The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-01-20

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refraIned from questioning"
Her voice trenibled as she made this ,.r-
initiating acknowled sment. She .iet led
Clarh's persecution of herself. and az she
went on, aud 40 Tom Hlack appeared. be.
heart sunk within her
Lawyer Boorum's confident look had va:-
lshed, and he asked many tri;olous ques-
lions tor the sake of gaining time.
He could neither understand TIE absence
OF his important witness. Eor the un.c-
countabie action OF the defense IN allow,n.
| the prosecution snch liberty
The willy Clark had prepared for every
emergency.
His lawyer got upon his feet with solemn,
severe countenlnce.
"Your Honor. move to have this case
dismissed rs q conspiracy against ny client.
The testimony is unsupported by Or ,of and
| OF no avail 1t has come to point where
| most convin. ing evidence is needed, and yet
the sap is left open. II my honorable and
| Intelligent client were guilty OF tue heinors
| octs imputed to him, why do his prosecutors
| neglect to bring documentary proof? Why
do they not produce witnesses who can
show my respected client to be a forger ard
| blackmailer? Where are tho witnesses7
challenge the prosecution to bring then,
forward"
At this juNcture comuotion just outside
the main entrance ca sed all heads to turn.
when. to the prisoners horror and dismay,
Tom Black entered court.
"Why isn't he here, cap, did You ask'"
he said rs he came forward. Guess he is
aere!-think I'm the feller. Didn't get
here afore, cause he was kept away; in
high-Aown language, he was 'de.a;ned'"
The sympathies of the crowd, which had
changed to the prisoner, now returned to
the e!ated prosecutors.
The defendants counsel visibly paled.
After silence had been restored, Mr..
Black. who stood, smiling good-humoredly,
by the door, advanced to the attorneys
table, placed his hand on the shoulder of
Clrk's lawyer, and said:
"31r. Blackstone, you're one O. the smart
| ones, YOU are! Gents O the police, fix him,
or he might take notion to make Oft under
| full sailr'
Two detectives, who were among the spec
tators, came forward and quickly hand
cutfed their man.
Now. listen. your Honor. gents O. the
| jury, aud everybody else. don't care to
to be, either. I know what's been said by
Mrs. and Miss Clayton, and know it's true,
| every word of it. Here's dockyments in
| this leetle box as will prove it,"
He drew out the ebony box and handed it
! over TO Mr.. Boorum.
''In that concern is a marriage certificate,
which that animal in the two-cornered hem
coop says is legal. But that doesn't make
it SO. The gents o tho force know better;
they've proved it to be teetotal fraud; the
minister mentioned in the certificate never
married two parties by the name o Clark
and Armstrong. Nor it aint down ON the
church records. There's plenty o testi-
mony to settle Mr. Clark's game and prove
my friends case!'
| Vain were the efforts to suppress the up
after cheer went up.
| Thanks feller citizens, for your lavish,
but heterogenus applause" said the man Of
| mystery, after it had subsided.
Then G sudden change came over him.
His manner took on a cool. determined air,
and his voice, though still gruif, sounded
to Cecil like voice from the tomb.
"But am the most important witness in
tLis case at this moment" he declared. Il
have been forcibly detained by the defend
ants tricky lawyer, who had men watching
my movements. hid myself for fear they
would put me out OF the way, and that IS
why am so late. have charge to make
against Mr. Smith, alias Jared Clark, alias
| IluI1tHc,
murder and attempted murderr'
"That defy you to proveT yelled Clark,
bounding to his feet, in perfect frenzy
'::Who are you that dares make so foul an
accusation?"
'.Better you were dead than know" re-
piled the accuser. Il am one Of your VIC
TINS, come to taunt you. You assisted in
my ruin, nnd do neither forget nor
forgive. am Nemesis! For days, weeks,
months, have shadowed you, with tut a
single ainl, your complete overthrow. lon
are anxious to know who | am. Behold!
| Ned Clayton, risen, Phenix-like, from the
furnace lighted by your hand!'
Lost! lost!' shrieked the guilty wretch.
'Aye, irrevocably! When You locked me
in that burning building, you knew not that
there was a lite door at the back. The
heat brought me to my senses and dis
charged the pistol in my pocket but the
ball did not touch. Providence showed me
the way out of that raging fame, though
bear o bad mark on my arm, and my
clothes were scorched SO that they blistered
me. But care not for that; have been
instrumental in saving those love, and am
ready for the bracelets again. Soon l Shall
return to my old cell, but it will not be many
years more that / shall serve; death Will
soon relieve me- It was not with intent to
kill that struck William Armstrong; it was
the accursed liquor in me that did it, and
oh, how bitterly has the act been repented!
But there is no excuse. You, Smith, have
murdered your own son, and would have
done the same for ME! May you hang, and
be fed upon by birds of prey. fit emblems Of
yourself! Judge. do with me as you will"
The court broke up in wild confusion.
Shouts, yells, and cheers drowned the COM
mands Of the judge and officers, and order
could not be restored.
Mrs. Clayton. Cecil and the ladies' were
! hnrriod nwav