Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-06-06
CireumstantiaI Evidence.

81 suppose can prefer the gentle
man l like best,' said Virginia Wilde,
laughingly. "And will not be perse-
cuted by Adrian Harwood's attention
any longer"
"Poor. dear creature" said old Miss
Pocklington, taking off her spectacles
and polishing them as though she
meant to wipe through the glasses en-
tirely; "she amt heardn
''Heard what?" said Virginia, still
intent on her stitching.
"How sho uld she?" interposed Mrs
Taper; "sLe only came back from Bos-
ton last night and it's full fortnight
since it happened"
'Since what happened?" questioned
Virginia, at last looking up, with the
crimson banners of suspense hutteriDg
on her cheeks, and a restless, feverish
light in her eyes. "You are talking in
riddles. I,don't comprehend you"
'sAdrian Harwood is Dead" croaked
Miss Pocklington.
"Dead ~. vaguely repeated Virginia.
'sDo you mean-dead ?"
"Murdered," said Miss Pocklington,
with smack of her lips, as if, ghOul-
like, she enjoyed the evil tidings.
But she did not. She was a good Chris
tian woman III her way, only she was
carried away sometimes by the intense
flavor of gossip.
Virginia dropped her work and turned
pale as death.
''Ah, you may well shiver!" cried
Mrs. Taper, eager to have her finger in
the conversational pie. "And it was
Charley Awkwright that murdered him
so there, now Down in a hollow by
the river bank, just where they moored
their boats, last summer; and the re-
mains were found hidden away in the
Gypsy's Cave, close by, tied up in bag
Folks are dreadful sorry for Charley,
but dear heart alivei declare if she
amt tainted"
''People do say that she thought a
heap of Chaley Awkwright," said Miss
Pocklington, feeling i'm her dress pocket
for her camphor bottle. "And of all
proud folks, Virginia Wilde is the
proudest. This'll be dreadful humilia-
ton TO her to be sure. Open a window
just little bit. There, she will be all
right again in few minutes, now"
Poor Virginia, floating slowly back
into the region of life. she felt horri-
bic weight pressing down her heart as
with a ton of ice.
Adrian Harwood lying in bloody
grave, consigned thither by the Cain
like man she had taught herself TO love
best in the world. Could it be true !?
Or was it portion of the hideous dream
phantasmogoria that seemed eddying
and circling around her brain with end
less repetition.
She had gone away from Rivershield
in the full bright happiness of eighteen !;
she came back to the consciousness of
of this horrid tragedy lying like scar
let stain across the horizon of her life.
you'll give him up, of COURSE said
Mrs. Wilde to her daughter.
"Give him up, mamma, why?"
And Virginia fixed her large serious
eyes on her mothers face.
81 should think the reason was suffi-
GENTLY apparent" said Mrs. Wilde
slightly drawing herself up. General
Ponsonby Wilde's daughter is hardly
the person to allow herself to be inter-
ested in man who is likely to be con-
victed as murderer ~
Mamma" said Virginia, "Charles
Awkright never did that deed"
"Cireumstantial evidence is very
strong against him, my dear"
"But he denies it," protested Vir-
ginia.
"a man may make almost any asser-
ton to save himself from the gallows,
Virginia. And these wretched remains
do they bear no blood stained testi-
monyr"
''They are accounted for easily
enough, mamma" said Virginia. talk
ing hurriedly and with an effort. "'It
it was a subject for dissection which
Adrian and Charley had brought down
in box from the Gatesly Hospital.
They were surprised before they could
land it at the Arkwright Court. They
were obliged to hide it as well as they
could from the men who were out
spearing salmon at night. They in
tended to return for it in few days,
but
"All this is very plausible" inter-
rupted Mrs. Wilde, with an impatient
of her head; "but it may be
a story trumped up by everybody or any
body. The question still remains unan-
swered-the question on which Ark
wright's life hangs: "Where is Har-
woods"
81 don't know, Mamma" the girl
answered. 81 pretend to no second
sight. All that | know is, that Charles
never committed that mur-
der-no, never"
And TO this Virginia Wilde. clung
alike through evil reports and good.
OF course Charles was not convicted.
The day is past when mere circumstan-
tial evidence can rivet the hangman's
Moose around a man,s neck
The. mere fact that he and Harwood
had been quarreling violently in the
river cove that afternoon, and that Har-
wood had never been seen from that
time to this, was not enough to justify
a verdict of ''Guilty."
The additional link of evidence, sup
piled by the CHASTITY remains discovered
ten days afterwards in the cleft of the
rocks called the "Gypsy's Cave" was
not enough. They were past identifica-
ton ; although everybody believed them
to be the remains of the murdered man,
the law impartially stood aloof; and so,
after weary formula of legal minutia
and delays past reckoning, Arkwright
was acquitted and released once more
from his prison dungeon.
How strange 1t seemed, to be free to