Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1876-08-10
cIRcVMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

| A MARROW ESCAPE FROM THE GALLows,
On handsome lawn fronting an old
ivy-grown mansion in the State Of Viz
ginia. one pleasant afternoon not many
years since, group Of young people Of
both sexes were gathered. Standing
in their midst was an old woman bent
down with age, looking as if she stood
on the brink of the grave, but her dark,
restless eye showed that there was
vigorous life in her mind, if not in her
body,
She had been telling fortunes for the
young people gathered around her, and
to all but one she had foretold bright
and happy future. The exception Of
this rule of blessedness through life was
handsome boy of nineteen, with a
dark, passionate face, and an express
sion that would indicate perfect care
lessness,
Five years before the opening of this
story an old gentleman and his nephew
moved to Virginia from some northern
State, and buying farm had made it
their home. Mr.. Mercer and his
nephew Frank were treated with kind
ness by the gentlemen of the neighbor-
hood, and they received invitation to
visit the plantations near them. Frank
soon became acquainted with all in the
country. but his uncle never left his
farm, and seemed to Ghun society, For
this, many reasons were given, but the
true one was that he had lost all his
family, and Franks parents having left
him to Mr.. Mrroers charge, he deter-
mined to devote himself to the boy, and
found sufficient enjoyment in hia com
pany and cultivating his farm. Though
reported very wealthy, and that he kept
a large sum of gold In the house, Mr.,
Mercer and Frank lived in quiet way
and made no display.
Thus passed Franks youth, from his
fourteenth to his nineteenth year,
when our story opens. A man of
superior education, Mr.. Mercer had
been his nephew's teacher, and had inn
parted unto him much knowledge of
the world of letters and people, so that
Frank al nineteen was as we'll informs
ed as If he had possessed cultivated
education. There were those in the
neighborhood who reported that the
boy was rather wild and dissipated, and
this found ready believers in others. SO
that Frank had some enemies and
many friends.
Thus we find HIM; and the evening
of the commencement of our story he
had been invited to an entertainment
given by wealthy planter to his chill
dren.
Mr.. Devices, the planter, had three
children, the youngest and loveliest of
whom was Mary, girl of twelve;
Mary and Frank were the best of friends
and loved each other dearly. So when
the fortune teller predicted dark and
stormy future for Frank, the tears arose
to the child's eyes, and she said, ''Don't
listen to her. Frank"
But the boy laughed, and turning on
his heel walked away.
Two days afterward he left home for
a weeks hunting in the mountains. but
the second night afterhis departure, the
neighborhood was aroused by the START
ling news that old Mr.. Mercer had been
murdered by his nephew. One of the
servants passing the house at night
heard cry, and seeeing Franks vim
dow open he sprang in and walked
across the hall to Mr.. MERGERS CHAINS
Der. whence the cry came. Lying upon
the floor, was the old man dead, while
near him stood his nephew with a
bloody knife in his hand, In fright the
negro rushed from the house and gave
the alarm. Persons from the neigh
borhood were sent for, and Frank was
seized. against every protestation that
he did not kill his uncle, and thrown
into Jail.
The feeling against the youth was
intense, for the negro told the story of
how he had found Frank, and way
faring peddler, who had just assembled
the s-eps to stay all night, corrobt rated
his statement
The trial came of, and the charges
were made known. Frank was accus