Connecticut western news., 1874-05-08

times, and Kite wouldn't tell lie for nothing." "Did Kite ever go to MT. Sudler's house when the old gentleman was alive?" "Sometimes-took oys- ters there to sell" "Was he ever up. stairs in the house, do you know ?" "Who? Kite? Bless you, he never went nowheres but to the kitchen, never Gall Kite Stinson," said MT. Pearce, and the court room was agog with excitement as the ghost.seer came to the stand. He was tai, bony youth, with very long arms, and decided stoop in the shoulders. His hair was 8 straight faded yellow, his eyes pale blue and staring, and his skin tanned and freckled to the hue of beach sand. After little sparring among the law yers as to his competency as witness, Kite was sworn. He stood with his great bony hands resting on the crier's desk, his wrists half yard below the sleeves of his threadbare linsey jacket "a very odd-looking, unsophisticated fellow. It had got towards evening, the courtroom was growing dusky, and the eager silence that prevailed made the scene impressive.
 "That's very strange story you told Parson Fleming, Kite; what did you mean by it p' "'Twarn't the least bit of story about it, sir, but all as true as preachin'," insisted Kite. I've seed the old gentleman nigh on to 9 dozen times" "Seen who?" "Old MT. Sudler him what's gone." "Seen him when?" "Since his death. ," Seeue him where ?' ''No end O places. Out 6shin', in the bow O my cunner (canoe), nights when l was goin' to sleep, daytime at work. LOT [, dozen and more times. seed him onst settin' on the fence when I was at the wood pile choppin' wood" :" Did he say much to you u?'' "Nary word, only nodded and beckoned kinder, you know. tWern't you very much afraid of him ?" No. He never did me no harm. He used to give me many ten cent note." sWhat, the ghost did?" "No, that was when he was alive" ''Did you ever touch him or he you?" "Never but onst; that was the time I telled Parson Fleming about. {" "Well, suppose you tell those gentlemen about it, Kite."
 "WeI, will. You see I was at the oyster pile one afternoon shuckln' away for dear life, ease it was cold and the wind was blowin' sharp, and I want ed to git done. Then see him, standin' right front O me, noddin' and beck min to me at great rate. So says to him, t'aint no use to bother me now, I'm busy. Then he kinder drowned and keeped on & noddin'. But I only shuck my head and keeped on shuckin'. Then fust thing I knowed he was standin' right over me and putin his hand on the check handkerchief I had round my neck-here's the handkercher now, gentlemen-and the hand burnt into me like fire So I kinder fell forred- like on to the oyster pile and dozed off for minute into dream-like, and what dreamt was this, gentlemen !: I was in kind of a strange room here the witness gave graphic description of the blue room and seed tall man thar settin' writin' at table, and he got up and folded the paper this way like, and took a picter down from the wall There he described the picture of the Judgment of Solomon "] and took some boards outen the back and put the paper in thar, tackled the boards on agin, and hung the picter up the same as it was before. Then I didn't see no more, but walked up, and found was layin' on the oyster pile, sprawled out. "Epilepsy," said MT. Mackline, sotto voice. So picked up my knife and went on shuckin', for l was cold and shivery and wanted to git done. And, gentlemen, true as gospel, when I tuck off the check handkercher from my neck that night this here hole was burnt into it just like the print of 8 red-hot hand"
 The courtroom was intensely silent as Kite handed MT. Pearce the hand kerchief, and MT. Pearce passed it to the jury:
 "Well, Kite, have you ever seen that tall man since whom you saw in your dream ?" "No, sir" "Would you know him, do you think, if you saw him now ?" "I, dunno, indeed sir" "Well, look carefully around the courtroom, and tell me if you see him now"
 There was breathless silence as Kite went methodically about his task, craning his long neck and peering around him in the gathering twilight. Suddenly he lifted his bony hand and held it out arms length, pointing with forefnger towards MT. Emory Sudler. "Yen's man that" he began, then cried quickly, breathlessly, That's him that's him And the old ones behind him I see him point-he's drowning black-he's-look out-he'll strike you down P The whole court room rose with excitement, all except Emory Sudler, who fell in dead faint. and Kite, who, crying, "he's gone r crouched and hid his eyes shuddering.
 Judge Robinson adjourned the Court at once. Next morning Emory. Sudler was missing, and Matthew Merritt came into Court and confessed his share in the conspiracy. Testimony was taken for two days longer, both to show what Emory Sudler's character was, and to prove the affectionate rela- tion that had subs1sted between Syl- vester Sudler and his wife. Then the case was given to the jury, who had al- ready agreed upon their verdict from the moment of Kite Stinson's dramatic testimony, and the opportune appear ance of the ghost in the court room.
 A Party Platform.
 In the late Virginia campaign one of the stump-speakers was accustomed to tall fha foIlowinp story with great