The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-08-04

self-complacency, too, that one felt
that grass-cutting was perhaps his
congenial sphere. However, work
must come to Isaiah he would
never 90 TO look it up. He also did
little odds and ends of gardening
for me on the same occasion, con-
versing politely in the meanwhile.
As. for instance, III making the hay.
an de country dey calls dis var
winnowin'. / worked at harvestin'
onst in Prince Georges. Harvestin'
is good fur de nerves. It elder in
creases 'em or decreases 'em. Mine
decreased-no. | mean ter say dey
increased"
Then harvesting didn'tagree with
your
@oh, yes it did. 1t suited me fust
rate. De nerves increase. | was as
hearty as a buck"
You look strong and well now,
/ stated. This occurred to me as a
good opening for my favorite text.
Isaiah, ! wish you would contiye
to do more for your old mother"
Il does try, miss" he declares :" |
does my best, tossing the grass pic
turesquely. Il tries hard.
Lucy had given me to understand
that Isaiah was the rakish and rowing
member of her family, addicted to
singing about the streets at night,
never going to church. ! referred
to these facts in his personal histo-
nv. Isaiah did not deny them. But
he made promises Of amendment.
|, for my part, presentedhim with an
old coat. on the understanding that
he was only to wear it TO church.
He had pleaded his deficient toilet
as an excuse fer his neglect of re-
ligious observanccs.
Not longer than a week after that
our town was startled by murder
committed on the street at night, the
victim. an overbearing, quarrelsome
youth of the white race, who yet
elected in his death the sympathles
of the whole community, so unpro-
voked and dastardly was the way OF
his end. Hismurderers were traced
Immediately, and identified beyond
reasonable doubt. Alas, one of those
arrested on suspicion VS. the same
Isaiah Carroll-of WAJm ! have
written above!
| went to see Aunt Lucy directly
and found her plunged in grief But
she was confident of her boys inno
cence. She bewailed the way Of litt
which had caused him to be identi
fed with the class of men by whom
the murder had doubtless been com
mitted. Il always told him so, sh,
kept repeating. 81 told him hi
company wud be de ruin oh him. l
war de singin', miss" she reiterated
Il allus knowed no good would conn
oh il"
| followed the evidence carefully
The feeling ofthe public was agains
the suspected murders from III
start. l, who had my misgiving
as to Isaiah, at least was glad tina
the universal charity Of the law CAV
the wretched prisoners the chance t
defend themselves. | was glad t
know also that Isaiah would have a
able counsellor, but all that coul,
hear or read was against him.
The line of defense chosen by a
the prisoners was to prove for them
selves an alibi. Observe that no on
had seen the murder committed
The fact that the three men accuse
of the crime had been traced froI
point to point through the neighbc,
hood, and on the night of themurde
furnished the original grounds of a
rest. Isaiah. it was shown by I'll
prosecution. had always been han
in glove with hetwo otherprisoner
Smith and Quinby. 1t struck m
on reading the evidence, that it in
plicated the others far more concll
= sively than Isaiah. Butt was show
that he had been standing about ii
, street corners on the morning of ii
, murder with the two others accused
and it was also shown that for tt
, last six months they had been a
= inseparable trio. Isaiah had, beyon
: dispute, been acompanion Of thiev
( If not worse.
f In spite of which | believed /
, could clear himself. Poor old Aul
) Lucy did not see him through ii
! trial. She could only mourn an
4 pray for him. Poor old Lucyl
/. The day when / had ascertaint
Z that Isaiah would be questioned,
= against all my previous habits, we
down to the courthouse. 1t W.
4 quite a pitiful sight when Isaia
5 confronted by a badgering lawy'
; infinitely more anxious to win h
: case than that the right should pl
r vail, was placed on the stand. I
- was attired in his best clothes, aI
he stood nervously twirling his h
e in his hand, as | had seen him {
# on the occasion of our last meetin
d when | had bethought me to advi
{ him as TO his moral and spiritu
Z states. He had evidently been coac
= ed by his lawyer, and he was prepa
ed to 90 through the examination
Il TO his whereabouts on the day of t
II erwith circumstantial precisio
n Heaccomplished his lesson thoroug
t ". His honest air and heavy, we
+ meaning expression were all in b
= favor, Ny spirits revived. He a
peared to me to have told a plai
: unvamished tale. ] did not recc
, nize any Of the names or places
: mentioned he did not bring in the
Y relatives Of his with whom ! W
acquainted-MiHy, Lucy-but the
d was an air of heavy, dull yerisimi
n tude over his whole narration.
Then the cross-eNamination bega
G Isaiah had accounted for himself
r every hour of the day Of the tradge'
d up to ten o'clock at night, {
f, murder having been at seven. /
d stood his ground quite well at fir
e when he was called on to repeat |
: statement, but on the redirect e
animation he suddenly broke dow
II can remember having been in su