Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-29

committed to take his trial for the willful
murder of his uncle, David Birch. Inc
decision was received by the prisoner
with a shuddering gasp Of breath, ana
wild look Of agony in his eyes, as scream
from woman came from the croWd-lt
was voice that he knew, for 1t was poor
Nellie who had dropped down insensIole.
He was about to be removed when there
was sudden stir in court, and man
whom many there recognized as George
Denton, the detective, forced his way
through the crowd Another moment,
and he was standing before the magls-
trate, every ear drinking in his words
The prisoner, John Birch, is not guilty,
and l am prepared to prove it."
"On what evidence?"
''That it is a case of mistaken Identlty !;
the man whom he is accused of murder
| ing being still alive. Re lies helpless on
a sick-bed, or he would have been mere 10
| sSt this wrong right"
| The deposition which was made before
| the startled bench may be briefly summed
up as it was afterward related IN the pres
ence of reunited family circle, When tne
old bird-fancier got well enough to add
his portion of the story. He explained
| that. after leaving his friend Moss, he had
/
| freuuented lane. They had a struggle,
| during which he had received blow on
the head that must have made him 1nsen-
| sibIe. for he remembered nothing more
/ until he found himself in bed in strange
room: how long he had lain there he
could not tell. He had been taken home
| bv a humane market gardener, who found
him living senseIess IN the road, without
hat or coat; his injury proving to be a
serious fracture of the skull, and the
death-like stupor continuing, he was left
on the hands of the good Samaritan, who,
| living some distance from London, had
no chance of gaining any information
about him.
At this point George Denton took up
the narrative His first step had been tc
obtain sight of the body; he had found q
peculiar mark on the right side Of the
neck, which led to the suspicion that
instead of being the body of David
| Birch, 1t was that of notorious burglar
with whom he had been sew
eral times brought in contact in
the course of his profession. This was
| further proved when he found on inquiry
that Light-fngered Joe, as he was called
was missing from his accustomed haunts
and one of his associates remembered
having seen him IN the nelghbOrho0d OF
Fulham on the night named. Upon
making inquiries in that locality George
learned that market-gardener had been
asking whether any one belonging to the
neighborhood was missing, as man IN
known was lying i'll at his cottage.
Thus, step by step, the detective had
unraveled the mysterious affair. 1t was
thought that the drowned man had ended
his nights work by getting drunk; and
losing his way in the dark, had fallen
into the river. This was the history o.
the mistake through which the young
carpenter had so unjustly suffered. Blu
the old bird-fancier seemed anxious tC
make up matters by full reconciliation
with his nephew, satisfying his grand
daughter by his unexpected literally
towards the brother and sister, not forget
ting a reward to George Denton for hi
faithful service. Polly made no secret o
her feelings towards John, and it wa
easy to see how it would end with thu
young people.