the ful
u effect of that mysterious reflex in
S fuence which makes crowd of mel
Il so much worse, and at times so mucl
e better, than any one OF them singly
It "At the end OF some months m,
a trial came. 1t could have but ON
Il result. Circumstances too plainl
@ declared my guilt. l alone kne,
S they lied,
The absence of the jury wa
l. very brief To their verdict | pai
e. but little heed. 1t was Il sin9l
v hideous word; but l had long antic
f. ipated it. and it made no impression
l. LAS little impression was mad
re by the words of the judge whic
followed it; and his solemn invocs
,r ton that God might have mere
! vouchsafe, sounded like the hollow
n est of hollow mockeries.
la 1t may he hard for the cor
% demned criminal to meet death
10 is still harder for him who is inne
cent. The one, when the firs
IS shock is over, acqniesces to hi
ID doom, and gives himself to roper
"A tance the heart of the other. file
10 with rebellion against mans inju,
,e tice, can scarce bring itself to as
10 pardon of God.
III II had gradually overcome th
feeling. in spite of the good clerg,
,e mans irritating efforts which .wei
a mainly directed towards extractin
lie confession, without which, he a:
le sured me, he had no hope to offe
:. ..On tho M =, ,.r,i r Of fha 6av Il va