The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-03-30
IonN,s TRIAL.


JOHNS TRIAL.
Just where the Wilderness road Of
the Adirondack Highlands strikes the
edges OF the great Champlain valley,
in n little clearing, is lonely log
house. On the 10th day Of July, 1852,
amuscnlar woman stood at the door Of
the house, overlooking the vast extent
ofthe valley. From her stand point,
ten miles Of green forestswept down To-
the lakes winding shore.
The woman knew that these distant
moving atoms were boats freighting
lumber through Lake Champlain. She
knew 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 Johns sloop. ~
At about four o'clock, young man
and the dog came up the road and to
the house. "Heigho, mother, all well2n
was the man greeting. The woman's
greeting was only, "How do you do,
John2n 6
Two hours passed away, and after
supper, the neighbors who had seen
John and the dog come up the road,
dropped in for n talk with 'the cap
tain, 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
upon his Inst trip, and hence the
ION.
John did not answer the question
.rectly.. He seemed troubled and un-
'npy about II. he finally acknowl.
edged that he and William had not
greed, and that high words and blows
mad passed between them, and added
that his cousin had finally left the boat
md gone away in q huff, he knew not
where, but somewhere into the pineries
q Canada. He declared, getting warm
n his recollections Of the quarrel, that
fiiap't care q darn" where Will
ns WY.
mo- i. passed away; 1T was Aur-
dlii Tfii did not return. But cer,.in
siaugc, ,s.cries came up the valley from
Canada, ,ihd 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
tho sloops were moored 10 receive their
lading Of timber, n bruised, swoolen,
fostering corpse had risen and floated
in the glnre OF q hot August day. The
boatmen rescued ii and buried IL upon
the shore. They described It as the
body Of hr'g vigorous young man,
agreeing Ii Sht, size, and appear
ance with o. William
II soon gre % be the current opinion
upon the lake that Captain John Ind
murdered his cousin William. The
dwellera upon the Wilderness road also
came by slow degrees, and unwillingly,
TO the same conclusion. II was felt and
said that John ought to be arrested.
Accordingly, on o dreary day in No
vember, two officers. from the county
town twenty miles away down the lake
shore, came and climbed the steep road
!. 'ot the lonely log.house, and arrested
oln. It was undoubtedly o dreadful
law 10 those two lonely people living
Ated in the wilderness. Perhaps
thire 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 1t. Ther was o slight twitching
OF the strong muscles Of her face, as
she talked with the officers, but no other
outward sign. 5I ~
John gave more evidence Of the
wound no felt. He was white and quiy.
ering, yet he silently, and without OBJ
lection. made ready to go with the Off.
GERS. BE was soon prepared, and they
started. John, as he went out Of the
door, turned and said, "Good:by IL
will all be made right, mother" She
simply answered, Eyes, good-by; i
know II, my SON.
The trio went on foot down the road
10, the next house, where the officers had
lefttheir team. Jupiter, standing up
with his fore paws upon the top Of the
fence, gazed wistfully after them.
When they passed around tho bend OF
heroad out Of sight, Jupiter went into
thehouse. The strong woman was there
about hdt work, as usual but the heavy
tears would now and then fall upon the
hard pine floor. She knewthat her own
boy would spend the coming night in
tho county jail,
Attwelye o'clock Of that chilly No.
vember night, the woman and the dog
went out Of the house she fastened the
door, and then they went together down
thedark mountain road, while the au.
t,,,,,, ,ui,,sia a,rant fiismaIiv fhronob tha