Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-02-12
circumstance. We can Judge Of It very


soon. You must know that mental de.
rangement and dumbness are two great
ways of vindicating culprits. / have
seen criminals pretend insanity for en-.
tire months IN such manner as to van
quish science and physicians, and tc
avoid thus the capital punishment that
they merited."
Il cannot, however, believe it a
crime, responded the surgeon.
In waiting the trial, the law which
represent, and which ought ID protect
society, arrests and imprisons Jean
Muller, accused until further proof; OF
the crime of homicide, Intentional and
perhaps premeditated, on the person Of
his master, Samuel Stauffer, merchant
and broker"
The domestic suffered himself to be
led without manifesting the least emo
ton. The police surrounded him to pro-
tect him from the insults of the mob.
The cuckoo to which the unfortunate
and disappeared behind the heavy door
and massive bolts of the Jail.
On the day after they buried Samuel
Stauffer his goods were sold at auction,
for he left no will or heirs. But they
could not find a purchaser for the house,
which was closed, and passed imme-
diately for a sinister and dangerous
dwelling. 1t was strictly avoided when
night fell, and often the grocer Bloch,
who dwelt opposite, would shiver with
agony between his sheets, believing he
heard sounds behind the blinds of the
late Samuel Stauffer.
Two months sped by-two long
months, during which life had retaken
its habitual course--two months in
which a thousand incidents of the act
had accumulated slowly on the terrible
event which took place the night of the
storm. The little house at last found a
purchaser, when they had almost des-
paired of ever finding one. It was an
old jew, a peddler, who announced his
intention to take the business of Samuel
Stauffer. But he had not opened shop
yet.
The little town of H was in a per-
feet futter of excitement. The people
crowded and pressed around the court
house. Jean Muller was about to be
tried, and the curiosity which had been
increasing day by day had now reached
its eliminating point.
Jean had not yet spoken. His LAWYER
himself had not been able to draw him
from his obstinate dumbness, which
seemed almost supernatural. What
could he hope for? The law, face TO
face with the horror of the crime. would
be pitiless toward such stubbornness, at
least unless the insanity of the-unfortu-
nate man could be proved, and it was
this course which had been adopted by
his lawyer, who not only saw no other
way to save him but he had come to be-
lieve it himself. --gr.--
The trial began; the juG Gges and jury
men took their places. Hanging on the
wall was the fatal cuckoo. 1t had be-
come an instrument of death-a certain
proof of the crime. There it was, q
silent. sinister witness, marking the
hour of three. This clock was little
larger than they usually made, which
explains how it could support the
weight of a man. A sort of niche in the
woodwork hid the bird, who sung the
hour, from sight. The public could not
look at it without fear. Every one felt
the influence of the mystery, and ali
thought that the trial would not throw
much light omit unless the accused could
be made to speak.
hO R1loOhCl w llC OLQClCQ W dDDSdT.
The crowd swayed like field of wheat
in the wind. All heads were turned
toward the same place-the little door
by which Jean Muller entered. Every
sound ceased and a silence like death
weighed on this multitude so restless,
SO tumultuous but an instant before
Muller advanced between two guards,
tall, thin and fair, with a gentle look;
his eyes troubled and his head lowered.
He walked without kRowing what he
did. Not sound escaped his lips; his
were those of an idiot his
glance was fixed on the ground.
The witness es gave their testimony
it all tended toward crime. He. was
alone in the house with his master; he
was hidden when they made the dis
coyery; he had neither confessed nor de-
MED the murder. One question alone
remained to decide his fate Had he
committed the murder in cold blood or
in fit of insanityP Fl,-araqB
Jean Muller had not raised his eyes.
He seemed neither to hear nor under
stand. 1t was likea torch extinguished
Suddenly in one corner of the hall
there arose murmur, which increased
little by little till it reached the front
ranks
A man traversed the crowd, using his
fists and elbows to make himself free
passage, and arriving near the prisoner
he looked at him with a strange sneer.
then leaping lightly over the railing
which separated the tribunal and the
public he addressed himself to the
judges:
ssGant1an,an ,u;11 x,o,, ,,o,..;t -, -