Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-06-21

He must sum up against the pris'
oner,' said a gentleman with fat
Aorid face and long sandy whiskers
who wore a light overcoat and shep-
herd plaid trousers. The defense
was a complete failure, and deserved
to be-
1t was certainly rather audacious,
returned a clean shaven young mar
with a double eye glass, who sat op-
posite me. But don't like circum
stantial evidence
All evidence is more or less cir
cumstantial, answered he Of the
forid complexion and this is as
clearly guilty to my mind rs if there
had been a dozen witnesses to stand
BY and see him do the decd. That's
my opinion, Haywood and the ora
Gle disappeared behind its newspaper
Feeling glad to discover any topic
that would divert my thoughts from
their gloomy forebodings, | addressed
myself to Haywood the young barris-
ter, with whom I had slight ac--
quaintance.
you seem much interested in this
trial that is going on, said. May !
ask if you are engaged upon it,
No. he answered. But it is a
curious case. A man, clerk dis
missed from his employment, is ac-
cuscd 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 Stacking speed
and there Was u general rising J
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
business::'
YES | said, wishing to good
ness | knew what the immediate bust
ness w"s. Nothing very urgent,
though | added, half to myself as
got out.
If you have 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 my
self for the next two hours, ] accept
ed the ott.r with gratitude. | was
soon seated in an obscure corner of a
dingy, ill-]ighted, ,ill-ventilated court
house, which would have toen ILL.,
smelling too, had it not been Tor the
scent waited from the Numerous la
dies who were present. One of these,
a buXom female who ought to have
known better, was just in front of me,
and blocked my view with an enor-
NOUS 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 call for silence, and, after "a
few preliminaries, the summing-up
commenced
listened the moro intently BE-
cause l could sec nothing. The clear,
cold, telling sentences cut deep in my
consciousness. How distinct and con-
victing it all was. How all those
minute facts, the mute testimony 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 tasci-
mated by this tale of horror At
length the weighty tones ceased, and
murmur of relief and expectation
ran around the assembly. At this
moment the woman with the high
bonnet shifted her seat, and | obtain
ell full view of the prisoner. I
started involuntarily. When had l
seen that face before?
The jury returned after a short abb
scnce; the verdict was guilty, accom-
panied with ~ recommendation to