Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-03-06
CHAPTER Nv


court. lac uulH Ul sui pressed conversation
slnks'a.lnust To- n1thlng--ausotdteiy to moth
ing as Lhr jIdg, 5 marshal rs s., aui altor
gaUulmg through the inysteIul, procrama.
ton which he Llus "OyeZl Oyvl. Oy,Zw de-
Clares the court open.
Pnilippa, still c.osely vei,c !, sits like Il
statue. Her hand, which ever sri. ps mine,
scarcely responds to the press -. ~ when
again and again eudeavur to uii ner hope
iUr the be ST. | would give much If even
now could get her 10 CuIiscn. to my lead
M her away. | darc not suggest this
know that doing so would be waste Of words.
The court is open. The ret judge is ue-
rusing letters and papers when lie III front
/ of MIN as calmly and unconcernedIy as ii
the llfes happiness OF, at least, one man and
woman did not greatly depend upon the
view ne takes of the case about to Ue tried.
he raises one OF his bouquets and inhales
the perfume OF the flowers. How can one III
his position behave like an ordinary mortal.
/ Were we not here lie might con Tenn an in
noAnt man to a shameful death. | wonder
if, with such horrible responsibility resting
on him, Il Judge can ever real y .e happy
mani
These thoughts seem trivial; hut my mind
is by now in II strange state: it is, indeed, so
sensitive thGt every slight incident every
small ceremonial Of to-day Sc ms to h. i'm.
pressed forever upon IL.
A beWigged genteman-thec '.rldof assizes
the man next me tcllhiss neirhhop rise and
calls name after name. until We has fixed
the tventv-threc gentlemen nee led TO form
the grand jury. They STAN ~ in theiI
iaces and, IN patches of four ara rapidly
sworn. The absurd proclamation against
vice and immortality j. read: iluch good may
it do every enc present! Iucn 'up clerk sits
down and tie Judge, iogsakng lis papers
begins his work.
He arrangcs his roles to his satisfaction,
leans forward, and, placing tho tips of his
long, white tin GERS together, addresses
charges, | am told, is the ii. 1t term-the
grand jury in pleasant, colloquial manner.
strain every aural nerve to catch pur-
port OF hi, sib words. He is sure to say
something about this important murder
case. shall, perhaps, be able to learn how
1t was that the man tell under suspicion.
Alas! the judge is one who, by years of
practice, has acquired the knack of using
his voice only just SO nue.. a. is absolutely
necessary. The grand jury is close to him
and can. no doubt, hear him; but to those
who, lik ourselves, are far away III the
background of the court his remarks are in
audible. All l can catch is closing caution
to the grand jury, to bear in m.nl tnat it is
not within its province to determine the in
nOcence or guilt of the prisoners, but to
simply decide whether there is or is not sufii-
cient evidence for the cases to 20 TO trial.
u
duct its solemn deliberations in the place
appointed. The judge addresses a few smil-
ing words to the sheriff and other nagnates
who, by right or favor, occupy seats on the
bench; then he returns TO the perusal of his
papers.
/ For the first time since entered the
court, Philippa speaks to me- Are they
trying HIM now!' she asked in low, awed
whisper, yet in voice SO changed that l
know what the suspense is costing her
Briefly explain the procedure of the law,
so far as know it She signs, and says no
more
More monotonous calling OF many names,
to which summons, however, another class
of men respond, The common jurymen are
now being called. Probably, to save time,
twelve men are sent into the box, where
they sit, some appearing to enjoy the dig
nifty OF the position. some with stOlid iniit-
ference Others with acute unhappinsss
plainly manifested l look at tn Sc men
with scarcely less interest than look at the
judg' On them, or on some OF them, our
fate rests as much, perhaps more, than it
rests on niln Tnose men are irving us
not only the man who will 10y aud 10y stand
in that raIl-tOpped enclosure, mo which we
look down
Twenty long, weary minutes pass by. All
ayes turn to wooden gallery III the right
hand crmer of The court \ door in tine
wall opens The members of the grand jury
emerge AMI fill the gallery. The foreman
arms himself with a gigantic fishing rod, to
which he attaches "A paper, which is con-
veyed by this clumsy method to that busy
gentlemen, the clerk of assize. What idiotic
fooery all this seems to me
The clerk detaches the document, glances
at it. and looks up at the gallery.
Gentlemen of the grand jury you return
a true bill against William Evans for muir.
derf'
I'VE do" ans wered the foreman with shy
solemnity.
ture and standing err like this, what can be
expected from a common juryt 1t is well
for me that | heard the caution Just now
given by the judge. l take such comfort as
can by thinking they have tried the evil
dence, not the mani What can the evidence
bef All! we shall soon know.
| The clerk turns, and addressing no one in
particular, says: Bring up the prisoner
Once more l set my teeth. ] feel my wite's
arm tremble; her hand grows cold. hear
buzz, as Of expectation, run through the
crowded court Every eye turns in one d-
rectton-toward the empty dock. For a
moment species or dizziness comes over
me; objects swim before my eyes. The SEN
sation passes away. | recover myself The
dock is no longer untenanted. In the centre,
with stalwart policeman on either side of
him, stands the accused The man who, if
needs be, must be saved by such IA sacrificed
! From my place. far back in the public
gallery can, OF course, see nothing more
of the prisoner than his back. ! gaze at this
with intense curiosity, endeavoring to deter
mine the station of the man who is now
about to be tried for his life ! can but
gather this much: He is tall aud slight. His
dress is of semi-respeotable nature, but
seems to have seen much servic. He might
be anything from broken-down clerk to a
gentlemans servant out at elbows | re-
| 1olce at his poverty stricken appearance.
Judging from it, money will he welcome to
him. Let the jury but assert his innocence,
and feel certain that the liberal pecuniary
compensation which it is my intention to
mete out will repay him u hundred times for
the ordeal which he is undergoing,
nrTlA