The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-07-26

Of the stolen property. Judge OF my horTor n ON
psrceiying that the painting inortuua Sta., VIZ ~
made bis appearance was totai s1"ueoi W
mel 80 ;,,ooo,,o
or course all my protestations of innocence
uera ~ no avail. and Was treated IN the man-
n or i7escribed in the commencement.
Clstter. clash, rumble, bangl The cell door
closed upon me, and was prisoner.
TIE gloom was 30 great. that though IT was
Gradually became aware that I was in q mar
row. vaulted room, as strong as brick and IRON
could make it. Halfway up the walls was Q
wooden waipscoting, and round two sides
could dimly see low bench, barely two feet
frem floor which was inch deep in saWduse.
The iron door Of this delightful apartment was
OF great thickness. DISCLOSING i've feet
holes. By pressing my lace against tbls gra-
ting. could see into the corridor without
But the only view obtainable was ground
glass window opposite, illuminated by the last
lingering rays Of the setting sun. II was alto
gether most depressing place. Inc mayor
suggested to ms was combined one, made
mo Of the condemned cell in Newgate, the dun
9eons ee OF Of the Bastile, and the Spanish Inquisi
tion. Occasional gruff voices and heavy foot
steps in the corridor deepened the impression.
mouse in trap was king to me.
Then began to think seriously Of my stua:
ton. That 1 had committed felony there could
not be the least doubt, though with no teloni-
my explanation 2 Surely my manner and ap-
pearance we're not those OF pick. But my
heart sank within me ss remembered that
the London swell-mob are known to ba the
cleverest actors Id the world-in TACT, can
initiate to perfection any class Of society. NY
only hope was in Spruclngton. He would De
Of material assistance in clearing up the my6-
stery. And yet that umbrella could nav haTe
sworn it TO belong to none other but he How
ever, had dispatched messengers to him,
my employer and my friends; therefore, the
only thing to be done was to wait patiently TILL
the morning.
Ispare you description. Of that night OF
horrq, for such it was to one who had never
before suffered an hours deprivation OF lib
arty: how the monotony Of the long, long
hours was only broken stintervals BY the ap-
pearance at the grating Of stern helmeted
Usaee, demanding whether "all' was fright"
how at four o'clock a. b. two fellow-prison-
ers, in the skEpes of drunken scayenger and
q deserter from the Royal Artillery. we're
thrust into the cell; or how in the morning all
the cells we're emphed, aud we, the occupants,
were paraded through the streets in meIan.
choly string, to an adjacent police court.
.2 fortunately myc case came on early, 30 that
I had not long to wait among the crowd OF
dirty, disreputable dttenus, each guarded by
constable who filed an outer room.
At the cry Of s:charles Blaukr q shud.
d.red to hear my name in such place. and
my attendant policeman marched INTO the
court. Ths jailer. q. big. bury; baldheaded,
gilt-buttoned person, placed me in the dock;
At the same moment the prosecutor entered
the witness-boI to be sworn. He was pr1g-
gish-fookipg man fof about forty five, and no
more like Md Sprucington in front than was
like the Monument.
/. In q. few calm, well-chosen words, be de;
finished. was told that could put any ques.
tions to him that thought proper. Ideclined
to do 30. Then, after his evidence had been
confirmed by the constable who arrested me,
the maeistrate-an anuiable looking old gentle
MAJ manaasked :. a me- M We'll, my friend. what have
In reply, gave the same simple and unvarn-
ished statement which I had already given at
the police station.
'sfhat is ali very we'll, as far as it goes; but
have you any Witnesses to character2 2"
Yes. sir-Mr. Edward Sprucington."
..H'Uall Edward 6pruclngton." .9'i'a
Then Icould hear the crier shouting the Ia
miliar name through the passages Of the court.
After few minutes suspense The official
returned, accompanied to my great delight.
by Ned. The goLd fellow looked 30 distressed
to gee me in such o predlcament, that felt
convinced he would hare given o dozen UNI
'breIlas to have got me out OF the scrape. AS
soon as be made his appearance, noticed
that the prosecutor changed color; l also
noticed thas whilea taking The oath, Ned kept
ons hand behind his back; could not have
told you why, but somehow derived en-
,courag ement from both those triflng: circum-
stances.
To shorten Matters I may say, that il had
been seraph, could not have received bet.
ter character than thstRIyen me BY Ned. At
last came the question, "rheu you think the
prisoner incapable Of stealing this umbrella p
well, SIR" said Ned, who hsd recovered
his SELF possession, sit, as understand, steal
ing means taking property from the o,or'er it
is impossible the prisoner could have COM
What 6rst-rate advocate Ned was becomipgl
"Imposslble! Why-f"
'Because that umbrella was first stolen from
mem 90 isst'TssGS19 '.sa' & 'A.4'i
ut is an infamous fslsehoodl cried the pro-
secutor, starting up.
sis III -. replied Ned. s. That psrson need
not be 80 particular about words. for this is ell
he left me in exchange the Cigar Dlyan,"
With that he produced. amid the laughter
.ofithe court. what he had hitherto conceal ed
behind hls back, nsmely,a wooden. handled UNI
brella much the worse for wear. OF silk certain
ly, but no more TO be compared With the glories
Of the ohyI.hsndled than cosiermonserS
wideawake with the Archbishop of CanteIbu.
rye best shovel"
~ An attempt,'a at biuster by the late possessor
OF his umbrella vas quietly met by Ned with .,
request that an off,er OF the court should exs :
NINE the initials, upon the handle. This was
conclusive. The stranger 'sjuitia!s were 1T. W."
and he had not had time TO take notice OF the
minute '.E. b." cut into the onNx stone.
. Of course my immediate release followed upon
thus discovery, accom- panied By the assurance
that left tint court without any STAIN upon
my character, &c. My late prosecutor was glad
TO stink crestfallen away, yet not before he had
received severe rebuke, administered by the
magistrate.
As for Ned. he was overfowing with graft
tude. he declared with tears in his eyes that
I had been tie means Of restoring to him hlH
lost treasure. What was more, he insisted up-
ON paying the wager which I had lost. and also
ofperforming the part Of fAmphityron at o cap
ital dinner IN the evening.
COMMERCIAL NEWS.
The Charleston Cotton, Rico and Naval
STORES Market.
OFFIoR CHARLESTON NEWS,
MONDAY EVENING, Juy 25, 1870. J
U,,~cho dneirnna y,rorur.