The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-03-10
STRANGELY NET.
Prom the St Loul. tMO.) oa.s,,s.l ]

Prom the St. Louis tMo.) Qsxsttsl
singular Incident was conveyed ne ross
10 member Of the local press. which, sl-
though it occurred several weeks ago, Is too
dramatic in its details and development not
to fnd space in the Gazette columns: 'NOn
the morning after the conviction OF Gulteau,
two drummers. one representing New York
and the other a Michigan house, sat down
together by chance to late breakfast IN the
Pacific House dining psrlor. Though stran-
gers they naturally engaged In conversation
upon the ll-absorOing topic, the Guiteau
trial, and thence soon drifted into an anlms-
ted discussion Of parallel cases, in which the
Michigan man took occasion to express some
bitter regrets at the manner In which SO many
dastardly murderers escaped thsir just doom
Of death on the gslows. By way Of illustrs-
ting his argument the Michigan man began
to tell the other story which had come par
TALLY under his own observation. The story
was to the effect that about twelve years ago
one Sunday afternoon, = banker In 3 small
town in Michigan was murdered in the bank
by his partner, the assassin creeping up
stealthily behind him and dealing the fatal
blow with an axe while the bankers back
was turned. With his partner lying cold In
death on the Office floor, the scoundrel deiib-
erAtely altered the Office books SO that they
gave him credit for considerable more than
be was entitled to- and in the night carried
the body to a little lake short distance from
the bank and sank il there. He then return
ed, scrubbed the floor where the body had
/ lain, cleaned himself and then left the bank.
/ The banker vas missed OF course, bnt his
q 70 nm lad
( visit abroad; but when time wore en- and be
/ did not return the widest misgivings filed
I the minds of his friends and family. For
/ long time his absence remained q mystery,
/ until one day the little lake yielded up It's
| frightful burden OF proof and the truth was
/ discovered. Suspicion at once fastened upon
/ his partner and he was arrested.
There was a prolonged and hotly contested
trial, and the jury brought in a verdict OF
/ murder in the second degree. A sentence OF
! Imprisonment for life followed. He was ia
ken TO the pententary, but the murderer
had too much money left to be permitted to
remain there, and carrying the case speedily
up to the Supreme Court, they secured q re-
versaI Of the sentence. and the prisoner was
remanded to the county Jail for a new trial
/ A second trial was had aud the jury diss-
greed Stll another, and the man, about
! whose guilt there was not the shadow OF
doubt, acquitted. This is the way In
which muTdereTs escape ths galiows.
During the time that this story was being
narrated. the New Yorker listened with ex-
tTsordinary attention. he scarcely tasted
/ the viands set before him his face, never OF
I a ruddy hue, now turned still more palid
/ and his hands and the muscles OF his face
I twitched nervously. When he had beard the
! story so graphically told, he said earnestly
"What did you say about the result Of the
1 third trial 2''
J 81 said the man was acquitted" was the
reply.
Yes; that is correct. He was acquit-
/ ted the New Yorker muttered.
! The two strangers arose from the table a
moment after this remark was made, and
walked toward the Office. When they had
! almost reached it, the New Yorker stopped,
{ looked at the person with whom he had been
conversing. and, in a tone OF voice which, In
its melancholy accents fairly pleaded for
pity. said:
81 am the man t0fo tCdS thus acquitted r.
The man toward whom these words were
directed was startled beyond measure by this
| disclosure.
"They convicted me, " said the conscience
stricken man. ION circumstantial evidence,
and your charge in regard to the use Of
money to influence the jury would not stand
where / lived
81 am sorry, Mr. -" said the man from
Michigan, "that This conversation has occur
red but all that said 1 believe to be true,
and ] will not Ietract a single word"