Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1871-11-24

No othcrWitness was called Tor tho prose-
cution none seemed necessary. The pris-
onors lawyer got up and made plausible
statcmcntto the jury that tho complainant
was mistaken about recognizing Joe Slifor on
the occasion referred to-; that Slifer was not
there at all, but that he was ut Norcott, fifty
miles north of Carlisle ut the very hour of
that robbery, and that he should prove it by
at least two witnesses. lie sat down and
called out "Calcb Wye," and everybody lean
cd forward cxpcctantly. r
The witness came forward with slow,
limping gate, leaning on canc. IIo was
apparently man of middle age, and dressed
IN suit of sombrc black, with white oho-
kcr about his neck lis hair was silver
gray, and as he mounted tho stand, and lean
ing on his cane, turned placontly to the pris-
onor's counsel, he presented an appearance
which would attract attention and respect
anywhere.
I saw him; and though I did not betray
any surprise, [ know that my heart gave
tremendous thump. For saw tho bilious,
thin face, tho crooked nose. the SCARED fore.
head of tho dodgor whom had seen twenty.
four hours before in the doorway of the sa-
loon. With this difference, however, the
hair of that man was almost black, while this
Dlans was silver grey
edged my chair quietly up beside that of
the District Attorney and while the man was
tcstifying | managed to whisper in tho Others
ear without attracting the attention of the
witness.
The latter testified that lie was dealer in
ready.made clothing at Norcott, and one of
tie firm of Wye & Peasants. That on the
day testified to as to the robbery, both he and
his partner were at their store in Norcott, and
there was an unusual call for goods Joe
S!ifcr was then in town; they knew him we'll
and had often employed him to help in the
store. On this particular day they sent for
him ho came Immediately and he remained
at tho store, waiting on customers, from two
o'clock till eight, without once leaving it,
MIR. Peasants was in court, and could testify
to the same facts.
The first question of the district attorney
made the fellow start and shiver.
care you in disguise sr?"
"Wh-what Z" stammcred the man.
"IIavo you silver grey wig over your
dark hair 2"
The man looked amazed and then fright
encd, but said nothing, and before he could
recover his self-posscssion, the district attor-
ney had stepped forward and removed the
wig, revealing a smoothly. brushed head of
dark brown hair.
"What does this mean 2" he asked, stcrnly
"Only fancy" was the surly answer /;
GIVE won that wig for years"
"IIavo you, indeed? Did you wear it all
day yesterday"
eyes, sir" was tho confident response.
"Wherc? 2"
"At Norcott, to be suro,'
can day 2"
"Ccrtainly, was there tho whole day."
"When did you arrive here at Carlisle ?''
"At7:20 this morning"
The district attorney gave me triumphant
wink and when he stated to the court that
he desired this witness to be detained till the
close of tho trial, the sheriff was directed to
take charge of him. Mr. Caleb Wye came
down from the stand with his wig in his
hand, and took seat by the sheriff, looking
decidedly moro bilious than [ had yet scon n
him appear.
Mr.. Peasants was now loudly called for
by the defence, but no one came forward-
The unexpected reception which the Witness
met probably chilled tho ardor of his confed.
crate, and he wisely chose to keep in the
background. This, then, was all Of the de-.
fence, and my evidence at onoc blew it to the
winds. [ looked directly at Mr.. Wye, ESQ
called, when | was telling tho jury whom,
whore, and under what circumstances l had
seen him the previous day. and | saw him
tremble like an aspen leaf. The jury convic-
ted the prisoner without leaving their seats,
and tho witness was locked up for further
consideration.
| left Carlisle the next morning, and heard
nothing more of this affair for several weeks.
Then q letter from the district attorney, thank
ing ne for the assistance I had rendered
him, conveyed moro details.
"Thc witness Wye" he wrote, "whosc real
name is Nicholas Bray, was indicted for pcr.
jury. A very slight investigation showed me
that we could provo that he had no right to
tho namo of Wye; that neither ho nor any
man by the name of Peasants over kept a
store in Noroott, and neither of them were
known there at ALL This, with your owl
dencc, would have been sufficient to convict
him; and, understanding it as we'll as anybo-
dy, he concluded to save trouble and plead
guilty: So he and Slifer are both in the pen.
itentary, and will stay there for torn of
years. {"
a NEW ILLUSTRATION OF AN OLD Pho.
VERB. "A friend just returned from Chicago
related to us this morning an incident of his
visit which is good enough to find q place
here He was riding in horse car down
State street from the postofrce, surveying the
ruins along which number of gentlemen
whose long, ruefu looking faces told unmsta.
kably that they belonged to tho numerous
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