Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-02-11
my way homeward, while he turned


from without called me to the door.
A stranger asked for shelter for him
self and his horse for the night. in
yited him in. Though stranger, his
face seemed not unfamiliar. He was
probably one of the men | had seen at
the land office "a place, at that time
much frequented Offering him seat,
went to see to his horse. The poor
animal, as we'll as | could see by the
dim starlight, seemed to have been
hardly used. His painting sides bore
witness of merciless riding; and
tremulous shrinking, at the slightest
touch, betokened recent fright On
re entering the house, / found the
stranger was not there. His absence
excited no surprise; he would doubt
less soor return. 1t was little Singh
lar, however, that he should have left
his watch lying on the table.
"At the end of half an hour, my
guest not returning, l went again to
the stable, thinking he might have
found his way thither to give person
al attention 10 the wants of his horse
Before going out, from mere force of
habit-tor we We're as yet unintested
bV either thieves or policemen-I took
the precaution of pu ting the stran-
gers watch in the drawer in which |
kept my own valuables. found the
horse as had left him and gave him
the food which he was now sufficient
~ cooled to be allowed 10 eat; but his
master was nowhere to be seen. As
| approached the house, a crowd of
men on horseback dashed up, and |
was commanded, in no gentle tones, to
stand" In another moment | was in
the clutches those who claimed me
as their prisoner.
81 was too much Supplied at first to
ask what it all meant. | did so at last,
and the explanation came-it was ter
rible! Ny friend, with whom | had
so lately set out in company, had been
found murdered and robbed near the
spot at which /, but | alone, knew we
had separated. l was the last person
known to be with him, and | was now
arrested on suspicion of his murder.
A search of the premises was immedl
ately instituted The watch was
found in the drawer in which | had
placed it, and was identified as the
property of the murdered man. The
horse. too, was found in my stable. for
the animal had just put there was
none other. / recognized him myself
when | saw him in the light What |
said, know not My confusion was
taken as additional evidence. And
when, at lengh | did command lam
guage to give an intelligent statement,
it was received with sneers of Incred
ulitv
"The mob spirit is inherent in man
at least, in crowds Of men. 1t may
not always manifest i'self in physical
violence. 1t sometimes contents IT.
self with lynching character. But
whatever its form, it is always relent-
less, pitiless, cruel.
GAS the proofs of my guilt, one af-
ter another, came to light, low NUT
terings gradually grew into c'amor for
vengeance; and but for the firmness
of one mantle officer who had me
i'm charged would doubtless have
paid the penalty of my supposed Of
tense on the spot 1t was not sympa-
thy for me that actuated my protector
His heart was as hard as his office;
but he represented the majesty of the
law, and took sort Of grim pride i'll
the position. AS much under the
glance of his eye as before the
muzzle of his pistol, the cowardly
clamorers drew back Perhaps they
were not sufficiently numerous 20 feel
the full effect of that mysterious reflex
influence which makes a crowd of men
80 much wore, and at times so much
better, than any one OF them singly,
"At the end of some months my
trial came. 1t could have but one re
suit. Circumstances too plainly de-
clared my guilt | alone knew they
lied. The absence of the jury was
very brief. To their verdict / paid
but little heed. 1t was single hide
Gus word; but had long anticipated
it, and it made no impre sion. As
little impression was made by the
words of the Judge which followed il;
an his solemn invocation that God
have that mercy upon me which man
was too Just to vouchsafe, sounded
like the holowest Of hollow mocke-
ries. 1t may be hard for the condemn.
ed criminal to meet death; it is still
harder for him who is innocent. The
one, when the first shock is over, ac-
quiesces in his doom, and gives him.
self to repentance; the heart of the
other, filled with rebellion against
mans injustice, can scarce bring it
self to ask pardon of God. | had
gradually overcome this feeling, in
spite of the good clergyman's irrita
ting efforts, which were mainly directed
toward extracting confession, with
out which he assured me, he had no
hope TO offer.
"On the morning of the day fixed
for my execution, / felt measurably
resigned. l had so long stood face to
face with death, had so accustomed
myself TO look upon it as merely a mo
meptary pang, that l no longer felt
solicitous save that my memory should
one day be indicated. She tor whom
| had gone to prepare home, had al
ready found one in heaven. The It'd
ings of my calamity had broken her
heart. She alone, of all the world, be.
lieved me innocent; and she bad died
with prayer upon her lips that the
truth might yet be brought to light.
All this | heard, and it had soothed As
with swee. incense my troub d spirit.
Death, however unwelcome the shape,
was now a portal, beyond which |
could see one angel waiting to receive
me. heard the sound of approach
ing footsteps, and nerved myself to
meet the expected summons. The
door OF my cell opened, and the sher-