Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-08-08

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, one of them dead-mur-
dered
Ryan stood for a moment looking
down and then slowly lifting his eyes to
the e.bench, in silence in which the fall
ing of feathers 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"
81 understand that am acquitted"
said Ryan, pausing for a moment and
then continuing; II want to know from
the court if anything 1 may say now
can ever be used against me In any
way?"
What did he mean? What need Of
that question? Every one looked at
his neighbor inquiringly.
The flushed face of the judge showed
that he, at least, understood what was
meant-an attempt to swear his guilty
companion out of the hangman's grasp.
Then, in tone of unmistakable indig-
| nation came the answer.
81 am sorry to say, sir, that nothing
you may say now can be used against
you; that is, on trial for murder.
You have been acquitted"
Ryans face grew pale and then red.
and he said slowly and distinctly:
at was 1 who fired all the shots-not
Short"
Most of the faces in the court room
wore looks of incredulity; some of in
dignation at the hardened wickedness of
the man who had just been declared in
nocent, and who, by his own statement,
was guilty of perjury.
But, quietly and calmly, without a
tremor, as coolly as though he was de-
scribing some trivial occurrence which
he had witnessed, Ryan went on, step
by step, detailing all that had occurred,
and when he had finished his story there
was probably not person present who
was not fully convinced that not only
had Ryan told the simple truth, but
that he himself had fired the shots In
self-defence, or at least under such cir
cumstances of danger as would have led
any jury to acquit him. He detailed
how be had fired the first shot from a
small single-barrelled pistol in the air
without any purpose except to give his
challenger a scare. and then ran down
the alley. and upon being closely pur-
sued by the deceased with saber drawn
and ready to strike, he was compelled to
pull out a revolver and fire several shots
toward his pursuer, who was rapidly
gaining on him, to keep him back and
that when he had but one shot left he
stumbled over a stone and fell on his
knees, and at this moment the deceased
struck at him with his saber, cutting
him slightly in the cheek, and. being
thus pressed, he aimed and fired the
last shot, which subsequently proved
fatal. He further told how, upon recov
| ering his feet, he ran. waded through
: the stream and finding that he mad los
: his hat when he fell, retraced his steps
/ recrossed the stream, found his hat anc
then went to a hotel, where he was seer
> by several witnesses to dry his wet cloth
t ing. His manner his bearing and hi
story itself convinced his hearers tha
e he was telling the truth.
4 But so that nothing might be wanting
if any doubt remained in the minds o
e the Judge or the jury, witnesses of un
J, doubted veracity were called who corrob
|. grated him as to the condition of hi
: clothing and the cut on his cheek within
f fifteen minutes after the occurrence
n Besides. it was shown that, although tn
), man who had fired had waded throug
: the stream, Shorts clothing was perfect
e ly dry.
IS 1t is unnecessary to say that Shol
re was promptly acquitted and warmly COZ
re graduated on one of the narrowest e:
capes ever made by any man in coul
Is room. Nothing could have saved hi
% had the court refused to direct the a.
d quittal of Ryan and allow him to testif,
l. The deceased corporal, the soldier an
r. Mary Brown were-mistaken. That VIZ
N all there was about it.
So much for the occasional unreliabi
e. ity of the direct testimony of homes
le eyed witnesses.
j. And so much, also, for giving the a
OF cused an opportunity to be heard on Il
be wltness-stand, the denial of which |
D. the law is one of the relics of barbaris
ct which still disgrace its administratie
O. in some states at this late day.
A PHYSICIANS REPORT.-Many phys
Az clans are using Compound Oxygen
OF their practice, and with remarkable su
cess. One of them writes: 'sMy patie
to has now been under treatment about fol
al weeks. His condition at the time of b
- ginning the treatment was very unfavor
-e BILE indeed; he was very feeble SeYe