The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-03

| more palpably than Macbeth beheld the air
drawn dagger, there was commotion in the
courtroom A rough and unkempt man came
| forward and spoke to my counsel; the latter
| sDrang to his feet, and after apologising TO the
court and The district attorney for the Interrupt
| tion asked permission to present an important
witness who had just been discovered. The per-
mission was given, and the rough stranger was
put upon the stand and sworn.
He gave the name of Moses Dawson but
averred that he was generally known as Nose.
When asked what he knew about the casse he
said:
II guess know good deal about it. Let me
see that ere knife
The knife was placed in his hands and he ex-
amined it carefully before speaking. For fnlly
two minutes he turned it slowly in his hands,
while the stiffness of the room was like that of
| the soltudes of the forest.
This ere knife" said he. 'if you'll let me tell
my story straight, doesn't belong to this young
doctor at all, and never did"
Whose is itl'
That's what I'm coming to. Three years ago
Frank Marden and me bought that knife when
we was going out hunting together. We couldn't
divide our shares. yer see, and so we agreed that
one of US should have it year, and then t'other,
and so we'd have it longs the knife lasted. We
tossed cent for choice. Frank got the first, l
had the next, and now it's Franks year agin.
1--WE marked it SOS we'd know it, and when
Frank got the toss he put his name it first.
There's his letters F. H.. and there's mine, M.
D., right after it. That mark there was where
the bradawj slipped when l was scratchin' in the
M Call Bill Jones. He can tell yer what I've
said is true"
The audience remained perfectly still till he
paused, and then loud cheer went up. which all
the efforts of the officers could not repress, and
don't believe they tried very hard.
Dawsons cross-exam nation did not weaken
his story in the least and it confirmed by
the evidence of Jones' Light was breaking
through the dark cloud
Stronger and stronger grew the light when
Charley Bliss entered the court-roo advanced
to the witness-stand and asked to he sworn. He
had heard Of my approaching marriage from
friend to whom Kate's mother had cOnided the
intelligence. Knowing | was without money,
he went to see that evening to offer loan
which would start the couple on the matri-'
monial road. Not finding me at home, he en-
tered the office through one of tbs windows-I
had shown him how to raise it-au4 slipped the
money into my desk through a crevice in the lid.
He thought L would be greatly surpr -sed when
| discovered it there; that he was entirely correct
in his suppostion nobody doubt. AS before
| stated, he had left the town early next morning
before the fact of the robbery had become
known In the city he met a friend who per
suaded him to take a trip to Chicago and he
knew nothing of the burglary and my conse-
quent troubles until he returned just in time to
testify in my behalf
As he was leaving the stand telegram was
handed to the district attorney who hastily
perused the missive and then read it aloud to
the court 1t was from the chief of police of
city in neighboring State, and ran as fol-
lows:
Frank Marden, arrested for gross intoxca-
ton and assault, has confessed the burglary of
Browns house and theft of $500. Shall we hold
him for reQuistion! Answer"
The sunlight streamed through the windows
and the cloud gone. Perhaps its misty
folds had condensed and fallen upon the faces
of those In the courtroom Certainly there
were salty rivulets coursing down many cheeks.
Il submit the case said the district attor-
ney with choking voice that left long hy-
phen at the end of every syllable of that brief
phrase.
mo charge to the jury is necessary" said the
gray haired judge, with quite as many hyphens
in his enunciaton. They seemed to adhere to
his husky throat and require great effort for
their expulsion.
In another minute was free. No, not free,
she in mine. Judge, jury and counsel all
crowded room seemed to be whirling like
Kaleidoscope l remark that the Kaleidoscope
con tanned brighter colors than usually OBJ
served in that scientific toy
We were married in church the following
Sunday, and warned David in the morning
that he needn't call me out during the service.
Mr. Brown sent me check for 5000, and thus
fulfilled my prediction that he would vet pay me
handsome fee. He did more than that he be-
came confirmed invalid and intrusted me with
his case, and he persuaded DR.. Bassett to take
me into craftsmanship fl + two years and surrender
his practice to me at the end of that time. And
to-day there isn't happier man in all Kings
vile than your humble servant, F. NJ M. d.