The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-03-05
JOHNS TRIAL.
BY p. DEAING.

A01rOnoack Highlands strikes tne edge O1
the great Champlain Valley, in a little
clearing, is a lonely log-house. On the
10th day Of july. 1852, muscular. gaunt
woman stood at the door of the house,
overlooking the vast extent of the valley.
From her standpoint, ten miles Of green
forest swept down to the lakes winding
shore. She saw the indentatiOn made in
the shore line By s'the bay." and beyond,
the wide waters gieaming la the feryid
brightness of summer. Specks were here
and there discernible 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 woman knew that these distant
NOV ng atoms were boats freighting lum-
Der through Lake Champlain. She knew
there was but one boat that would be like
ly taturn aside and come into the little
bay. am that this boat would be her son
Johns sloop.
That was why she watched so anxiOusly
speck that neared the bay and at length
entered it. To make dOubly sure, she
brought to bear an old spy-glass whose
principal lens was cracked entirely
through. Ii gave her a smoky view of
the famous slOop, The Dolly Ann, Johns
property. and then she was entirely GER
tain that her son, who had been three
weeks absent on his voyage, was coming
home.
Jupiter. the house-dor, who had been
watching her, seemed TO know it too. per-
fectly well; for as she turned from her
survey through the glass, his canine ma
ture developed degree of wriggling
friskness of which the grave old dog
seemed half ashamed. He whiued and
walked about the doOr-yard for a few mo-
ments, then gave his mistress a long,
n- nj Il
what he read in her face. Jumped over the
fence and started down the road into the
valley, at a full run.
The woman knew that three or four
hours must yet elapSe before John and
Jupiter would come along the path to-
gether, tired by their long tramp up the
mOuntain-side. She thought and waited
as lonely mothers think and wait for alb
sent 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 greeting. The wo-
mans greeting was only. How dOyOu do,
John?' There was no show of sentiment,
not even a handshake: but bright look
in the mans face, and a tremOr in the voice
of the woman, conveyed the impression
that these plain people felt a great deal
more than they expressed.
Two hours passed away, and after sup
per, the neighbOrs who had seen John and
the dog come up the road, dropped in for
a talk with " the captain," as John was
called by his friends.
Soon the inquiry was made, where did
You leave your cousin WiHiam?"
John had taken his cousin William.
who lived upon the lake-shore, with him
upon this last trip. and hence the ques-
ton.
But John did not answer the question
directly. He seemed troubled and unhap-
py 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 a huff. he knew not where, but
somewhere into the pineries of Canada.
He declared, getting warm in his re-
collection of the quarrel, that he - did
MT care q darn" where VIII went, any
way.
a month passed away; it was August.
Cousin VIII did not return. But Ger
tain strange stories came up the lake
from Canada. and reached the dwellcrs
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 sloops
were mOored to receive their lading OF
lumber, a bruised, swollen. fostering
corpse had risen and floated in the glare OF
hot August day. The boatmen rescued
il and buried it upon the shore. They de-
scribed il as the body of hale. vigorous
young man, agreeing i'm hight, size and ap-
pearance with Cousin William.
And there was another story told by the
captain of sloOP which had been mOOred
at the mouth of Fish River, near by Johns
sloOp, on the fatal voyage from which
Cousin William had not returned.
The captain said that upon the Fourth of
July, he had heard quarreling upon Johns |
slOop all the afternoon, and had noticed
that only two men were there. He thought !
the men had been drinking. at night |
fall there was little lull but soon after
dark, the noise broke out again. He could
see nothing through the gloom. but he
heard high and angry words, and at length
blows, and then dull, crushing thud, fol-
lowed by plunge into the water.and then
there was entire silence. He listened for
an hour, in the stiffness of the summer
night. but heard no further sound from
the boat. In the early gray of the next
morning. the captain, looking across the
Intervening space to Johns slOOp, which
he described as hardlya 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 advan- |
tage of a 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 expressed it, felt bound |
TO tell his story like an honest man, and so
told il.
Putting these things together, it soon |
grew 10 be the current opinion upon the /
lake that Captain John had murdered his |
cousin William. The dwellers upon the |
Wilderness road also came by slow de- |
greeS, and unwillingly, to the same conclu-
sion. twas felt and said that John ought |
to be arrested
Accordingly on dreary day in Noyem-
Der, TWO officers, from the county town
twenty miles away down the lake-shore,
came and climbed the steep road to the |
lonely log-house. and arrested John. Ii
was undoubtedly dreadful blow TO those
two lonely people living isolated in the
wilderness. Perhaps there ought to have
been some crying and a scene. but there
was no such thing. The officers testified |
that neither John nor his mother made any
fuss about il, There was a slight twitch
ing Of the strong muscles of her face. rs
she talked with the officers, but no other
outward sign
john gave more evidence of the wound !
he felt. He was white and quiyering, yet I
he silently, and without objection, made |
ready TO go with the officers. He was soon ]
prepared, and they started. John, as he
went out of the door. turned and said, |
" Good-by; it will all be made right, |
motner.' She simply answered. Yes,
good-by: L 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 paws upon the top of the fence, gazed
wistfully after them. When they passed
around the bend of the road out of sipht-
Jupiter went into the house. The strong
woman was there about her work. as usual:
but the heavy tears would now and then
- &tupon the hard pine floor. She knew
..;a.s,t .nas tEssSQwn boy would spend the coming
nigno IN De county iail.
a. "A. we've esclock of that chill November
"'en'' 'he "oln>> and the dog went out of