The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-06-22
chuckled. am keep it till the owner


ment; before sunrise he was on the
road TO the ferry, aud by ten o'clock he
was walking up Broadway, jostled by
the pouring crowd OF all nations, ages,
and conditions that throng that mighty
thoroughiare, pressing his hand over
his breast, where he had concealed the
iewel.case inside his coat, and with the
other hand tight shut on q diamond
ring In his pocket which he had taken
from the case to sell. tIH
Z Reaching o large store where a bril-
liant display Of iewelry was made be-
hind the great plate.glass windows,
he entered, and producing the ring to a
man behind the counter, whose keen
business aspect was much clouded Just
then by, o look Of trouble he asked:
"str, whatwill you give me in money
for this ring?" ii itaa7gi
eve don't buy" the salesman be-
gan but catching glimpse Of the
offered ring he turned, vaulted over
the counter, and caught poor old, john
son firmly by the collar with both
hands.
Gnard the doors, boys-run for the
police-help, helpp he Moderated |;
aud three OF the clerks came running to
his aid, followed in o few moments by
two policemen. .,a a..l.
"Search the old scoundrell I" cried
the salesman. "He Just offered for
sale one Of the rings that was in the
case that those thieves Bnatched ont OF
my hand here yesterday afternoon.
johnson was searched, and the case
was quickly found, with nothing mis-
sing but. the ring that he held in his
hand. The salesman fairly danced with
Joy Mt this unexpected reception, and
johnson was dragged OF to fail, strug-
Cling and fiercely demanding that his
jewels be returned TO him.
\ He was tried and convicted o few weeks
after for receiving stolenl property,
knowing il TO be stolen. He had no
lawyer, and was defended as we'll as the
tremendous case made out against him
would admit. by counsel assigned by
the court. He was promptly convicted
by the Jury without leaving their seats /;
and when asked by the presiding Judge
before sentence what he had 10 say for
himself, the old man rose, md with his
| voice trembling with grief, and weak.
ness from confinement, solemnly stated
the real facts Of the case, asthey are
substantially narrated in tho foregoing
paragraphs. Hisiforlofn appearance,
and the conscious innocence OF his
ispeech, created q feeling in his favor /;
but when he seriously asserted that he
had not the least doubt in the world
that the jewels in question were q part
OF Kidd's buried treasure, and that he
thought he was rightfully entitled to o
great part Of them, o broad smile per-
vlded the whole courtroom.
"Str," said the Judge, "any advice
would be wasted on you after this.
The man who gets ten thousand dol
lars worth OF jewels into his possession
in the manner in which you claim to
have come by them, and then act as you
hayo acted, 10 snecessarily either great
knaye or q great fool. In either case,
there is no legal excuse. Iregret TO
lind q man Of your years the confeder.
ate OF thieyes and robbers"
And then he sentenced him to five
years in the State prison. i'sN
This Judge wasla humane and con.
scientious man and there we're some
things in the connection OF old Mower
with this strange affair that he still
could not reconcile with the idea OF his
guilt. In calmly thinking II over after
ward, he admitted 10 himself that upon
the theory that the old man was o
crazy. enthusiast on the subject OF
buried treasure, his story might be
entirely true. The matter troubled him
profoundly; and when, o year later,
the two men who had committed the
bold robbery in tho jewelry store were
arrested in q distant State, and brought
before him for trial, he determined tU
find out the truth, IL possible, as 10 the
guilt Of the old man.
7 These men saw that they were GER
tain 10 be convicted, and accordingly
pleaded gully. The Judge told them
that II they would truly state how they
disposed Of the jewels, they might ex-
pedt as light o sentence as The law
would allow, which would still be
heavy enough 10 deprive tae communi-
ty OF their society for some years. They,
hesitated at first, but learning that tho
jewels had been recovered, they con-
cluded 10 tell the truth; and their
statements, each being examined sep.
arately and apart from tho other, Tailed
so exactly with that Of Mower that the
Judge could no longer doubt the limo.
cence OF the latter. He therefore sent
q brief statement OF the case TO the gov.
ernor, with q request that johnson
Mower be pardoned and this was i'm
mediately done.
Poor old johnson I Before this act
OF ofiuatice was done him he had become
q harmless, babbling fool, always wan.
dering in his mind, and fancying him.
self prosecuting his midnight searches
on the shore Of Long Island. The
warden ofthe prison was too humane
q man 70 cast him on the world in this
condition; and he found light and easy
occupation for him about his grounds,
aud had him taken care Of during the
few remaining years Of his Life. The
old mans mental condition never
changed his hRllucination made him
quite happy, and he died fully possess.
ed with The belief that he had ayowed
on his trial. Assn Hg
Lest the reader should fancy that the
title Of this sketch Is misnomer, I
will close IL by declaring that IL is
truthful historyo Of the most successful
attempt in more than ono hundred
years 10 discover Captain Kidd's treas
ure. a-l.il ssis 4
THEIR NANrs.-A seller Of gents
fgrnisAing goods. IN England, is called