St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-11-25
Going down, I found watt

Lestrange Going down, found wait |
ing for me bright looking boy, one of
the shop as ,istants at Morrison's, who
had been for short time aiding in my
investigation of the entries.
II think / have what YOU want, SIR
he said. as / entered the room. :. It
was in nv mind all that day that [ had
given out that book to some one,
couldn't think who, and chance word
that heard this evening Brought it all
back to me like flash. It was to Mrs.
French, of Redcourt, that gave it. and
it must have been on the Sd or 4th of
Nav. Here is the lady 5 name and adj
dress, sir;;'' and he handed me slip of
paper on which was written . Mrs.
French, Redcourt, Kilcarran.' 1t was
/ in Kilcarran or the neighborhood that,
according to Beraini's2 own statement,
he had spent the day of the robbery.
| Thanking and dismissing the lad, /
returned to the drawing room with my
prize. The next step was to commune
cate with Mrs. French. Kilcarran was
! fully fifteen miles from Carrigarvan,
| and the trial was to begin the following
morning.
"Hand me over that railway guide,
Dick. said Alice husband. 81 thought
so-no train before ten. There's moth
/ ing for it but for me to drive to kilcar-
4 ran the first thing in the morning-the
( mare can easily do it in two hours-and
i if / find that any one there can give evil
dence worth having. I'll bring them
4 back with me, and have them in court
IL ~ f1,, II nfo
The trial began next morning, pro-
ceeding at an unusually rapid rate. 1t
seemed to me that the learned counsel
4 for the prosecution had never before
put forth his wisdom and legal knowl-
I, edge in so condensed form. The cross
examination of the witnesses was OF
:. course in my hands, and I did my best
4 TO make it as tedious as possible, totally
I falling, however, in my attempts to con-
fuse them or cause them to contradict
themselves My only hope lay now in
the unknown witness, and of him there
were no tidings. The case for the
prosecution closed and the court adj
i iourned for lunch; was standing in the
/ bar-room, thinking over my speech for
Il the defense, and mentally re-arranging
| nv sentences after the manner OF the
most prosy member OF the circuit, when
a note was handed to me: ''All right
: the witness is in the Sheriff room. =
Going into the Sheriff room, found
i nv cousin, accompanied by a strange
t lady and gentleman.
This is the prisoners counsel. e said
, II the former, as i entered. ALLOW me
to introduce Mr.. Lestrange-Aliss
} Darcy, Mr.. French. / turned TO the
/. lady as her name was pronounced, and,
:. | am afraid, forgot to bow. in my sur
8 prise and delight at recognizing in the
tall, fair-haired girl before me my dream
i fof the last six months; my unknown
) love, another glimpse Of whom had been
: nv chief desire ever since lost sight OF
| her as she stood on the platform OF the
little roadside station where she had
alighted.
E It was Miss Darcy who did that
: SKETCH said my cousin, /. and she re.
members all about it. 2
e ..Yes,'' said the girl, the sketch was
o taken at Kilcarran, on the 10th OF May.
J, remember all the circumstances per
: fectly. and should have no difficulty il
e identifying the original. !"
[, Having by a few hurried question;
S convinced myself OF the value of Mis-;
I Darev's testimony, took her and hel
S brother-in- law, placing them where they
Z had full view OF the prisoner. Mis-:
Il Darcy looked attentively at the latter
i for q minute or two, and then said, de
y cidedly:
Yes, that is the man. =
y opened the case for the defense i
d ass few words as possible. and thei
4 #called up my witness-Winifred Darcy
It She gave her evidence very well, II
Y grave, concise language, without irrele
d vance or circumlocation- She statet
il that she lived at Redcourt with her sis
) ter, Mrs. French, and that Oh the l0tl
n Eof May she and her cousin CAD spen
Ie the greater part of the day sketehing ..
It the riverside at Ki1carran. At abou
two O. clock a gust of wind had carries
>, her hat into the stream. whence it WA
i recovered by the prisoner who hap
= pened tc pass by at the moment In
Al ferested by something in his appear
r ance, tliev tried to enter into converse
L. ton with him. but without much sue
5# cess, his English being very lmperfect
t. They, however, managed to make hIr
II understand that they wished to emplo
l. him as d model, and he sat to ther
lie patiently for more than an hour, at tn
n end OF which time he went away W.T.
r many expressions Of gratitude for tn
L money they gave him. Miss Dare
would have been certain as to the date
"a even if it had not been affixed to tn
ID drawing (Which was produced ineonrt,
- as her cousin had arrived at kilcarra
rs on the 9th OF May, and left on the It'll
)e Cross-examination failed to cast an
ID doubt on the accuracy of Miss Darcy
t. evidence. while her Veracity was I
le course above suspicion.