Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-04-05
That is the meaning of it, said the

at stake, as well as the property.
The papers were served in Novem
Der, and in January the cause was OIL
the calendar at the Albany circuit @
the Supreme Court of the State The
calendar is always crowded, and there
is delay in coming to trial The cause
was not reached until September the
9Th, 1881, at an adjourned circuit, the
day before the famous yellow day, oil
ready alluded to.
The city hall, in which the courts
were held, having been destroyed by
fire short time before, the circuit was
held in the Assembly chamber of the
old Capitol. 1t seemed to Jacob ar
imposing scene, as be entered the
famous room where so many laws
were made, and in which the law was
to be administered in his case. He had
to wait, hanging around the court fol
three days before his case was reached
The time was not lost to him. He
heard several trials, which were as in
teresting as story books.
At five O'Clock, on the evening oi
the 5th of September, number ninety
on the calendar, which was Jacobs
case, was reached Jacobs lawyer
and the opposing counsel announced
themselves ready. Jacob was invited
forward to seat by the side of his
lawyer, and the drawing of a jury be-
gan Immediately.
A few were rejected, but before six
o'clock hour for adjournment
twelve men who were satisfactory to
both sides had been secured, and Jacobs
lawyer had opened the case, and the
trial was fairly begun.
The Court accompanied it's annouce-
ment of the recess until morning with
warning to the jury not to allow any
one to talk with them about the case
Jacob did not sleep that night. He
was at the American hotel, a quarter
of mile down State street, in front of
the Capitol. He and his wife were on
the third floor, at the end of the ball, in
room No. 241. AS Jacob was going
to his room, large man, with dark,
piercing eyes, standing in the door of
room No. 239, said, Your case is on,
hey 2
Yes, said Jacob, as he was passing.
You'd better look sharp said the
large man.
why p inquired Jacob, wondering
ly, as he paused
Rough business, burning down
buildings said the large man harshly /;
and he closed the door of his room
with bang.
Jacob passed on to his own apart
ment There he talked over the events
of the day with his wife. When he
tried to sleep that night, the Assembly
chamber and the face of the large man
in room No. 239 haunted him.
In the morning, after breafast, down
in the front hall, Jacob met the large
man again.
TRY twist at it to-day, | s'pose,'
said the large man sharply to Jacob.
Yes, the trial. answered Jacob,
nervously.
Somebody has been committing an
awful crime, observed the large man.
Have you seen the sky p
Yes; it is strange" said Jacob, not
the connection
They say it is the end of the world,
-Sodom and Gomorrah,' said the
large man and he turned and walked
away.
At ten O'Clock the Court convened.
As Jacob approached the Capitol steps,
he saw chubby person, on the brick
at the foot of the steps, ex-
planning to group of people his views
of the weather. Il do not think my
SELF said the chubby person, glancing
at the yellow canopy, that it is any
thing supernatural, but l have seen
fifty people this morning who think it
is the end of the world
Jacob found it oppressive in the
Court. The Judge said it was a
gloomy room and gloomy day. and
the officers to light the gas.
The artificial light did not relieve the
atmospheric pallor very much, although
it enabled the Judge and the lawyers
to read their paper.
Jacob, and Mary his wife, and Willie,
and the woman who saw the fire first,
and came to Jacobs house, screaming,
testified to the facts. This, with the
documentary evidence, made the plain
tiff's case. The shorthand writer of
the Court took down the evidence very
and at about twelve o'clock
the plaintiffs side of the case was be-
fore the Jury.
Then the opposing counsel proceeded
to open the defense. After few gen.
eral statements he began to hint that
there was a painful revelation to be
made bearing upon the character of the
plaintiff. The intimation was that
Jacob had burned his own buildings to
get the insurance.
That is a mean and contemplate
insinuation,' exclaimed Jacob'slawyer,
springing to his feet, and you have no
right to suggest such thing, when
you know you can't prove it y
Sir rejo ined the opposing lawyer,
bIC WOluo WIN pduSO oiOCi
each, and a scathing hiss that made
Jacobs flesh creep, '1oe aOiU prore H."
Jacob felt as if the very ground was
opening beneath him, as the lawyer
went on, with diabolical GOODNESS, to
state that they had, although with some
difficulty, secured the very witness who
saw this miscreant' Indicating jacob }
fire his own buildings. Happening to
turn his head just then. Jacob saw the
large man sitting within six feet of him,
and watching him closely. This COM
pleted his confusion. The subsequent
proceedings upon the trial were not
very clearly apprehended by Jacob.
The Court took a recess for dinner
As Jacob went to his room the large
man stood in the door of room No. 239
again. Hard at 1t, hey p he said, as