The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-04-23

0lct which was 20 be either Life or death to
the prisoner.
s.Guiltyr
The awful word rang clearly through the
crowded court room, and every eye was fix-
ed on the prisoner, who stood pale, yet res
| olutely on the dock.
Gerald O'Connor!' spoke the Judge,
arising from his seat, 'tyou have been tried
by a jury of twelve of your countrymen,
and found guilty of the terrible crime of
murder. Have you anything to say why
sentence of death should not be passed up
on you"
The prisoner gazed around him for q
moment, and then, in q clear, firm voice,
said:
'My lord, and gentlemen Of the jury
l have been tried and found guilty of
crime which 1 never committed-a crime
the most foul in the annals of history On
the night on which the fatal deed was
committed was returning from a visit to
a neighbOr's when terrible cry rang in
my ears and seemed to issue from a ravine
little way of the path which L followed.
Running in the direction from whence the
cry came, 1 saw sight which chilled the
! marrow in my bones, and made my blood
run cold. Isaw my best and dearest friend
! lying on the earth in a pool of blood, with
dagger protruding from his breast. while
little way OF lay the body Of Jack Rape
| stopped over the body of Mr. Blake and
drew the dagger from the wound, as did
SO the hot blood gushed out and stained my
hands. Then | was seized by Anthony
Bell and others, accused of being the muir
derer, taken off to prison. and now 1 have
been tried and found guilty. Ny lord, and
| gentlemen OF the jury, l did not commit
| that horrible deed. / am innocent
| A profound Inurmur welled from the lips
of the CROWD, and it was some time before
order was restored.
The judge put on the black cap and arose
to pass sentence.
just then a terrible com1,otion arose out
side the courtroom, and two men entered,
| bearing between them the form Of man,
whoee face WAS half hidden by q red hand
| kerchief which was tied around his head
| This man was Jack Rape, who had that
day recovered his senses, and on hearing
that young O'Connor was on trial for the
murder of Mr.. Blake, requested that he
should be brought to the court as he had
important evidence to give In the case.
A policeman advanced toward the bench
and whispered something to the judge,
who ordered two policemen to guard the
door. and allow no one to leave the court
room.
The invalid was seated in chair on the
witness-stand, and, after having been duly
sworn, depose1 us follows
His name was John Ripe; on the even
ing of the 18th of July, the evening on
which the murder was committed, he WAS
walking in q field near where the deed was
done /; saw Mr.. Blake pass by, and when he
passed him little way saw man with a
black mask jump from behind a ditch and
attack his master, he ran to his assistance
and grappled with the assailant, tore the
mask from L is face, and as he did so he was
| struck with some blunt instrument on the
head The man who assaulted his master,
and from whose face he tore the mask, was
not the prisoner. The man vas Anthony
Bell!
tremendous uproar arose in the court
room, and a rush was made toward the
door.
Bel, seeing that his game was up,
| thought to escape, and caused the excite
ment just spoken of, but he WAS seized by
the two trusty policemen and placed in the
dock from which O'Connor had been hon
orably released.
Seeing that all hope was gone he confess
ed his guilt, and was made to pay the pen
atty of his crime on tie scaffold.
year passed by since the above trans
pircd.
Bonfres blazed on the hill side, from
which the joyous shouts of the peasantry
were echoed in the valley below, where
nestled the village of Ballyslen.
The marriage bells pealel forth their
! joyous anthems, as marriage coterie en-
tered the pretty httle church and advanced
up the fower-strewn aisle and stood before
the alter
u very handsome couple they are who
are about to be joined in wedlock. The
bride is dressed in lavender silk and lace,
wreath of white flowers decorates her
head of golden hair-as pretty a bride as
ever happy groom led from the alter
And SO thought Gerald O'Connor as the
minister pronounced Molly Blake his we'd
, ded wife.
And as our story zones to an end we
will bid them adieu, hoping that a lons, life
OF love and happiness will be theirs.
MONSTER cutie fish, the body of which