The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-10

| breaks your dream, John.
| opened it hurriedly. 1t was from the
agent. requesting me to meet him at L.
that day at l o'clock, to arrange dltflcul
ty that had arisen in the performance Of
his contract.
| was intensely relieved. Here was an
opportunity to go to L., and perhaps the
very fact of going would put me right
There were two fast trains to L.. in the
morning, but | decided to go by the first
regardless of the fact that | should have
some hours to wait. So [ found myself
speeding away toward my destination.
The train was full Pipes exhaled their
fragrance, newspapers were turned and
fattened and there was that leisurely kind
of morning conversation that prevails among
men going off by an early train to their
days work. soon discovered that had
fallen among party of barristers, and their
chief topic was peculiarly y interesting case
which was to be finished to-day at the L.
assizes
He must sum up against the prisoners,
said gentleman with fat, forid face and
long sandy whiskers, who wore light
overcoat and shepherd s-plaid trousers.
s'The defense was a complete failure, and
deserved to be-
at was certainly rather audacious,' re-
turned a clean-shaven young man with a
double eye-glass, who sat opposite me.
But [ don't like circumstantial evidence.
"All evidence is more or less circum-
stantial' answered he of the tlOrid COM
plcxion; "and this man is as clearly guilty
to my mind as if there had been a dozen
witnesses to stand by and see him do the
decd That's my opinion, Haywood" and
the oracle disappeared behind its news
paper.
Feeling glad to discover any topic that
would divert my thoughts from their
gloomy forebodings, | addressed myself to
Haywood, the young barrister, with whom
[ had slight acquaintance.
''You seem much interested in this trial
that is going on said, "May [ ask if
you are engaged upon t?'
No" he answered. ''But it is a curious
.,,, -, oJo,I- ,l;.,,;eeoJ FROM, bic
employment, is accused of numbering the
cashier of the firm The evidence against
him is entirely circumstantial; but the de-
fense broke down at the most critical point,
and the case certainly looks very black for
the prisoner.
The train was now slackening speed,
and there was general rising. | rose,
too.
''Are you going to get out here ?" said
Mr.. Haywood, opening the door as we
glided into the station,
"Have you come down so early on bust
ness ?"
"Ye-s," | said, wishing to goodness [
knew what the immediate business was.
Nothing very urgent, though" [ added,
half to myself as | got out
''If you have the time to spare, you had
better turn in and hear the end Of the
trial" said Haywood. "The court will be
crowded with ladies, no doubt, but [ can
smuggle you into corner"
Not knowing what to do with myself
for the next two hours, [ accepted the
offer with gratitude. was soon seated in
an obscure corner of dingy, ill-lighted, i'll
ventilated court house, which would have
been ilI-smelling too, had it not been for
the scent waited from the numerous ladies
who were present. One of these, a buxom
female obstruction who ought to have
known better, was just in front of me, and
blocked my view with an enormous bonnet.
| could not see the prisoner or his counsel,
or even the clock over his head, at which
the people kept looking eagerly as the hour
fixed for the recommencement of the trial
approached.
At last there was stir and hustle
caused by persons invisible to me, then a
call for silence, and, after few prelimina-
ries, the summing-up commenced.
| listened the more intently because I
could see nothing. The clear, cold, telling
sentences cut deep in my consciousness.
How distinct and convincing it all was
How all those minute facts, the mute tes-
timony of footmarks and the like, arranged
and distributed by that powerful intellect,
grouped themselves into the damning proof
of guilt
cared nothing for the prisoner, had no
personal interest in the trial, but my mind
was wonderfully fascinated by this tale of
horror At length the weighty tones
ceased, and murmur of relief and expec-
tation ran round the assembly. At this
moment the woman with the high bonnet
shifted her seat, and [ obtained full view
of the prisoner. [ started involuntarily
Where had | seen that face before?
The jury returned after short absence;
the verdict was guilty, accompanied with
a recommendation to mercy. Again the
judges solemn tones sounded through the
court, again they ceased,
There was dead silence. | sprung to
my feet as if impelled to do so by some
unseen power, and looked steadily at the
prisoner. His face was ayerted from me
for the moment, but the looks of the peo-
pie showed me that he was about to speak
Slowly he turned round, and, in a voice