The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-01-11


no trace of guilt. The magistrate
seemed really touched, though he had a
right to be unimpressi0nable er OtjcEO;
and when the prosecuting attorney
opened the case he frOwned at him not
very impartially.
The dispositions were brief. The res
pected MOwleson reiterated all we know,
but succeeded in eliciting the follow
ing points: First, that Mara had not
asked to be shown the rings or any 9TH
er trinkets; second, that the woman
who came in and spoke to Mara might |
very we'll have passed for beggar,
| shown no precipitation III leaving the |
shop, and that when Overtaken and |
| brought back she had not offered any
resistance, verbal OF otherwise, to her
pockets being searched. This last fact
was born out by the policeman, who
stated that the prisoner had at first
seemed more surprised than alarmed at
the charge, and had herself held her pock-
ct open for him to dip his hand into. Tt
was only when the rings were disCOv-
cred that her demeanOr had changed,
and that she had become as if crazy.
| had purpOsely refrained for my
cross-examinatiOn from adopting often
sive tone toward the jeweler. This
|
tongues only and not their hearts are in
the work. / had been minute in my
questions, but conciliatory, hoping no
longer to get the charge Withdrawn by
an appeal to sentiment, but trusting [
might honestly convince MowlesOn that
our defense was q just one, and that
there had been no intentional theft.
1t seemed now as if my method were
going to succeed. MowlesOn had been
, surprised, then evidently disconnected
by the hostility of all the faces round
| him. Maybe he had relied upon receiv-
ing compliment from the magistrate
upon his integrity in not suffering the
ends Of justice to be defeated. Not
getting the compliment, it appeared to
strike him suddenly that he might be
t doing himself more commercial harm
: than good by his stubbornness; and
} this disquieting thought seemed to lead
, him to the reelection, that perhaps after
: all his suspicious were unfOunded, and
s that the whole thing was an unlucky
I mishap. | summed up the evidence,
= addressing myself more to him than tO
?. the magistrate, and pointing out with
0 all the temper [ could command that
4 there had been nothing in Mrs. Halsey's
9 manner to show criminal intention thai
: she was above want, that she had more
t trinkets at home than she ever cared tt
: wear, and that her having unconscious
f ly put the rings into her pocket was thu
n only cOnclusiOnin accordance with char
e ity and sense.
: eyes," assented the magistrate, 81
does not seem to me, Mr.. MOwleson
e that there was anything intentiOna
q here. 1t strikes me this is case of alb
n sence of mind.n
T Mowleson's paving-stone head ap
IS peared to have come round, by degree
- and from public influence, to the sam
o notion. He conferred with his attorney
e and though the latter held good frOT
d professional instinct, the jeweler wa
70 evidently not being swayed by him. |
10 another minute the charge was about t
7 be withdrawn; ! had already heaved
,e sigh of gratitude and relief, rising an
g preparing to escort Mara out of cOur
or Feeling. she was about to be freed, sh
h. turned and beamed look of thank
9v fulness upon me-.
10 Then this is what happened:
as To the left of me, and within the ba
Of behind which stood the public, thel
had been sitting woman, dressed plaiI
al ly but with great neatness. She ha
1d cold features and keen eyes, and ST
lie appeared to hold some official position
for her place was one where sOlicitG
nv usually sat. 1t seemed to me that hs
he seen her before in other courts and
vn had notion! she was prison matro
Once or twice during the case I hi
IS. noticed her lean forward and try to e
ed q view of Mara's features; but, Ma
Int being on line with her, and in son
70. degree screened by me, she had II
ar, succeeded. Just as | had risen, hO7
ic. ever, persuaded that everything was
ts an end, this woman stood up again al
Tn leaned right forward. had just turn
est to Mara, and was smiling back
Mi thankful look she gave me, VIII
he in one second her features grt
for fixed into appalling rigidity, as
W: petritied. She half rose, as If goi
er: to fly. then sank back oy'
I whelned, and trembling from head
Ike foot as though in an ague. [ fac
ais round, and saw a smile fit over the CT
II woman's thin lips. She whispered
to a policeman.
nh The policeman, with an amazed {
nix nix preston, said, " Your worship,
nod nod head matr0n Of the --p penitenti.
ION is in court, and says she can ident
en- the lady,"
i've A thunderbolt falling through
ing roof could not have 0ccasiOned a M
general start; but in an instant TIL
had was lull. All eyes turned toward
lice matrOn, and one could have hear(
lty- raindrop fall.
rec "I request that the matron may
of sworn" demanded, scarcely know
left what | said.
had The matrOn was sworn, and ndvan
rom toward Mara, into whose almost dea
lain like face she gazed an instant with
1ox. emotion.
the "This is Mara Hort" she sud. e
,ris- was cOmitted for trial about ten ye
Hal ago on the charge of numbering q pol
he man and being concerned in q
Intil jewel robbery. The grand jury retllr
her Il true bill on both counts, but she
erto only convicted of manslaughter,
eng sentenced to seven years penA Sc
self, tude. She underwent five years Of
She penalty, and was liberated aAORt
ont years ago on n ticket-of-leaye
the Feellng as tloqgn | was iIrlf
nht- wed, | turned to support Nara;
| her naa 20 give my assistance . neF
70 band. Halsey had staSger 1t bolt
,ossv right, had battled away tbe air
and ment with his hands, aud had |
CON fallen heavily forward senseless.
.feps Arthur n cried Mara, fiinging
:. IL self on his PROSTATE body, and wal
4 be with an accent which froze one to
# fl marrow from its super human ang
ming - Arthur, | swear by our child th
3 80 was innocent They sentenced m
0YrIl prison, but 4 had done nothing. lib
1T to q secret / can disclose. Arthur s
Von ~, = eFobe eo,rttnufd.,
itrate. ---sa a---=--
not In Strasbourg thu display on we;
'uld. the French tri-col'r was prohfbite
E4V L -