Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-11-24
How to PrOvc AR AYibt.
A DETECTIVES STORY.

myselL Ut OarllSle. i WAS cOuSlueraOly aC'
quaintcd thore, and had been there pretty Of.
ten On business; but my being thero at this
time was tho result Of an accident merely.
/ had been threo hundred miles wost of this,
trying in vain to find GLOW to the wherea.
bouts Of an absconding defaultor; and COM
ing back to take fresh start, | found chat
food had submerged tho track for several
miles east of Carlisle, and that there would
be no getting away till Monday, at the least.
So made virtue of necessity, and tele.
graphing my detention and its cause to my
family, wont up town
After dinner at the hotel, dropped in at
the Office of tho district attorney, and with
whom was well acquainted. found him
arranging the details of number of crimi-
nal cases which wcrc to be tried at the court
which began on the following Monday.
"Anything of Importance 7" [ asked, rath-
cr carocssly.
"Ono at least" nc replied, "Joe Slifer, a
notorious sooundrel is to be triod for high
way robbery. Tho victim was dragged out
Of his buggy on a lonely road, beaten inscn-
sibc and robbed of thousand dollars. lie
Identifies SIifor positively as one Of the ruff
ans" ,.
"What's the defense z"
''I can't imagine. L don't think there is
any in reality"
"Maybc hell prove an alibi," loosely
suggested.
lie shook his head.
"They'll hardly try that" he said. "Thc
facts are too clear"
After some moro unimportant conversation
with him, returned to the hotel, whore I
spent tho remain of the day.
The next day was Sunday. I awoko quite
carly, and found tho promise of beautiful
summer day so good that dressed myself
aud sailed out for walk. Nobody was stir.
ring yet about the hotel, the streets wcro per-
fcotly still. I walked around several squares,
and returned to the hotcl, meeting only one
person on the way.
That person was standing in the doorway
Of a basement saloon as [ passed. | looked
around casually, and saw him standing there
in his shirtsloeves. His hair was tumbled,
and he was gaping, as if just awakened. l
did not discover that he was doing anything
particular there; [ thought afterward that it
was quite likely that he had been left in a
drunken fit in the floor Or on tho bench in
tho bar, the night before, and that, waking
up at this carly hour, he had taken the wrong
door in seeking for his lodgings, and had
gone out OF doors instead of going to bed
My look at him was merely side glance, but
that was enough to photograph his face IN my
mind. 1t was thin, bilious faoo, perfectly
smooth, with q long nose, much twisted to
one side, and red scar over the left eye. 1
marked it instantly as tho face of rascal
How could do that can't explain; our
business learns us to read faces as most mon
road books, and tho glance [ had at that face
told mo that tho man was lawless follow.
His actions confirmed the opinion. Sleepy as
ho looked and acted, no sooner had ho secn
mo passing than he dove back through tho
door and slammed it to-
l instantly understood him. "a scamp,
on somo 'lay' or other, and don't want to be
scen,' was my thought. And | walked on
with his photograph in my mind, but ceased
before I reached tho hotel.
The day passed, and bright and early Mon.
day morning took my satchel and went
down to the depot But it was to no pur
pose the ofhco was closed, and placard on
the wall informed tho public that tho road
would not boiopened before Tuesday.
wont back to tho hotel, too much out o.
sorts to enjoy MY breakfast. did not under
stand, till the day was some hours older, thai
was needed moro hero at Carlisle than any
where else, just then.
I went from tho breakfast table into thu
reading. room, and after I had read an hour
I heard one man say to another
"Lct's 20 over to tho courthouse; they're
trying Joe Slifor." They won't out ant
remembering my little talk with tho distric
attorney, my curiosity was excited, and fol
lowed them. fi tt
When entered the court! room, the victim
of the robbery was or the stand. He was ,
plain, simple, old man, and give his evidence
with apparent truthfulncss IIo testified tha
ho was stopped about sunset, some months
before, whilo passing from Carlisle to hi
home with ono thousand dollars no had dawr
that afternoon from tho bank. 1t is lionel,
spot, and thore is not house within half
milo Of it. Flo was jogging lcisurely along
whom II light wagon drawn by two horse
dashed up beside his buggy, and three of tn
four men in it jumped out, whilo tho fourth
held the reins. They were all masked. On
OF them seized his horse by the bit and stop
ped him, the second snatohcd the lines from
Ills hands, and tho third climbing half int
tho buggy, and taking him by tho arms, do
,nandcd his money. Ho said that he instant
w shouted as loud as he could, whom tho ruf
fan dealt him savage blow with slung
shot which knocked him sensoloss T; and whel
ho came to himself again, both robbers an,
money were gone.
He recognized only one of the four th
man that struck him. AS he drew baok t.
ciyo tho blow, his mask dropped, and reveal