The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-05-15

guilty of the terrible crime OF murder lave
YOU ANYTHING to say why sentence oi ocalh
| should not be passed upon you?
! The prisoner gaAcd around MN lol Il mo-
mcnt, and then, in clear, hrm voice, sad;
/ "Nv lord. and Gentlemen Of the jury
have been tried and found guilty OF a crime
which never commtled--a crime the most
foul in the annals of history! Ga the night
which the fatal deed was committed | was
returning from visit to ncighbor's when Il
terrible cry rang in my ears and seemed to
issue from Il ravine lit,le way oil the path
when | followed Running in the direction
| from which the cry came, saw "A sight which
chilled the marrow IN my bones, and mad
nv blood run cold | SAW my best and dear
est friend lying on the earth in apool OF blood,
with a dagger prolruding from his breast,
while little way off lay the body of Jack
Rape | stopped over the body Of Mr.. Blake
and drew the dagger from the wound. AS !
did 50 the hot blood guShed out and stained
my hands Then | was seized by Anthony
Bel and others, accused Of being the muir
dcrcr taken of TO prison, ana now nave
been tried and found guilty. My lord, and
gentlemen of the jury, dld not commit th"'
deed | am innocent
A profound murmur wcllcd from the lips
OF the crowd, and it was some time before or
der was restored.
The Judge put on the black cap and arose
to pass sentence.
Just then a terrible cOmmOtion arose out
side the courtroom, and two men entered
bearing between them the form OF man,
whose face WAS half hidden by Il red hand
kerchief which was tied around his head.
THIS man was Jack Rape, who had thai
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 10 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 policeman to guard the door, and
allow no one to leave the courtroom.
The Invalid was seated in chair on the
wItness-stand, and, after having been duly
sworn, depOsed as follows:
His name was John Rape; on the evening
of the Goth of July, the evening on which the
murder had been committed, he was waikinE
Ia field near where the deed was done; saw
Mr. Blake pass by and when he passed him
Il little way saw man with Il black mask
Jump from behind ditch and attack his
master he ran to his assistance and grapped
with the assailant, tore the mask from his
face, ana as he did so was struck with some
blunt instrument on the head. The man who
assaulted his D.aster, and from whose face
he tore the mask, was not the prisoner The
man was Anthony Bell"
A tremendous uproar arose in the court
room, and a rush was made toward the door
Bell, seeing that his game was up thought
to escape and caused the excitement just
spoken of, but he was seized by the two trusty
policemen and placed in the dock from which
OConnor had been honorab!y released.
Seeing that all hope was gone be confessed
his guilt, and was made to pay the penalty
of his crime on the scatiold.
=; 4
a year passed by since the above trans
PRED
Bongres blazed on the hill side, from which
the joyous shouts of the peasantry were ech-i
oed in the valley below, whore nestled the
village of Ballyglen.
The marriage bells pealed forth their JOY,
Gus anthems, as "a marriage cOterie cnteredI
the pretty little church and advanced up the
aisle and stood before the altar.
A very handsome couple they are who are
about to be joined in wedlock. The pretty
bride is dressed in lavcndat silk and lace, II,
wreath of white flowers decOrates her head
OF golden halr-as pretty bride As ever a
happy groom led from the altar. And So
thought Gerald O'COnnor as the minister pro
nounccd Molly Blake his welded wife.
Anu as our story comes to ar end we will
bid them adcu, hoping that long life of
love and happiness Will be theirs