Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-02-26

to me. How can you think
, would harm a hair Of his dea
head?"
But, say what he would, II,
one believed him. They had NJ
proof that he had been i'll in bed
no proof that he had not beer
: to the woods; indeed, there
: were the marks Of his crutch
and that the watch had beer
hidden, not carried off, was ths
proof that no thief had been the
) murderer. So Dan Malone lay
in prison for while, and was
at last brought to trial. The
facts which the jury had to con-
: slider were these:
j No one had seen Dan aftel
Mr.. Uardburn left home. \
pistol which was in the house
had been. used TO shoot him
with. Dan declared that he
j bad not crossed the threshold
yet there were the marks of a
crutch from the gate to the
woods, down to The spot where
the murdered manIay, and back
again; and Dan came into fort
une on his death.
During the trial his manner,
his words, his pallid face, his
evident terror, even before Mr..
Hardburn had been found, were
all described, and set down a.
gainst him. One Of his BROTH
ers was in sprison for man.
slaughter, and the race was bad.
The jury only brought in the
verdict all expected when they
brought in that of Guilty of
murder in the first degree"
and, when asked what he could
say in his own defense, Dan on
ly answered:
"How could any one believe
that | could kill him?"
So Dan was condemned to be
hanged by the neck until he
was dead, and all the world said
it was only what might be ex-
ipected of Malone's boy-that he
should turn and bite the hand
that fed him. Even when the
dreadful day came there was lit
tie pity felt for him. Such q
traitor, every one felt, deserved
hanging.
Simon and Betty both came
in for comfortable legacy, and
the property went to charity
in case of Dams death; and ST.
mon took his legacy and lived
i'll little house that he bought,
and for a man Of humble station
was very we'll off. He lived
thus ten years. added to his.
means bysdfiving people to and
from the station when he felt
like it, AID married a buxom
wife.
One day, however, the wagon
of which he was so proud came
to grief. Simon was thrown
out and taken home in a dying
condition. As he lay OH his
bed, attended by his weeping
wife, more than bodily torments
seemed to rack him and he beg
ged for a priest, and, at the
end of the confession to which
he listened, summoned the mag
istrate.
This is what was taken down
i'll his presence and that of the
priest, from Simon's own lips:
"Father Steck says | must
tell the truth. before [ leave the
world, or / can have nd absolu-
ton. / wouldn't tell it if | had
a chance of life, but it doesn't
matter now. -
81 lived with old Mr.. Hard
burn fen years ago. I'd lived
with HIM quite a time, and he,
thought a good deal ofme. AT
last, he took a boy to live with
him-Dan Malone, a lame fell
low--and he thought of no one
else after that. ] hated Dan; he
was no better thanaI, and the
old man made will, leaving
him all be had. He put me in
the will for $1,000, too, but L
wasn't satisfied. One day the
old man gotta lot of money paid
him. 1t was a mortgage; he
put it in his pocket and went to
fish; l knew he was down in the
woods alone, and | thought if
any one could knock him sense
less he could get tAe moneys;
and then / Thought of my lega-
cy. If he was dead [ could
have that, too DaE Malone
was sick that day; / saw him in
bed; he was asleep. | went and
got pistol there was in the
house, and then / saw Dams
crutch outside the door; he'd
got so he could walk about the
house pretty well without it.
He'd costly doctors called in to
hlm; and / thought a minute,
and / took it. / wasn't going
to have my shoes measured if
anything happened to the old
mar. and the crutch seemed to
be a good thing TO knock him
on the head with, too. / tied
nv leu mn with a hand kerchief