Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-10-13
A JlrRYMAN's STORY.
We hac Teen out twenty -four hours. ant

<A ~ - - - Az n Ay ~ ~ O3o
We hac teen out twenty. -four hours, and
s,oed eleven to one. The case was very
plain one, at least We eleven thought so.
A murder OF peculiar atrocty had been
committed, and though noeyc had witness
ed the deed, circumstances pointed TO the
prisoners guilt with unfailing certainty.
The recnsant juror had stood out from
the first. He acknowledged the ccgcncy
Of the proofs, confessed his inability to re.
concie the facts with the prisoners inpo-
cenee, and yet on every vote went steady
for acquittal
His conduct was unexplicable. II cou!d
not result from a lack OF intelligence; for
while he spoke but little. his words were
well chosen, and evinced thorough un.
derstandlng Of the case.
Though still in the prime Of manhood, his
locks were prematurely white, and his face
had singularly sad and thoughtful ap
pearance.
lie might be one Of thcse who enter
tained scruples as to the right of society TO
inillct the death penalty. But no, it was
not that for in reply to such suggestion,
he frankly admitted that brute men like the
brntes they resemble, must be controlled
through fear, and that dread Of death, II
supreme terror, is in many cases, the only
adequate restraint.
At the prospect of another night Of fruit
less imprisonment, we began to grow impa.
tent, and expostulatea warmly against
what seemed All unreasonable captiouspess.
aud tome not over kind remarks were IL :
dulged in us to the propriety of triiiing with
an oath like that under which they were
acting.
"Aud vel" the man answered, az though
commnning with himself rather than re-
pellng the imputation, sit is conscience
that hinders concurrence In verdict ar-
proved by my judgment
SHOW can that be :" cried several voices
at once.
"Conscience may not always dare to fol-
low Judgment
"But here she can know no other guide"
~ once would have said the same thing"
"And what has changed your opinion?r
"Experience.r
The speakers manner was vsibly agita-
ted, and we waited in silence the explana-
tion which he seemed ready to give.
Mastering his emotion, as ii to answer
our looks OF inquiry he continued, 'sTwen-
ty years ago ! was young man, Just h..
ginning life. Few had brighter prospects.
and none brighter hopes.'
An attachment dated from chilahood had
ripened withits object. There had been no
verbal declaration and acceptance Of love
no formal plighting of troth; but when /
took my departure to seek home in the
far west,it was thing understood that
when had found it and put il In order, she
was to share it.
Life in the forest, though solitary, is not
necessarily lonesome. The kind Of society
afforded by nature depends much on ones
SELF. AS for me, lived more in future than
in the present, and Hope is an ever cheer
fnl companion.
AT length the ti:ne came for the final pay
ment on the home which had bought. II
would henceforth be my own and Ia few
months. my simple dwelling, which I had
spared no pains to render inviting, would be
graced by its young mistress.
AT the land office, which w9s sixty miles
of, met my old friend George q. He,
too, had come to seek his fortune in the
West, and We were both delighted at the
meeting. He had brought with him, he
said, sum of money, which he desired to
invest in land, on which it was his purpose
70 settle. lexpressed q strong wish to have.
=; -. .,,,..
ing it as my belief that be could nowhere
make better selection than in that vicini-
ty. He readily consented, and we set ont
together.
We had not ridden many miles when
George snddenly recollected a commission
he had Undertaken which would require his
attention at public land sale on the follow
ing day.
Exacling a promise that he would not
delay bis visi, longer than necessary, and
having given minute directions as to the
route, continued my way homeward, while
he turned back.
Was retring to bed on the night Of my
arrival, when asnmmons from without call
ed ne to the door. A stranger asked shell
ter for himself and lorse for the night.
invited him in. Though strange,
his face seemed not unfamiliar. He was
probably one of the men had seen at the
land office, a place at that time very much
frequented
Offering him scat, went to see to his
horse. The poor animal, as near as could
see by the dim starlight, seemed to have
been hardly used. His painting sides bore
wituess Of merciless riding, and tremen-
dous shrinking at the slightest touch, beto-
kened recent fright.
On returning to the house found the
stranger had gone. His absence excited no
surprise; he would doubtless soon return
1t was little singular, however. that he
should leave his watch on the table.
At the end of an hour, my guest not re-
turning, went again to tho stable, thinking
he might have found his way thither, to
give his personal attention to the wants of
his horse.
Before going out. from mere force Of habit
for we were as yet unvisited by thieves or
policemen took the precaution of putting
the strangers watch in drawer in which
kept my own valuables.
] found the horse as had left him and
gave him the food which he was now suili.
GENTLY cooled to eat. but his master was no.
where to be found.
AS approached the house a crowd of
men on horseback dashed up, and was
cointhan0ta, IN no Rentle tones, 10 ''standl
In another moment was in The clutches OF
those who called me their prisoner.
l was too much stupeiied at first to ask
what j. all means. Ibid so at last, and tho
explanation came-it was terrible.
My friend with whom had 80 lately set
ont in company, had been murdered and
robbed near the spot ut which ], but alone
had separated. was the last pc, son
known to have been with him, and was
now arrested on suspicion Of his murder.
A search Of the promises was immediate.
ly instituted. The watch WAS found where
| had placed it, and was identified a. the
property OF the murdered man. His horse,
too, was found in my stable, for the animal
/ had just put there waa no other. | recog-
nized him myself when ! saw him in the
light.
What said know not. MY confusion
was taken as an additional evidence. And
when at length did command Language tc
give an Ineligible story, it was received
with sneers of incredulity.
The mob spirit is inherent In man-ai