The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-08-05

UOrk. O0OS ana enOS OF WOTk /,
ne would occasionally find to do; but he
never secured months or even a weeks
He came and went to my
house on errands for his mother, always
exasperatingly self satisfied and good
natured. Perhaps little wholesome
discomfort OF discomfort would have
spurred him on to exertion. employed
him to cut the grass in our garden, and
be really did it well, with such self-com-
placency, too, that one felt that grass
cutting was perhaps his genial sphere.
However, work must come to 1sa1h; he
would never 20 to look 1t up. he also
did little odds and ends of gardening for
me on the same occasion, conversing po-
litely meanwhile. As, for instance, in
raking the hay: a6
SIN de country dey calls dis var win
nowin'. I worked at harvestin onst IN |
Prince Georges. Harvestin' is good fur
de nerves. It elder increase 'em or de-
crease 'em. Mine decreased-no, mean
ter say dey increased
'sThen harvesting didn't agree with
you?'' ..... -'. ..-...
cob, yes it did. It suited me tust
rate. De nerves increased. war as hearty
as buck.''
s'You look strong and well now" 1
state This occurs to me as good open
ing for my favorite text. "Isaiah, l wish
YOU could contrive and do more for your
old mother"
~ does try, MISS" he declares; II does
my best" tossing the grass picturesquely.
II tries hard.''
Lucy had given me to understand that
Isaiah was the rakish and rowing mem
Der of her family, addicted to singing
about the streets at night, never going to
church. I referred to these facts in his
personal history. Isaiah did not deny them.
But he made promises Of amendment. I,
for my part, presented him with an old
coat, with the understanding that he was
only to wear it to church. He had pleaded
his deficient toilette as an excuse for his
neglect of religious observances.
Not longer than a week after that our
town was startled by murder commit
ted on the street at night, the victim, an
overlooking quarrelsome youth of the
white race, who vet elected in his death
the sympathies of the whole community,
so unprovoked and dastardly, was the
traced Immediately and identified beyond
reasonable doubt. Alas, one of those ar
] rested on suspicion was the same Isaiah
, Isaiah Carrol-of whom I have written
! above!
: I went to see Aunt Lucy directly, and
found her plunged in grief. But she was
confident Of her boys innocence. She
bewailed the way OF life which had caus-
ed him to be identified with that class Of
| men by whom the murder had doubtless
been committed.
II always tell him so" she kept repeat
ing, II telled him his cump'ny wud be
de ruin OBJ him. It war de singin' Miss
I allus knowed no good wud cum OBJ dat
singin'.''
! followed the evidence carefully. The
feeling of the pubic was dead agains
the suspected murderers from the start
! I, who had my misgivings as to Isaiah
at least was glad that the universal char
ity Of the law gave the wretched prison
ers chance to defend themselves. Iva
glad to know also, that Isaiah would &c
an able counsellor; but all I could hea
or read was against him.
The line OF defense chosen by all tn
prisoners was to prove for themselves al
oli6i. Observe that no one had seen tn
t murder committed. The fact that tn
three men accused of the crime had bee
} traced around through the neighborhood
!, and on the night of the murder, turnishe
E the original grounds of arrest. ISAIAH
was shown by the prosecution, had a!
8 ways been hand in glove with the tw
;, other prisoners, Smith and Quinby. ]
i struck me, on reading the evidence, ths
it implicated the others far more cor
: clusively than Isaiah. But it was show!
a that he had been standing about th
= street corners on the morning Of tn
J. murder with the two others accused an
: it was also shown that for the last 81
IS months they had been an inseparab
t trio. Isaiah had, beyond dispute, been
n companion of thieves-it not worse.
>. In spite Of all which believed
! could clear himself. Poor old Aunt Lue
e did not see him through the trial. ST
l. could only mourn for him and pray f
e, him. Poor old Lucy.
rs The day when I had ascertained tai
l. Isaih would be questioned, I myse]
against all my previous habits, we
E. down to the courthouse. It was qui
e. pitiful sight when Isalah, confronted /
d & badgering lawyer, infinitely more an
er ious to win his case than that the rig
ID should prevail, was placed on the stan
1T He was att1red in his best clothes, al
he stood nervously twirling his hat in b
ID hand, as I seen him do on the occasion
r. our last meeting, when had bsthought n
i to advise him as to his moral and spiritu
i state. He had evidently been coach'
X by his lawyer, and he was prepared
ID go through the examination as to b
" whereabouts on the day of the murd
with circumstantlal precision. He 9
* compished his lesson thoroughly. 3
in honest air and heavy, well.meanlng e
preston were all in his favor. My spiri
X revived. He appeared to me to have e
ar plain. unvarn1shed tale enough. d
l not recognize any Of the names or plae
- he mentioned he did not bring in the