The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02

mister LeVerett, he hissed-and
could feel his words burn" with mt
it's liberty or prison. With you, it
my liberty or your deathr'
lie looked at me with a look that wa
more potent than score of oathS, an
then turned away with the Sheriff.
q The business before the Grand ,Jur
e was very quietly done The prisoner
foul threat had excited me, and
brought forward the witnesses aoains
him. and questioned them promptly ant
to the point. The evidence was of ;
character that admitted of no doubt o.
argument, and a bill was found. anc
Mario Cropt was duly indicted of tn,
crimes which had been alleged agains
HIM, and in few days he would APP.
pear for trial.
had three cases for the commence.
ment on my docket before that of Marie
Cropt, and, as there were several Other
matters that engaged the attention OF
the court, 1t was week before he was
brought up. But he came at length.
and once more he approached me.
This time he said Three thousandr,
II would make the case break down
against him.
| Villain as he was, with heart as hard
and wicked as could be, had never
seen man who so dreaded imprison-
ment. Never before had he been in
| prison. He had been often appre-
hended, and had been frequently fined:
but never had been restrained of his
liberty for any great length of time.
1ls Indian instincts were strong; ana
telt, as If he told me, that he would
rather die than to be shut up in a close
prison where there could be no more
roaming forests and green wales.
Cropt had secured one of the most
able lawyers in the State, and the Gov
eminent witnesses We're cross-questioned
and browbeaten numerically; and in
addition to this the prisoner brought
forward witnesses who had been paid
and prompted for the occasion. But
the mans guilt was too evident. In nv
plea presented the case as it appeared
to me and, as | believed, it must ap-
pear to every reasoning man. And /
presented to the jury the man they were
to pass Judgment upon, asking them to
look at him us he sat before them.
The charge of the Judge was very
brief, and entirely against the prisoner,
and the jury We're out just twelve min
uteS when they returned verdict of
Guilty"
Mario Cropt trembled not an atom at
this, for he had been prepared for it,
but when the Judge, in solemn accents.
pronounced his penalty-five years at
hard labor in the State Prison-he shook
like an aspen, and for few seconds |
thought he would break down. But
presently he revived and looked around
until his eyes rested upon me, and when
he saw me he beckoned me to come to
hlm. L looked at his hands-they were
roned and empty-and went to the dock.
Thomas Jefferson Leverett, " said he,
speaking my whole name as though he
would fix the identity beyond dispute, 81
I'M going to prison to stay for five years;
md shall see you again When come
1ut shall look for you. If you are in
Jhina, I'll go to China. Twill find you,"
md his voice sank to low whisper,
jtif' with feverentt Tor MS oath, he
wore solemnly he would pay me for
his.
Mario Cropt went his way, and went
nine Some one told my wife that the
prisoner had called me to him after the
rial, and that he had spoken to me IN
very solemn and strange manner, and
she asked me what he said to me. Her
question confused me, and | was not
prepared with an answer, and told her
that could hardly remember what he
did say.
Thomas" said she, "you are afraid
to tell me-
And then she questioned until | was
forced to admit that Cropt had threat
ened me, and then | told her the rest of
the storv-how he had sought to buy me
over before the trial. And, to close the
scene, laughed as though the whole
thing were rich farce.
One evening, about two weeks after
the trial, my wife came in, quite fatigued,
having been absent all day
Bertha, where have you been?'
"To the State Prison, was her an
swer.
1.-The State Prisonr' l reiterated.
"What have you been doing there?'
Looking at certain prisoner they
have there" she replied; g one whom
| might wish to recognize should l ever
meet him outside those walls"
"You allude to Mario Cropt?' said.
She nodded assent.
And then | told her she was foolish,
and begged of her to forget the man
entirely.
Thomas" she said, with degree OF
feeling that startled me, Il have seen
that man, and l tell you we both have
occasion to dread and fear him. | shall
not forget him, though Twill try hence
forth not to worry myself as | have dur
inc the two weeks that have passed
since he was tried and condemned"
The attractions of my New Hampshire
home were not strong enough to hold
me after had found an opening in the
West, where the promise of success was
equal to bond issued by good fortune.
1t was about two years after the trial OF
Mario Cropt that packed up my books
and family treasures, and took up my
march for a new and thriving town in
Minnesota; and within year after my
settlement in the new home | was
richer'by hundreds of dollars than | had
avar baen hefore In fact | literally