The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-08
HOW TO PROVE AN ALIBI.

One Sunday, about ten years ago,
found myself at Carlisle. was consider.
ably acquainted there, and had been there
pretty often on business; but my being
there at this time was the result Of an &C.
cident merely. l had been three hundred
miles west Of this, trying in vain to find a
clue to the whereabouts Of an absconding
defaulter, and coming back to take fresh
start, found that food had submerged
the track for several miles east of Carlisle,
and that there would be no getting away
till Monday, at the least. So made q
virtue Of necessity, and telegraphing my
detention and its cause to my family,
went up town.
After dinner at the hotel, dropped il
at the Office of the district attorney, with
whom 1 was well acquainted. / found
him arranging the details of a number oi
criminal cases which were to be tried at
the court which began on the following
Monday.
Anything Of Importance" 2" / asked ra-
ther carelessly.
Zone at least" he replied, "Joe Slifer,
notorious scoundrel, is to be tried for
highway robbery. The victim was dragged
out of his buggy on a lonely road, beaten
insensible, and robbed Of thousand dol
lars. He identifies Slifer positively as one
Of the rufflans.n
"What's the defence l'
81 can't imagine. don't think there is
any in reality.
'Maybe he'll prove an alibi," jocosely
suggested. He shook his head.
"They'll hardly try that,n he said.
s'The facts are too clear"
After some mere unimportant CONVERSE
ton with him, / returned to the hotel,
where I.spent the remainder of the day.
The next day was Sunday. Iawoke
quite early, and found the promise Of a
beautiful summer day, SO good that |
dressed myself and sailed out for walk.
Nobody was stirring yet about the hotel,
and the streets were perfectly still. l
walked around several squares, and re-
turned to the hotel, meeting only one per-
son on the way.
That person was standing in the door
way of basement saloon as passed. |
looked around casually, and saw him stand
ing there in his shirt-sleeves. His hair
was tumbled, and he was gaping, as if just
awakened. | did not discover that he was
doing anything particular there I thought
afterward that it was quite likely that he
had been left in drunken fit on the floor
or on the bench in the bar the night before,
and that, waking up at this early hour, he
had taken the wrong door in seeking for
bis lodgings, and had gone out Of doors in
stead 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 face, perfectly
smooth, with a long nose, much twisted to
one side, and red scar over the left eye.
marked it instantly as the face Of a ras-
cal.
How l could do that / can't explain; /;
our business learns us to read faces as most
men read books, and the glance had at
that face told me that the man was law
less fellow. His actions confirmed the
opinion. Sleepy as he looked and acted,
no sooner had he seen me passing than he
dove back through the door and slammed
it to.
instantly understood him. "a scamp,
on some lay or other, and don't want to
be seen," was my thought. And walked
on with his photograph in my mind, but
ceased to think anything Of him or the cir
eumstances before / reached the hotel
The day passed, and bright and early
Monday morning I took my satchel and
went down to the depot. But it was TO
no purpose; the office was closed, and a
placard on the wall informed the public
that the road would not be opened before
Tuesday.
Invent back to the hotel, too much out
of sorts to enjoy my byeakfast. did not
understand, till the day was some hours
older, that was needed more here at Gar
Isle than anywhere else, just then,
Invent from the breakfast table into the
reading room, and after | had read an
hour, / heard one man say to another:
"Leps 90 over to the court house
they're trying Joe Slifer." They wen VEN
out !; and remembering my little talk VIII
the district attorney, my curiosity was 'A
sit.d and folloWad them.