Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-11-10
THE MYSTERY OF A MURDER
III. story Of u Condemned Man.

THE sentence OF the Court is that
you be removed to the City Prison,
and there confined until Friday, 23d
OF September, on which day, between
the hours OF Q n. m. and l2 m, you
will be hanged by the neck until you
are dead. And may God have mercy
on your soul !"
|, John Rawson, in the flush Of
early manhood, was the luckless
wretch who stood in the prisoners
box that day, convicted prisoner
stood there TO hear the sentence OF
death pronounced upon me. And yet
/ was as innocent OF the awful crime
crime of which / had been convicted
rs the white.haired judge himself.
LIST me briefly narrate the remarkable
story Of my innocence,
My acquaintance with Ralph Branch
began by chance in a cosey little
chop-housc where l used to take my
dinners. Like myself, Branch was u
Bohemian oi ~. .--Ac"" tvnr. differ
inc ONLY in the matter of vocation.
He was an actor, while l earned my
bread in the byways Of literature
lie was a fellow of rare attainments,
and, though he had never risen very
high in his profession, he possessed
ability, and, what to me was more a
warm and genial nature. Our chop
house acquaintance ripened into an
intimacy so close that we became fel-
low-lodgers in the same room. had
at that time another boon companion,
who was also another occupant OF
Mrs. Richards house. and who was
also good deal of u Bohemian, not
withstanding the fact that he followed
the exacting profession OF medicine
DR.. George X. Balch, as the little tin
sin sign on the street door announced
him, was really much fender OF lager
than lancets, and had a stronger pre-
dilection for pipe tha" tor pills. His
practice and income were alike linz
tied, but as he was engaged to be
married to a very pretty girl, who
would inherit q very pretty fortune
he was regarded by his act of congen'
ial spirits as q financially solid man.
That winter preceding the terrible
event which at blow blighted my
life was, as l look back upon it now
an exceptionally pleasant one to-
Branch, Balcb and me. Perhaps il
was the prosperous condition OF ou
finances which left to the introduction
of cards, and the playing of them TO
money, into our little circle. knew
it began one night at Branch's aug
gestion, when we sat down to gam'
of draw poker, in which the stake
were harmlessly small. In spite o
my uncertain manner of life, gamb
ling was one of the vices had hith-
erto steered clear of. The doctor,
knew, had strong passion for faro
and at one time and another he lost
great deal more money than he coul'
afford to lose. Of Branch in this mat
ter was then ignorant, as my knowl
edge of his character rested upon al
acquaintanceship of less than tw
. months. 1t was Branch, as nav
said, who first introduced cards int
our little circle, and TO that game c
draw.poker may attribute all tn
horror and wretchedness that followed
Up to the third of March-a dat
that is burned into my memory as
with hea.cd iron-our play had bee
' moderate 10 the extreme, and rarel
did any one OF us rise from the tab
fiye dollars richer than wnen we 81
= down. But on the night OF Marc
p the third it so happened that bo'