The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-09-28


ly, little knowing the terrible trial under
which they were despatched. Never in
after life did she forget that message.
Gentlemen" said the coroner, ''this
case seems to warrant me in referring
the whole matter to the grand jury for
further examination"
Weeks passed, and then the trial came
on at the courthouse at Centreville.
Samson Glider had been committed to
answer charge of wilfully wrecking a
train.
Mary Britton lived years in those few
weeks. She could not believe thatS Sam
son had committed so great wrong.
Yet everything was against him. Track
layers bars were abundant enough. He
could easily have found one about the
place, and with 1t have drawn the spikes
from rail. Her mind went backward
and forward over this a hundred times
in search of something to prove him
innocent. She still attended to her
duties at the station, sending and re-
ceiving messages. One morning, as she
bdI OlblGllJ VI bhC bOilOW
which had invaded her life, her eyes
fell upon an old newspaper fallen under
her desk, the Iron Trade Review. She
picked it up, opened it, and turned to
the second page. All why had she
forgotten those pictures Strange black
figures, etchings of iron, nature printed.
Given this slight clue, her mind leaped
to brave resolve. She would bring
science to her lovers rescue how, she
could not tell. She had vague idea
of what might be done, and, asking her
father to attend to the telegraph, she
ran hastily out on the line and down
the road toward the village. Stopping
at certain little house, she found a
young girl who was a good operator,
and at once hired her to take her place
at the station.
Before night she had taken every dol
lar she had in the world from the saw
ings bank, and was on her way to the
city. The cars seemed to drag too
slowly. Why had she fingered so long
and Samson in dangerp
The day of the trial came on. All
the testimony that we knew and much
more of less Importance had been offered
by the prosecution. The defense set up
the previous good character of the pris-
oner, and that seemed all that could be
said. Mary Britton had given her testi-
mony early in the trial she had more
to say, but was not yet ready to speak.
All the morning she had sat in the
crowded courtroom, watching the clock
and waiting for one brave defender to
come to her assistance. At the last
moment she spoke to the counsel and
asked for slight delay. There might
be yet other witnesses. The defense
began to talk against time, and mes
senger was sent to hasten the tagging
aid.
The knight arrived. A pale, thin
faced young man in glasses appeared
and demanded to give his testimony.
Behind him came mysterious array
men with strange tools, lanterns of sim
gular construction, bars and rods of
iron, and number of gentlemen who
seemed to be prosperous merchants an d
manufacturers. There came also Ger
man Jew and farmer from Barstow's.
The young man spoke to Mary Britton
with the utmost Difference, and she con-
suited him for a moment and then pre-
sented him to Samson's counsel.
There was slight murmur of surprise
at this demonstration, and then Samuel
Mayer was duly sworn. He testified
that he was an expert in metals. He
had examined the bar found under the
wrecked car, and was prepared to prove
that though 1t was used in wrecking the
train, it was not the one purchased by
Samson Glider. With the permission
of the court, he would like to have the
room darkened, and with the aid of a
lantern he might project some nature
printed pictures of the iron used in
making the bar.
The prosecution objected. What scien-
tific jugglery was this ? The old lantern
dodge familiar in cases of forgery. The
court overruled the objection, and the
young man produced some pieces of
cloth, which his assistants spread over
the windows till the room became quite
dark. A gas jet was lighted, and in the
dim light other men set up screen and
lime-llght lantern as for lantern projec-
tions. In wonderfully short time
] there appeared on the white screen a