The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1871-05-10

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va TO die on the gallows. When
asld if he had aught to say,
ri ak arose, and looking around
tIas courtroom, in clear voice
anMered
have! Circumstantial evil
dehce has condemned me. L ad-
mlIit locks as if I did the deed,
buI 1 am guiltless of murder.
Dipping my percussion-cap box
III r,aAa1onntain stream, l returned
b, ator more; for without caps
M gn was useless. 1t was a
loIs night, and I determined to
el br the house by my room win
do get the, caps, and return with
utawakening my uncle. l tied
m borse to the tveee, sprang into
tn Window, and theebeard loud
cr. "a, a call ont, and aShriek in
u .,,reation Of my unclee ~oom.
/ ,asbed th,ther-a dark IN
& ~ bv me- ip the heiuneersain hgl
sssssSpa 7 fell over som 2
linj upon the floor. - ith fear ID
ny leart l arose, lighted a candle,
nd saw my uncle's body covered
with blood, gold scattered upon the
floor, and m! own knife, which bad
done the deei, lying near. l pick
ed up the oife, and thus was l
found by tht negro and seen by the
peddler. III God is my witness, |
did not murder the good old man
who has pptected me throughout
life, and whOm | loved as though
be was ny own father. am guilt
less of he deed, but submit 10 my
fate %
A sience fell upon all; there
were, 1oweyer, but few who be-
Iieved the youths statement
amon; the latter was Mr.. Dewes
and hs family, who, through all,
remained staunch friends.
Frank Mercer was to be hung
to dean ignominious death on the
galisws-and hundreds focked to
the little town where the execution
was to take place to see him die.
How were they disappointed to
fnt that the night before he had
escaped ! How, no one knew; but
he bad left a note addressed to the
jailDr, thanking him for the kind
nes, shown him while he was in
his charge, and his regrets that hls
escape might cause him trouble,
but saying he bad an opportunity
Of escaping, and took advantage of
it, for be had no idea of dying an
ignominious death for an act be
was not guilty OF, merely TO CRAFTY
the curiosity of a gaping crowd.
Freedom vas offered him and ne
s2cepted it, and be Lopod 40 would
yet be able to prove his innocence.
This was about the subject of the
lie ter, and when it was published
in the local papers there were some
who were glad that the boy had
escaped the gallows.
Mr. MERGERS property was, in his
will, all left to Frank, and it was
found to be considerable. Trus-
tees assumed charge of it, and be-
fore long the quiet community had
settled down to its usual routine,
and the murder and escape were in
a short time almost forgotten.
Ten years passed away and no
word of the fugitive had been
heard, and people believed him
dead. One exception was Mary
Dewes, now grown to womanhood.
She had never believed him dead,
and through her life had treasured
Franks image IN her inmost heart,
the mystery that hung around him
but adding strength to her regard.
Her sisters had married, her moth
er was dead, and, together with her
father, they had lived at the old
homestead.
Business calling Mr., Dewes to
Havana, he took Mary sfth him,
and they set sail from Charleston in
a fine ship running south. They
had been some days at sea, when,
in the dead of night, the fearful
cry of "fre" was heard, which
aroused all from slumber. In vain
were efforts made TO quench the
flames. The seamen in fright rush
ed into the only available boat, and
it sank with them, and left them
Struggling in the ocean, borne away
by the wind and waves, while Mr.
Dewes and Mary, the captain of
the ship, and a few others, were
huddled away upon the stern,
awaiting the fearful doom that
must, to all appearance, overtake
them.
"Sail, no !"
The joyous cry came from the
captain, who had been straining
his eyes over the ocean, in hopes of
seeing some vessel coming to save
them. Swiftly flying toward them
came a low, rakish, three-masted
schooner, which ever and anon sent
up a light to prove to those on
board the burning ship that succor
was near.