The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-04-20

stantial. and his defense was an alibi; but as
1t was an alibi without proof-being entirely
unsupported by the slightest tesfimony-itI
was felt by all there that the verdict would
be "Guilty;" and even II he escaped with his !
life. that the sentence would be o heavy one, |
for he was too old poacher not to be made
an example OF.
against him, he still held his head up, just as
though he were wholly innocent and he
counted on acquittal.
mo blood Of his said he, sis on these
hands, my lord; was miles away too"
But the tale he told, to strengthen what he |
said, sounded more strange than true and
few believed 1t.
Briefly, the evidence was this:
On the night in question Monday night, |
the keeper the man who was said to have
been murdered, turned out with three Of the
watchers to 90 through the covers-the Home
Woods, Fox Hill and the Notwithstanding to
them that night they had received intima-
ton; and they were determined to capture
him II they could, as few nights previously
he had threatened White that the next time
he interfered with him he should have "some-
thing for his trouble"
An old grievance 1t was stated, had existed
between them, and they had been at enrnity
for long time; and 1t was in no wise lessened
by the fact OF Whites wife being Ralph's old
sweetheart. pretty village girl, who, after
er's cottage to the blacksmiths shop. 1t was
also shown that when the two men were lads,
and at school together, they were at enmity
even then, for Perks could throw and thrash
him with the greatest ease, and did so fire.
quently, as he had done SO since, they having
had many bout together during the past
four years, when Sir Norman having engaged
White as keeper, they found themselves
settled down at last In the same parish.
For many years an inveterate poacher, but
never taken, Ralph Perks, after Whites mar
rage became more daring than ever; and
whenever he was on the drink at the village
used to boast how little he cared for the
keeper, for, big as he was, he could turn him
ever in two minutes and thrash him hand
somely," while White, on his part, used to
chatter about he time when he would have
Perks "safe in JAIL, There was therefore no
love lost between them. and many had PIE
dicted that some day it would end badly to
one or both Of them, as they were alike equal
ly determined and unforgiving.
A few nights before the murder-fOr murder
it was presumed to be-they had met in Fox
Hill; but as Ralph was in q ride, public
path, and had then neither gun nor stick
visible to him, at least, threats only passed
between them.
Home Wood, hoping to meet with Perks, they
went on by the big elm together where the
rides diverged. and then, a signal being
agreed upon il either wanted help, they sep
Clarke the outer one, and Crump and Kirby
the inner one, as the cover there was unusual
ly thick and strong from dense scrub and
brush; besides which, as a foot-path led from
| there across the fields and SO to the village,
escape was usually made in that direction.
! The night was foggy, and before the men
had reached the end Of their beat shot was
| heard from the middle ride; and though the
turned right and left and went toward it.
| As the three men met at the bottom Of a
! glade where the middle ride terminated, they
| found White down and grooming, his gun be-
| side him. On raising him up,
Take Perks" said he; I'm done for"
He then fell back and died.
They brought the body home; then went
for Perks. He was out; they waited. At 4
o'clock-two hours from the time that shot
was fired-he came back to his cottage. His
clothes were bloody, and his head was cut,
and one barrel OF his gun had been dis
charged, and that quite recently, and his coat
was torn and had mud on it. He was quite
lame, too, and hobbling. That day they took
him.
At the inquest and before the magistrates
things looked dead against him. and although
his solicitor brought forward all he could In
his favor, it was felt, when he was committed
For the defense an abb was set up and the
keepers death accounted for by the acct
dental discharge Of his own gun, one barrel
of which had been fired; but as White had
watchers, and might then have had q shot at
some poaching dog or lurcher, little could be
made OF it. AS to the words "Take Perks;
I'm done for" it was strongly urged by the
prisoners counsel when the trial commenced,
that they were, In fact, only the words Of a
man strong in his duty, and who was bent
on carrying out that for which they were to-
gether.
done for, shot by his own gun, through fall
or stumble. 1t was, therefore, of no use him
dering with him: Perks was out; let them
60 and take him."
But such solution Of the difficulty was
not credited for an instant, and the counsel
for the prosecution had it all his own way.
The long standing enmty, the previous
threat the intimatlon they had had that he
would be there that night, the condition of
himself and his clothes and his gun when the
watchers met him, and his total inability to
substantiate his own statement, and, above
and beyond all, the keepers own words-his
last words as he felt them to be-al tended"
he said, TO show that Ralph Perks, and
Perks only, was the man who fired the shot
the man who was guilty OF the Willful MUIR
der of Walter White"
Again did the prisoner maintain his inno-
cence, and again did he assert that at the
time sworn to as the time the shot was fired
2 o'clock-he was miles away from the COW
ers. He said he certainly went out that night
with the intention OF poaching In the Home
Wood, but hearing chance word as he called
in at the cider-shop, he thought-if it did
come to tussIe-that four might be too
many for him. and he therefore decided to 60
further afield and in an opposite direction,
away from there, a wood OF Major Murray;
and lie then repeated that which he had said
before-that, in coming down the hill for a
short cut to the cover, he caught his foot in
the gorse as he got near the road and fell
down into it, his gun going off IN the fall and
his head getting cut open; and that as he lay
there in the ditch, half stunned and bleeding,
the clock over the water struck 2.
His lordship, in commenting On the fact
that persisting in such statement would not
avail him unless it was corroborated said:
Have you really no means to prove it?
Did nothing occur as you went or returned,
by which the jury might infer that what you
say is true-no one you met or spoke to?',
mo, nothing" said Perks, mo one what
ever, my lord