The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1881-06-14

dressed IN q llgbtblue army covercoat
and white soft hat, aud upon being
directed to look at the, three prisoners
immediately Identified Short as the man
whom he had seen do the shooting.
The testimony Of these witnesses was
In no wise shaken upon cross examina-
ton. f0.
Then the sworn ti-mortem state
ment of the deceased, taken by magis-
trate, was read to the jury. He said
that he had known Short personally for
some time, but he never had any diff
Guilty with him. He fully identified
him as the man who had fired the first
shot and then ran down the alley, firing
one shot after another until he fired the
the deceased He also fully described
the clothing worn 10y Short as it had
been described by the other witnesses.
These were all the witnesses to the
occurrence, except the prisoners them
selves, and, of course, they could not be
heard. The case against Short seemed
to be as conclusively made out as though
u score of witnesses had sworn that they
had seen him do the shooting. Neither
the Judge, jury, nor the spectators en-
tertained the slightest doubt of his guilt,
and when the Commonwealth, at this
point, closed its case,. it seemed as
though the fatal rope was already
around his neck and his escape impos-
sible.
Ryan heaved a sigh of relief which
was audible throughout the whole court
room, for he was safe there was not
one word of testimony against him or
any circumstances tending to show any
previous arrangement or concert of
action between him and Short.
After a whispered consultation be-
tween the counsel for the defense one of
them rose and moved the Court to direct
the jury to forthwith return verdict of
"not guilty. as to Ryan, in order that
he might be called as a witness for the
other prisoner. This was resisted by
the District Attorney, and, after lengthy
and elaborate arguments, the Court de-
CluSu luuI IL was DOuuu W Bldnb lDC
motion, and accordingly Ryan was de-
clared mot guilty" and the verdict
recorded.
Then came n scene as dramatic to
those present as anything ever witness
ed on the stage. Without any opening
speech by Shorts counsel, Ryan, in
obedience to a nod from his attorney,
stepped out of the prisoners dock and
into the witness-box, looked around the
court room, took up the Bible and was
sworn to tell "the truth, the whole
truth" Every head was bent forward,
every ear was on the alert, every eye
fixed on the witness-something start
ling was expected. Would he attempt
to show that Short had done the shoot
ing in self-defense That seems the
only thing possible. But how could he
be believed in the face of the positive
testimony of three witnesses, two of
them living and in the court room, and
one of them dead murdered.
Ryan stood for moment looking
down and then slowly lifting his eyes
to the bench, in a silence, in which the
falling of feather might have been
heard, he said:
May ask the Court question ?"
The venerable Judge, evidently sur
prised at being interrogated, looked at
him and said: Certainly, SIR"
6 understand that 1 am acquitted, :"
oail oi for
then continuing; 81 want to know
from the Court whether anything L may
say now can ever be used against me in
any way?"
What did he mean ? What need for
that question ? Every one looked at
his neighbor inquiringly.
The flush of the Judge showed that
he, at least, understood what it meant
an attempt to swear his guilty COM
panion out of the hangman's grasp.
Then, in tone of unmistakable indig-
nation, came the answer;
" l am sorry to say, sir, that nothing
you may say now can be used against
you that is, on trial of murder. You
have been acquitted"
Ryan's face grew pale, and then red,
and he said, slowly and distinctly.
1t was | who fired all the shots--not
Short
Most of the faces in the court room
wore looks of incredulity some of it,
dignation at the hardened wickedness of
the man who had just been declared
innocent and who, by his own state