The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-11-03

1
time very much frequented. t'.
"0ffering him a seat l went to see
! his horse. 50 The poor animal, as well
as could see by. the dim starlight
seemed to have been hardly used
His painting sides bore witness toner
ciless riding, and tremulous shrink
ing, at the sighted touch, betokened
recent fright. 81 f.'..i
"On returning to the house I found
that the stranger was not there. His
absence excited no surprise; he would
Foeubtless soon return. 1t was little
singular, however, that he should have
lett his watch lying on the table. -
Sat the end of an hour, my guest
not returning, I went again to the sta
bic, thinking he might have found his
way thither, to give his personal at
tention TO the want OF his horse.
Before going out from mere force
of habit--for we were as yet unifested
by either thieves or policemen took
the precautiou of putting the stran
gers watch in drawer in which /
kept my own valuables.
II found the horse as / left him,
and gave him the food which he was
now sufficiently cooled to eat; but his
master WAS nowhere to be seen.
Gas 1 approached the house crowd
of men on horseback dashed up, and
1 was commanded in no gentle tones,
to stand p In another moment / was
in the clutches OF those who claimed
me as their prisoner
II was too much stupefied at first
to ask what it all meant. l did SO at
last, and the explanation came; It was
terrible :" z ~ -..'ae.9 ..... .. y
"My friend, with whom l had so
lately set out in company, had been
found murdered and robbed near the
spot at which l, and / alone, knew we
had separated. l was the last person
known to be with him. and was ar
rested on suspicion of being his mur
deFer. ~. ... . g.. -
"a Search of the premises was i'm
mediatel V instituted. The watch was
found III the drawer in which had
placed it, and was identified as the
murdered mans. His horse, too, WAS
found in my stable, for the animal |
had just put there was none other. l
rccogn zed him myself when I saw
him in the light. .-.rs
"What [ said, L know not. My
confusion was taken as additional evi
denee. And when, at length, l did
comman1 language to give an intelli
gible statement, it was received with
sneeFs of incrcdulitY.
"rhe mob spirit is inherent in man
at least in crowds Of men. 1t may
not always manifest itself in physical
violence. 1t sometimes contents itseli
with lynching a character. But what
ever its f I'm, it is always RELENTLESS,
pi;iless, cruel.
".At the proofs Of my guilt, one af-
ter another, came to light, low mutter-
ings gradually grew into a clamor for
vengeance and but for the tirmness OF
one man-the officer who had me i'll
charge-I would doubtless have paid
the penalty OF my supposed oftense OH
the spot .4 '.r.-sg -
cit was not, sympathy for me that
actuated my protector. His heart was
as hard rs his Office; but he represent
ed the majesty OF the laW, and took a
sort OF. grin pride in his position.
CAS- much under the glance of his
eye as. before the muzzle of his pistol.
the cowardly ciam"rers drew back
Perhaps they were not sufficiently nu-
Inerous to feel the full effect of that
mysterious reflex influence W ich
makes crowd OF men so much worse.
and that time SO much better, than
any of them singly.
ext the end of some months my
trial came 1t could have but one re-
suit Circumstances too plainly de
ci~red my guilt, l alone knew they
lied. .
THE absence of the jury was brief.
To their verdict I paid but little heed
1t was single h;deous word; but
had long anticipated it, and it made no
''As 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 too Just to vouchsafe, sound
ed like the hollowest OF hollow mock
cries. .''-
at may be hard for the condemned
to meet death; but it is still
harder 70 him who is innocent The
one, when the first shock is over, nc
quiesces in his doom, and gives himself
to repentance; the heart of the other,
filed, with rebellion against mans in
justice, can scarce bring itself to ask |
pardon of Cod. /
81 had gradually overcome this feel
ing in spite of the good cfergyman's |
efforts, which were mainly |
toward extracting confes-
sion, without which, he assured me,
had no hope to offer. ' 'f'
"On the morning of the day fixed |
for my execution | felt measurably re-
resigned. had so long stood face to
face with death had so accustomed |
myself to look upon it as merely mo-
pang, that I no longer felt
solicitous save that my memory should |
one Gay be vindicated.
"She for whom I had gone to pre-
pare home had already found one in
heaven. The tidings OF my calamity
had broken her, heart She alone of |
all the. world believed me, innocent !;
and she had died with a prayer upon
her lips. that the truth might yet be
brought to light ,o.- t,...- ..-.I
'tAll this 1 had heard, and it had
soofhed,j as with sweet incense, my.
spirit Death, however, I'M