Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-07-29

| 1SsIdn nau accounted Tor himself on
every hour of the day of the tragedy UP
to 10 o'clock at night, the murder hav-
ing been at seven. He stood his ground
quite well at first, when he was called
on TO repeat his statement. but on the
redirect examination he suddenly broke
down. [ can remember having been in
such state ofmind myself, when every
thing around me has all at once become
a blank, Issiah looked about him help
Iessly. 1t suddenly came over him that
he had been betrayed by his own care
lesnesS into giving an account to his law
yer Ofthe day before murder! He had
been coached on that. His dull. de-
pendent intellect refused to think and
plan for itself on the spur of the mo-
ment. He was to bewildered and con-
fused to remember. The prosecuting
lawyer taunted him. The prisoners
counsel tried to encourage him. But
his only answer was, Il don't see whar
| am sir; Is lost myself"
| There was a ripple Of unfeeling mer-
riment through the court room. Isaiah's
previous statement passes for an I'M
mitigated lie. | sit cold and stern. [
catch Issiah's eye and its look of stolid
discontinue. | believe in him.
At the same time-and this makes
my fears for him all the stronger-I be-
lieve it possible that the testimony
of the other prisoners may have been a
tissue of falsehoOd. Ihave seen enough
of colored people to be sure that, on an
emergency, it is as easy for some of them
to lie as to speak the truth, However,
there is nothing more to be done Issiah
has played the part assigned him in this
days programme. Iassertain this, and
leave.
Iwent straight to his old mothers [
found her occupied i'll patching a pair
of trousers for one of her grandsons
She was very quiet and down-heartad
[ led the conversation gradually to the
subject of Issiah. She put down her
work, and wiped away tear or two.
Il wud nebber lib trOo it 'cep' for one
ting" she said. II feels so cole an
hungry an misrable IN my heart; an
den, sez ter myself, 'Dere is a God,
dere is a God, an [ warns up, an has
enuff an ter spare. 1t don't last ter be
sure an [ has ter preach ter myself
Ober an Ober agen, but while it las |
feels so full OBJ de great [ Am"
We talked over the trial In fact it
had occurred to me that her memory
might be called to the assistance of
Isaiah's She checked off the days of
the week of the murder, recalling the
incidents of each one. Tuesday Isaiah
had had a job of hauling to do; Wednes-
day-step by step she recalled the day,
just as Isaiah had done for Thursday,
up to 10 p. M, as she had described it.
Thursday was the day of the murder.
He had made rather more than usual
on Wednesday, and he had gone quite
early on Thursday on the loaf, which
he always cOnstitutionally believed he
had earned after two days work. Aunt
Lucy took up her patching again at
this stage. She shook her head, and
her voice fell. The melancholy fact
was that Isaiah had returned home
early in the afternoon, SO much under
the influence of liquor that he had
spent the rest of that day, that night,
and half the next day on pallet in a
corner of his old mothers room. | saw
how it was directly. His brain had re-
manned hOpelessly bemuddled as to the
incidents of that Thursday, and he had
confused them with those of Wednes-
day. Had any one else seen him? I
inquired hopefully, remembering the
slender stream of custom, that never
Aunt Lucy named three or four persons
who had been in and out for needles
and thread while Isaiah lay there. As
she spoke one of these very persons
happened in opportunely. [ stated the
position to her, and she readily recalled
its having been as Lucy related.
''Ise been studyin' dis myself,
miss, has. Sez I, how kin dis var
Isaiah hab cut dis yar white gemman
ter pieces, when he's a lynn, so to
speak, drunk in his old mudder's shop
all de time? No, sar sez [. Cotch
Isaiah Carroll dOin' sech a ting as dat,
[ seen him lynn dar in dat ar corner
arter dark, Tuesday, myself Isaiah
Carroll watts more wudn't hurt a fly |
knows the boy well. 1t are altogether
different wild dem odder two. Quinby's
wife when she herd he war arrested,
she say herself, "dat husband OBJ mine
allays war a wuthless nigger." But
Isaiah bore no such character.
Fortified with what / had heard, [
| proceeded to communicate with the
lawyer who was undertaking to defend
Isaiah Carroll. 1t happened that the
name of the gentleman was familiar to
me. I had seen him once or twice at
| crOquet parties on our lawn. In re-
sponse to message [ sent him through
my brother, he presented himself at
our house. | gathered directly that he
was defending Isaiah from a sincere
persuasion of his innocence.
at seems he has seen me here" Mr..
Ordway let fall, "when he was walking
around in your garden. [ recognized
him on his hint as, pOrtege of your,
and then made up my mind to get
him off ifI could Now for the facts if
you please.
/ gave them to him, waxing difuse,
[ fear, according to my sex's failing.
But he listened thoroughly, As he left,
he said, with laugh, 'sYour champion
ship makes me feel that | should not
mind being this poor devil of donkey
myself"
He had odd, resolute, searching eyes,
which he fixed on mine as he spoke.
His intent gaze gave me the strange
feeling of only just having made his
acquaintance.
That Is all that is to tell of Isaiah Car
roll. Mr.. Ordway helped him to prove
a clear abb, although the delinquent
had the grace to be sincerely mortified
as to the manner of it. His old mother
herself was put on the stand. She gave
her testimony with distinctness,
albeit with agitation. The prosecution
dealt gently with her, even when she