The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-04-21
WAS HE GUILTY?

WAS He OO1LI
! q ssheriff, remove this prisoner"
commanded the Judge.
I. Five years, five long years in the
penitentiary! Great God!a Iam not
guiltyl 1 am not!' cried Reginald
Forester, as he was led away ~
He had been sentenced to five years
hard labor for the crime of breaking
the dam of j ohm Cluny's Touring mill.
Two brothers, James and Charlie
sCrocker, were the principal witnesses.
They swore that late one night about
six months before, as they were walk
ing home, they saw young Forester
walking rapidly along the path lead
ing across the dam. Thinking that
something had happened to the sluice
gates, they were about to follow in
order to assist, when they saw that he
began to cut away the props that up
held the timbers. Horror struck, they
stopped. Itwas too late The dam
gave way. Rushing down the road
towards the mill, they shouted
ss.s e The flood I the flood y so
The miller heard the shouts, and had
just time to save himself and his fam
ily;oi shortly -afterward the flood
reached the Mill and swept it away.
A merchant of the village close by
swore that Forester bought an axe, a
shovel and pick on the evening pre-
yious to the breaking of the dam.
The axe was found hidden among
some bushes close to the path, and was
identified by the merchant to be the
same which Reginald bought of him.
The miller swore that FORESTER had
several times been seen lurking around
the mill. The miller further stated
that at the time he discharged him, he
Forrester) swo1e he would be even
with him.
isAnd he destroyed my property be-
cause 1 discharged him for daring to
make love to my daughter, Amy,
against my Wishes" concluded he.
Only one person believed Forester
to be innocent-Amy Cluny, the mil
ler's daughter.
It was twelve at noon, just four
years after the conviction of Forester,
when the door of the States prison
opened to him. A pale bowed down
man, whose eyes were constantly seek
ing the ground, walked down the road
toward the ferry, boat. The crowd
that stood upon the wharf quickly
moved aside as the man tottered to-
wards bench. ,}srI
A pardoned convict" ran from
mouth to mouth. : al - = ?
Is Yes Forester, for it was he, had
beed pardoned by, the Governor. -Four
long years he had toiled in the brick
| yard of the prison. Thoughts of self
destruction often fitted across his
weary mind. Often as he stood near
the furnace of the brick kiln, he
! thought that only one leap into the
roaring flames, and his misery. would
be at an end.If q xGlH30H)
He had received only two letters
/ during his imprisonment. One was
from Amy. 80
The other letter came from New
y ork. q TWAS from a lawyer and read
"This is to inform you that Allen For.
rester, Esq, your uncle, has departed
this life. He died intestate, and yor
are the sole heir, to-" The lettel
4 was received two days before he wal
pardoned.
"Fortune avails me nothing, thu
worldthinks me guilty. cried he.
4 a.io graz siiTiaa III.
4 o." Forester has come back. won
der why in the world he wants to com
4 to this place again; he's rich, and h,
has threatened to shoot Jim Crocke
if he calls him a convict again." Sucl
were the reports that spread over tn
> village like wildfre. H. ssl.ia ans
At last the news came to the ears o
ethe1nillef. With a muttered curse up
on his enemy, as he called Forester
he assembled the stairs leading to tn
second-story of the new mill that h
! had erected in the place of the on
swept away. His steps were noiseles
as he approached Amy's bedroom. III
looked through the key hole. A min
Z. kute afterwards he wrenched open tn
door.he had seen Amy signaling t
somebody. AS he rushed to til
window he caught a glimpse of th
+ figure of man as he disappeared be
hind projecting cliff-it was the forr
of Forester. He caught hold c
AnIy's arm. --.-
o Who was that man /? Quick, te
t me- came from between his clenche
4 teeth, iIi2ai .z2a31 @ et.@ Sab
e Amy uttered shrek of pain.
He dropped her arm and rushe
from The room, but soon returned wit
,aloaded gun in his hands, and dragge
her to the open window. The hea
q of a man could plainly be seen risin
If slowly from behind the cliff Am
sank upon her knees. The miller r.
J, leased her arm and slowly raised h