The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1870-11-23

lis horse. The poor animal, as well as !
could sce'by the dim starlight, seemed to
have been hardly used. His painting
.ides bore witness of mercilcss riding, and
! trcmulOus shrinking, at the slightest
touch. betoksned RECEIPT fright.
"0n re,entcrirg the house, found the
stranger was not there. His absence ex-
+, cited no surprise; he would doubtless soon
return. 1t WAS little singular; however,
that he sleull have left his watch lying
On the table.
/ AT the end Of half an hour, my guest
not returning, I went again to the stable,
I,thinking he might have found lis way
ithiiher to give personal attention to the
wants of bis horse. =
Before going out, from mere force of
habit, for we were as yet uninfesied by
either thieves or policemen, | took the
precaution of putting the strangers watch
in drawer in which | kept my own val
ua5lcs.
Il found the horse. as had left him,
aud gave him the food which be was now
sufficiently cooled to be allowed to eat, but
. his master was nowhere TO be seen.
"AsI I rpprOsshed the house, . crowd
Of men on hor,etsek dashed up, aud was
commanded, in no gentle tones to 'stan,H
In another moment was in the clutches
Of those who claimed me as their .prison-
err
"a was too much stupifed at first to ask
what it all meant. l did SO at last, and
when the explanation came it was terri
ble. s's1ta tg
MY friend, with whom l bad so !ately
set Op,in company, had been found mur-
dered and robbed near the spot at which
|, bus.I alone;7, knew We had separated.
| was the last person known to be with
him. and was now arrested on suspicion
Of his murder.
"a search of4he.prcmifes was immedi-
atsly Instituted. The wateS, s.as found in
iae drawer in which l had p.aced'it, and
ICES identified as @e property cf@e mHr-
derelfmn. His horse, too, was found
in my stsbla. for the aqimal l had just
put there was none other recognized
him myself ulien ], saw shint fz-the light.
"What said, | know not. My CON-
fusion was taken as additional evidence.
And when. at length, did command lam
guage to give an ineligible statement, it
was received with sneers Of incredulity.
The mob spirit is inhsrent in man, at
least in crowds of men. 1t may not al
ways manifest itself in physical violence.
1t sometimes contents itself with lynching
a character. But whatever its form. it is
always relentless, piiiless, cruel.
As the proofs of my guilt, one after an
other, came to light, low muttcrings grad
ually grew into a clamor for Vengeance;
and but for the'frmness Of one man, the
officer who had me in charge would
doubtless have paid the penalty of my
supposed offence on the spot.
1T was not sympathy for me that &C.
tuated my protector. His heart was as
hard as his Office; but he represented the
majesty of the law,and took a sort Of grim
pride in the position. e.
"As much under The glance 5f'his eye
as before the muztle Of bis pistol, the COW
ardly clamorcrs drew back. Perhaps
they were not sufficiently numerous to
/ feel the full effect sf,kai mysterious reflex
influence which makes u crowd Of men SO
much worse, and at times 50 much better,
than any one of thcm sihgly.
'fAt the end Of some months my trial
came. Itcould have but one result. Cir
cur,ssances too plainly declared my guilt.
[ alone knaw they lied.
THE absence of.bojury was worry brief.
TO their verdict | paid but little heed.
1T was asirgle hideous word; but i had
long anticipated it, and it made no i'm
preston. a -
AS little impression was made by the
words of the Judge which followed it; and
bis solemn INVOCATION that God might have
that mercy upon me which man was too
just to vCucbsafc sounded ike the hollow
est of hollow mockeries.
ut may be hard for the condemned
criminal to NEE: death it is still harder
fot him who is innocent The one. when
The first shock is over, acquiesces in hi:
doom, and gives himself to repentance
the heart Of the other. filled With rebellion