The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1885-11-05

Ao 40 0Oe Suuty. SaM ku4Cy'
Rawdon urged me to do it and pre-
pared the
Here death had interfered.
Now the name of Rawdon had never
been known, as far as we could learn,
in Kingston, and in all our search for
the solution of the enigma we had not
run across auy one bearing it. When,
therefore, uncle came home reading
the story of the murder of Judge Lowry
aud the conviction of Jos. Guyton (for
it seems that the day of the hanging
had drawn near, and the daily journals
as it is customary with them, had seen
tit to remind the public of the approach
ing event by a re-hash of the story from
beginning to end, with spread heads in
display type) his eye has lighted upon
the name of Jesse K. Rawdon, of w.,
who was mentioned as the heir to
the large estates of Judge Lowry.
Hence his agitation. All personal
matters were dropped; he dived once
more into the case of poor Guyton, of
whose innocence he was now assured;
detectives were employed, new clews
unearthed and the mystery began to
clear up, leaving Mr.. Jesse X. Kawdon
exposed to our view in a manner that
would have astonished that gentleman
had he known in what sense we
esteemed him.
Uncle paid a visit to Wand
brought back a photograph of MIR.
Rawdon. in which l Immediately
recognized the likeness of the stranger
whom supplanted as nurse to DR..
WHY. and who later acted in such a
peculiar manner at his death-bed
When the heir came up to Kingston
70 settle some matter of the estate, to
his own astonishment, and to the in
dignation of the townspeople, who felt
honored at having so distinguished a
visitor register at the Kingston Hotel,
he was arrested on the charge of muir
der. His amazement knew DO bounds,
but his protestations availed not hing in
the face of the mass of eviden ce against
him, and he was brought to trial.
l shall omit the particulars of his
trial. Suffice it to say he employed the
best of counsel, and Notwithstanding
the strongest circumstantial evidence,
the sympathy of the community rem ain
ed with him as we'll as that of the jury,
which could not fail to observe, and
it began to look as if he would be &C
quilted.
was called to the witness-stand,
and, responding to questions by writ
ing my answers on blackboard, from
which the clerk read them aloud to the
court, told all knew about DIR. WHY'S
illness and death. My statement of the
last thought of the dying man (which
made without explanatory created a
profound sensation, and the prisoner,
when he heard it, gasped and would
have fallen but for the arms of an
officer. When my uncle, in short
speech, explained how had come by
that discovery, there was litter in
the courtroom, and some of the
jurors smiled incrcdulously.
Isprang down from the stand, and
running quickly to the prisoner, who by
this time had recovered his composure
at sight of the cold reception of my
statement, laid my hand against his
forehead-of course it was a foolish
act-as if l might surprise his thought.
All that got for my palns was rough
jerk from the guard, but not, however,
before had read this in Rawdon's
mind:
Course you! won't think; If do
am LOST won't think. All, YOU
scoundrel; you're not as smart as you
think you are! won't think!'
returned to the stand and wrote up
on the blackboard those words, and the
CLERK read them. The prisoner seemed
to lose his entire self-control at hearing
them, and when the several friends
who were around DR.. WHY'S deathbed
testified with regard to Rawdon s
strange behavior, and also the sick
mans cutlery of "Guilty'' the miserable
man seemed to feel that hope was nearly
dead. He stared helplessly around till
his eye fell on Guyton, who was being
brought in, and gazing for moment
upon the shattered form of the once
strong man, he sank down in agony and
covered his face with his hands
crept noiselessly up behind him and
pressed my hand til Chilly against bis
forehead. He was too wretched to no.
tice it, and this is what he was think
ing:
''Great God, he is innocent, innocent,
and am lost! Shall l confess? His
evidence will convict me, and then
and then Yes, Ill tell all and
plead for mercy. No, they won't be-
lieve him, he may know nothing. Yes,
let him 60 on. There is still hope.''
What a struggle there was in his
mind, and still he hoped on.
Again went to the blackboard;
again the voice of the clerk was heard
throughout the courtroom, and Raw
don, as he listened to the revelation of
his own wicked thought, sprang up
with fearful cry. Crushed under the
sense of his guilt, weighed down by
wrongs to an innocent man, tortured
by the pricks of long-smothered con-
science, goaded to desperation by the
exposure of his secret resolve by a deaf
mute, the wretch in his terrible agony
confessed himself the murderer of
Judge Lowry.
And DR.. WHY was his accomplish!