The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-07-12
..,.. NEW-sERIEs. VOL XVI NO, T..


the deceased always carried about witl
him. But my friend, my companion. .fol
more than two months en- abipboArd-
could believe my senses whea heard
him declare with his own ipa that he snd
his wife had seen me in Builth on the fatal
evening in question: what had to re
but su0hs sRidmeeAsA Ahim? siNhMa could
the improbable story avail that the deceas
ed peddler had been nay fathers gardener
and was the Jacob Smithers of whom the
! police had been in search for yeaFs-thai
had met him once, and only once, by
mere accident, after The lapse of years
when he had given me the miniature nov
produced-the portrait of my mother /!
At last the day which / felt was to decide
my fate arrived As was waiting id The
lobby Of the court in charge Of the prison
warders, young barrister- proffefed me
his services, which accepted. had lit
tie hope that tiAis1 e4efti6n5 Would be OF
use, bat the fervos and enthusiasm Of his
manner impressed me, and, moreuvsr,
there Was something In his general look,
and especially in khe expression Of hii
eyes, which reminded sne imlistincllv d
some one had formerly known.
My case was called and Was the only
grave one on the calendar. The court was
crowded, and IS entered there was q gen.
eral stir and murmnr of indignation
among the spectators. Witness after wit
ness for the prosecution was called. and
added each link in the chain that seem
ed to weigh me down. My youthful
counsel, searching as his cross-examina-
tion was, failed to shake their testimony
in any material degree. Once, indeed. be
elected important admissions from nv
old ship acquaintance, whose wife had al
ready given her evidence.
MY Lord, said my counsel resignedly,
"There are no witnesses for the defense
and he at once sat down.
Then followed a painful and terrible
silence. A telegram was at this moment
handed to the Judge f
Hthis comes from the person it pur-
ports to do" said his lordship, leaning
forward and handing the paper to the
barrister, you may yet have a defense,
and strong one too. At what time does
the train from thesnorth arrive?"
At 1870 p. m, my lord"
Very well then / should recommend
you to go TO the station and await It's mr.
rival. In the meantime the court will ad-
journ until $50"
The court rose, and my counsel, waving
his hand hopefully to me, hurried away.
The next hour was passed by me in ex-
treme suspense, ten times more distressing
and painful than all my sufferings since
IN h0 of h.
were evidently of moment; but what they
were l did not know. Who had sent it
Was it the stranger whose whereabouts
We had so anxiously endeayored, bat in
vain, to discover? Even if it were he.
would his evidence avail me now? Thus
the tardy movements dragged. along
The time for reopening the court ap-
preached. The clock struck the half
hour; hurried footsteps were heard in the
corridor; the door opened. and my coun-
sci appeared, his face flushed and beaming
with confidence, leading by the arm my
1f->--------iA- -A------lI:----- ------:----1ku nj :
"Good heavens - said he, removing his
wig and wiping his forehead, this is the
most extraordinary thing that has ever
happened. My good vagabond brother
Harry has turned up in the very nick of
time. The last time he was heard of he
was shooting crocodiles on the Nile and
here he is in the last act of tragedy at
the Old Bailey"
1t had become noised about that impor-
tant evidence for the defense would be
produced and that the witness was none
other than the brother Of the young bar
rister who was defending the prisoner
The facts were, indeed, sufficiently strange
and romantic, but they were made a hun
dred-fold more so by the exaggerated ru-
mors afioat. When | again took my seat
in the dock the court was crowded with
eager spectators. Bnt the crowd bore
very different aspect. Many a sympathi-
zing expression reached my ear. and many
a kind glance was bent on me, till, as the
examination proceeded, end each word
went TO prove my innocence beyond
doubt, the excitement grew 20 intense
that open demonstrations of approval and
delight could with difficulty be restrained.
The evidence conclnsively establishing an
abb came to an end. There was a pause
"a dead silence. At length there was q
whispered communion between the two
brothers.
g My lord, said my counsel. G the wit
ness thinks he may be able to throw even
more light on this mysterious affair, and
prove that possibly no robbery was com
mitted, which viii remove at once the on
ly object there could be prompting to the
commission Of the graver offense, aud may
induce belief in the truth ofthe suggestion
that have urged all slong, that the In
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