The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-21
lFrom the Atlantic Monthly.
Johns Trial.


1852, muscular, gaunt woman stood at Tue
door of the house, overlooking the vast ex-
tent of the valley. From her staud polnt' ten
miles of green forest swept down 10 tne Iahe
winding shore, She saw the naenlaGloh
made in the shore line by 1.-THE pay, ana oe,
yond the wide waters cleaning in the fervid
brightness of summer. Specks were here and
there discernable in the light, flashed back
from the blue, mirror-like surface. and by long
watching it could be seen that these specks
were moving to and fro.
The women knew that these distant mov-
ing atoms were boats treighting lumber
through Lake ChatLplain. She knew that
there was but one boat that would be likely
to turn aside and come into the little bay, and
that this boat would be her son John ssloop.
That was why she watched so anxiousy a
speck that neared the bay and at length Ell
tered it. To make doubly sure, she brought
TO bear an old spy glass whose principal lens
was cracked entirely through. 1t gave her
smoky view of the famous sloop, the Dolly
Ann, Johns property, and then she was en-
tirely certain that her son, who had been three
weeks absent ON his voyage, was coming
home.
Jupiter, the house-dog, who had been
watching her seemed to know it too, perfect
ly well; for as she turned from her survey
through the glass, his canine nature develop
ed degree of wrigging riskiness OF which
the grave old dog seemed half ashamed. He
whined and walked about the door yard tor a
few moments, then gave his mistress long,
steady look, and seeming satisfied with what
he read in her face. jumped over the fence
and started down the road into the valley, at
full run.
The woman knew that three or four hours
must yet elapse before John and Jupiter
would come along the path together, tired by
their long tramp up the mountain side. She
I'll l., 40 mi
and wait for absent sons.
At about four o'clock, young dark-eyed
man and the dog came up the road and to the
house. "Heigho, mother, all well ?" was the
mans only greeting. The woman's greeting
was only, "How do you do, John?" There
was no show of sentiment, not even hand
shake; but bright look in the mans face,
and tremor in the voice of the woman, con-
veyed the impression that these plain people
felt great deal more than they expressed.
Two hours passed away, and after supper
the neighbors who had seen john and the
dog come up the road, dropped in to have a
talk with ''ths captain as John was called
by his friends.
Soon the inquiry was made, Where did
you leave your cousin William ?"
John had taken his cousin William, who
lived upon the lake-shore, with him upon this
last trip, and hence the question.
But John did not answer the question di-
rectly. He seemed troubled and unhappy
about it. He finally acknowledged that he
and William had not agreed, and that high
words and blows had passed between them.
and added that his cousin had finally left the
boat and had gone away in huff, he knew
not where, but somewhere into the pineries
OF Canada. He declared, getting warm in
his recollection of the quarrel, that he ''ddn't
care darn" where Will went, any way. q
A month passed away; it was August
Cousin Will did not return. But certain
strange stories came up the lake from Cana
da, and reached the dwellers along the
Adirondack wilderness road. No cousin
William had been seen in the pineries; but
just across the Canada line, at the mouth of
Fish River, where the soops were moored to
receive their lading of lumber, bruised,
swollen, fostering corpse had risen and
foated in the glare of hot August day.
The boatmen rescued i. as the body of hale,
vigorous young man, agreeing in the height,
size and appearance with cousin William.
And there ~as another story told by the
captain Of a sloop which had been moored at
the mouth Of Fish River, near by Johns
sl0op, on the fatal voyage from which cousin
William had not returned.
The captain said on the 4th of July he had
heard quarreling upon Johns sloop all the
afternoon, and had noticed that only two
men were there. At night tall there was a
out again. He could not see through the
gloom. but he heard high and angry words,
and at length blows, and then dull crushing
thud, followed by plunge into the water,
and then there was entire silence. He lis
tened for an hour, In the stiffness of the sum-
mer night, but heard no further sound from
the boat In the early gray of the next
tervening space of Johns sIoop, which he
described as hardly stones throw from his
own, saw hat lying upon the deck, and
using his glass, was confident that he saw
''spatters Of blood.'' He thought it none of
his business, and taking advantage of light
breeze. sailed away and said nothing. But
when the floating corpse was found, he felt
sure there had been a murder and as he ex-
pressed it felt bound to tell his story like an
honest man, and so told it.
Putting these things together, 1t soon grew
to be the current opinion upon the lake, that
Captain John had murdered his cousin Will
liam. The jewellers upon the Wilderness
road also came by slow degrees, and unwill-
lngly, to the same conclusion. 1t was felt
and said that John ought to be arrested.
Accordingly, on dreary day in November,
two officers, from the country town twenty
miles away down the lake shore, came and
climbed the steep road to the lonely log
house, and arrested John. 1t was undoubt-
eddy dreadful blow to those two lonely peo-
pie living isolated in the wilderness Per-
haps there ought to have been some crying
and scene, but there was no such thing.
The officers testified that neither John nor
his mother made any fuss about it. There
was slight twitching of the strong muscles
OF her lace, as she talked with the officers
but no other outward sign.
John gave more evidence of the wound he
felt. He was white and quivering, yet ne
silently, and without objection, made ready
g. srrsfH "a, TT
pared, and they started. As he went out of
the door, he turned and said, "Good-bye; it
will be made right, mother" She simply
answered, Eyes, good-by; 1 know it, my
son.
The trio went on foot down the road to
the next house, where the officers had left
their team. Jupiter, standing up with his
fore paw upon the top of the fence, gazed
wistfully after them. When they passed
around the bend of the road out of sight,
Jupiter went into the house. The strong
woman was there about her work, as usual;
but the heavy tears would now and then fall
upon the hard pine floor. She knew that her
own boy would spend the coming night in
the county jail
At twelve O'Clock of that chill November
night, the woman and the dog went out of
the house; she fastened the door, and then
they went together down the dark mountain
road while the autumn winds swept dismaly
through the great wilderness, and the mid
night voice OF the pines mourned the dying
year. The next day at noon, very weary
woman GU foot, with small bundle and a
iArge dog, put up at the little village hotel
na.u oy the county Jail.
r A nps;n gay passed and then the prelimn-
airy examination came on before iustice tn
determine whether there was sufficient ev;.
dence to hold John in custody until a Sra NV,
jury OF The county should be assemnisd co.
the next court of Oyer and Terminer. ioi
Ihree days were spend in this examination
before theJustice ;the captain of the sloop who
had overheard the quarrel in the night told
his story, and the boatmen who had found
the body told theirs. Two men who had been
the crew of Johns little vessel were also cali.
ed. But they could tell little more than han thew n
were absent on shore upon the 9TH Of f fy
and when thue returned to the vessel W;I,;nyy,'
had gone, they knew not where nor wbv r'-""'
The evidence against Jchn seemed ~ +lo
magistrate clear and conclusive. Rnt th ho
counsel for the accused (employed by Jobn,s
mother) took the ground that as the offence
was committed in Canada, Justice in the
United States had no jurisdiction in the mat
ter.
This view prev Tiled, and after five days the