Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-12-22
BRSTUI virginia TENNESSEE FRIDAY DECEMBER 1871 {WIG


poor, brow-beaten woman, came on
the stand in a frightened way, and
swOre to the same lies as her husband.
Ralph cross-questioned her, but her
part had been well learned.
There seemed now little hope for
Ralph. But just at this moment who
should stride into the school-house but
Pearson, the one-legged, old soldier
basket-maker? He had crept home
the night before, 'to see eff tile ole wo-
man didn't want sOmethin'," and
hearing of Ralph's arrest. he cOnclud-
ed that the time for him to make a
forrard movement" had come, and so
he determined to face the foe.
"Looky here, Squar,n he said, WHIP
ing the perspiratiOn from his brow,
" lOoky here. / jest want to say that
kin tell as much about this case as
anybody"
. Let us hear it, then" said Bronson,
who thought he would nail Ralph now
for certain.
SO, with many illusions to the time
he fit at Lundy's Lane, and some in
dignant remarks about the pack of
thieves that driv him off, and a pass
ing tribute to Miss Martha Hawkins,
and sundry other digressions, in which
he had TO be checked, the old man
told how he'd drunk whisky at
Welch's store that night, and how
Welch's whiskey was ALFRED mean,
and how it alters went straight to his
head, and how he had got leetle too
much, and how he had felt kyinder
gin aOut by the time he got to the
blacksmith's shop, an how he had
lald down to rest, and how rs he
s'posed the boys had Grated him, and
how he thought it war ALFRED mean
to crate a old soldier what fit the Brit
ishers, and lost his leg bv one of the
blamed critters punchin' his bagenet
Though it; and how when he woke
up it was ALFRED cold, and how he
rolled off the crate and went on-to-
UdrdS home, and how when he got up
to the top of Means's hill he met Pete
Jones and Bill Jones, and slim sort
of man, Il ridin'; and how he knOw'd
the JOneses by ther bosses, and some
more things of that kyind about 'em
but he didn't know the slim young
man. tho he tho't he might tell him
eff he seed him agin, kase he was dress
ed up so slick and town-like. But
blamed eff he didn't think it hard that
q passed. of thieves sech as the JOneses
should try to put Their mean things on
to q man like the master, that was so
kyind to him and to ShOcky, tho, fer
that matter, blamed eff hedidn't think
we was all selfish, akordin' to his tell.
Had seed some body that night a cross
in over the bluegrass paster. Didn't
know who in thunder twas, but
it was somebody maxim straight
fer Pete JOnes's. Hadn't seed nobody
else, 'ceptln' DR.. Small, short ways
behind the JOneses.
Hannah was now brought on the
stand. She was greatly agitated, and
with much reluct9nce.-
Lived at Mr.. Means's. Was eighteen
years of age in October. Had been
bound to Mrs. Means three years ago.
Had walked home with Mr.. HartsOok
that evening, and happening to look
out of the window toward morning,
she saw some one cross the PASTURE
Did not know who it was Thought it
was Mr.. HartsOok. Here Mr.. Bron-
son evidently prompted by a suggcs-
ton that came from what Small had
overheard when he listened in the
BARN asked her if Mr.. Hartsook had
ever said anything to her about the
matter afterward. After some hesita-
ton, Hannah said that he had said
that he crossed the pasture. OF his
own accord? No, she spoke of it first.
Had Mr.. Hartsook offered any expla-
nations? No, he hadn't. Had he
ever paid her any attention afterward?
No. Ralph declined to cross-questiOn
Hannah. To him she never seemed
so fair as when telling the truth so
sublimely.
Bronson now informed the court
that this little trick of having the old
soldier happen in, in the nick OF time,
wouldn't save the prisoner at the bar
from the just punishment which an
outraged law visited upon such crimes
as his. He regretted that his duty as
q public prosecutor caused il to fall TO
his lot to marshal the evidence that
was to blight the prospects and blast
the character. and annihilate for ever,
so able and promising a young man,
but that the law knew no differencd
between the educated and the unedu
Gated. and that for his part he thought
Hartsook most dangerous foe to the
peace of society. The evidence al
ready given fastened suspicious upon
him. The prisoner had not yet been
able to break its force at all. The
prisoner had not even dared to try to
explain the reason for his being out at
night to young lady. He would now
conclude by giving the last touch TO
the dark evidence that would sink the
once fair name of Ralph Hartsook in
a hundred fathoms of infamy. He
would ask that Henry Banta be called.
Hank came forward sheepishly, and
was sworn. Lived about a hundred
yards from the house that was robbed.
He seen ole man Pearson and the mas
ter and one other Teller that he didn't
know come away from there together
about one o'clock. He heerd the hOr-
scs kickin', and went out TO the stable
to see about them. He seed two men
come out of Schroeder's back-dOor and
met one man standing at the gate
When they got closter he knOwed
Pearson by his wooden leg and the
master by his hat. On cross-examina-
ton he was little confused when ask
ed why he hadn't told of it before, but
said that he was afraid to say much,
bekase the folks was a talkin' about
hanging the master, and he didn't
want no lynchin'.
The prosecution here rested, Bronson
maintaining that there was enough
evidence to justify Ralph's committal
to await trial. But the court thought
that as the defendant had no counsel
and offered no rebutting testimony, it
would be only fair to hear what the
prisoner had to say in his own defense.
ITO BE CONTINUED