The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1871-10-05
p$itively ~ one Of the ruffians.
n

p%itively ~ one Of the ruffians."
| fsWhat's the defence ?'
''I cant imagine. don't think there
isA any In reality"
| MAYBE he'll prove an alibi,r 10.
coely suggested. He shook his head.
They'll hardly try that" he said.
The facts are too clear"
After some more unimportant conver-
saton with him, I returned to the ho-
tel, where I spent the remainder Of the
dal. -..-
The next day was Sunday. Iawoke
quite early, and found the promise of a
beautiful summer day SO good that
dnssed myself aud sailed out for a
walk. Nobody was stirring about the
sotel, and the streets were perfectly
sill. walked around several squares
and returned to ths hotel, meeting only
one person on the way.
This psrson was standing in the door
way Of basement saloon. As passed
looked down casually, and saw him
standing there in his shirt sleeves. His
hair was tumbled, and he was gaping,
as just awakened. did not discover
that he was doing anything particular
there; thought afterward that it was
quite likely he had been left in drunk
en- sleep on the floor or on the bench In
the bar room the night before, and that
waking up at this early hour, he had
taken the wrong door in seeking for his
lodgings, and had come out of doors in-
stead of going to bed. My look at him
was merely u side glance, but that was
enough to photograph his face in my
mind. 1t was thin, bilious face, per-
fectly smooth, with long nose, much
twisted to one side, and a red scar over
the left eye. marked it instantly as
the face of a rascal. How l could do
that, can't explain; our business
Iearns us to read faces AS most men read
books. and the glance that had at that
face told me that the man was a iawiess
fellow. His actions confirmed the opn-
ion. Sleepy as he looked and acted, no
sooner did he see me pausing than he
dove back through the door and slamm
ed it to.
instantly understood him. "A scamp
Oh 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 of the circumstance before
reached the hotel.
The day passed nnd brightly and
early Monday morning took my satch
el and went down to the depot. But it
was to no purpose; the Office was closed
and placard on the wall informed the
public that the road would not be open
before Tuesday.
went back to the hotel, too much out
of sorts to enjoy my breakfast. did
not understand, till the day was some
hours older, that / was needed more here
at Carlisle than anywhere else, just
then.
went from tho break fast table into
the reading room, and after I had read
an hour l heard one man say to anoth-
err:
Lets go over to the court house !;
they're trying Joe Slfer." They went
out, and remembering my little talk
with the District Attorney, my curiosi
ty was excited, aud I follow, I'd them
over.
When | entered the court room. the
victim of the robbery was on the stand.
He was plain simple old man, and
gave his evidence with apparent truth
fu!ness. He testified that he was stop
ped about sunset, some months before.
while passing from Carlisle to his home
with one thousand dollars that he had
drawn that afternoon from the hank.
1t was a lonely spot, and there was no
house with half mile of it. He was
jogging leisurely along, when a light
wagon drawn by two horses dashed up
beside his buggy, and three of the four
men jumped out, while the fourth held
the reins. They were all masked. One
Of them seized his horse by the bit and
and stopped him. and the second snatch
ed the lines from his hands, and, the
third climbing half into the buggy, and
taking him by the arms, demanded his
money. He said that he instantly
shouted as loud As he could; when the
rutlian dealt him savage blow with a
Slung shot which knocked him sense
less; and when he came to himself
again both robbers and money were
gone.
He recognized only one of the four
the man that struck him. AS he drew
back to give the blow his mask dropped
and revealed the face of Joe Slifer, the
prisoner at the bar. He knew him-he
was positive of it-and all the ingenuity
of the cross examination could not weak
Ell or shake his evidence upon this i'm
poi itont point.
No other witness was called for tle
prosecution none seemed necessary.
The prisoners lawyer got up and made
a plausible statement to the jury that
the complainant was mistaken about
recognizing Joe Slfer on the occasion
referred to; that Slifer was not there at
all, but that he was at Norcott, fifty
miles north Of Carlisle, at the very hour
Of that robbery, and that he should
prove it by at least two witnesses. He
called out "Caleb Wye,' and everybody
leaned forward expectantly.
The witness came forward with slow,
limping gait, leaning on cane. He
was apparently a man Of middle age,
| and was dressed in suit of sober black
with white choker about his neck
His hair was silver gray. and, As he