Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-10-09

marx on that guinea watch jennings
gave back TO me. 1t is. of course,
possible that there might have been n
mark (Which escaped my notice) on the
guinea which | took out of my purse
when ! sent for change"
"or, the traveller suggested, .it
may have been one of my stolen g~uincas
given back by mistake bv this drunken
water OF yours instead of the guinea
handed to him by yourself. DO you
think he isasleepp"
"Sure to be asleep. sir-in his con-
dition.
'Do YOU object, Mr.. Bruncll, after
what YOU have told me, to setting this
matter at rest by searching the mans
clothesP'
The landlord hesitated. 1T sccmsA
hard on Jennings" he said, ..if wen
prove to have been suspicious of him
without a cause. Can YOU speak posi-
lively, sir, to the mark which YOU put
on your money!
The traveller declared that he could
swear TO his mark. Mr.. Brunch WELD
ed. Tho two went up together to the
walters room.
Jennings was fast asleep. AT the
very outset of the search they found
the stolen bag of money in his pocket.
The gulneas-nineteen nnumber-had
Il mark on each one of them. and that
mark the traveller identified. After this
discovery there was but one course to
take. The walters proiesta,ions of in
nocence when they woke him and ac-
cused him OF the robbery We're words
llatly contradicted by facts. He was
charged before a magistrate with the
the theft of the money, and rs Il matter
of course, was committed for trial.
The circumstances were SO stronglA2>
against him that his own friends red
commended Jennings TO plead guilty
and appeal to the mercy of the court.
He refused 70 follow their advice. and
he was brayely encouraged TO persist
in that decision by the poor Girl who
believed in his innocence with her
whole heart. At that dreadful crisis of
her life she secured the best legal as
sistance. and took from her Little dow
ry the money that paid the expenses.
At the next assizrs the ease was
tried. The proceedings before the
Judge were Il repetition Cat great
length and with more solcmnity) Of the
proceedings before The magistrate. No
skill in cro~>-cNamination could shake
the direct statements of the witnesses.
The evidence WAS made absolutely COM
plete by the appearance Of the trades
man 10 whom MIR. Btuncll had paid
,i., ,.,,l..t ,,.sAa, ma. .s, Ia.
markedly WAS n curiosity; tie mar bad
kept it,. and be now produced it in
court. The Judge summed mp. finding
literally nothing that be could say, rs
an honest man. in favor Of the priso-
Nor. The jury returned "A verdict of
guilty after II consultation which was II
mere matter of form. Clearer cir
cumstantlal evidence of quilt had
never been produced in the opinion of
cycryonc-but onc-who was present
at the trial. The sentence on Jennings
for highway robbery was, by the law
of those days, death on the scatlold.
Friends were found to help Esther in
the last effort that the faithful creature
could now make-the attempt to ob-
tam a communication of sentence. She
was admitted to an interview with the
home secretary, and her petition was
presented to the king. Here again the
indisputable evidence forbade the eXer-
else of mercy. Esther's betrothed hus-
band was hanged ut Hull. His last
words declared his innocence-with
the rope around his neck.
Before a year had passed the one
pc n consolation that she could hope
TO in this world found Esther in her
misery. The proof that Jennings l..d
died Il martyr to the fallibili'r IF human
justice was made puulic b., he confess
sion Of the guilt, man. Another Grim
lnal trial took place at the ~assizcs. The
landlord of IN inn was found guilty of
having stolen the property of II person
staying in his house. 1t was stated in
evidence that this was not his first Of
Tense. He had been habituallv a rob
Der on the highway, and his name was
Bruncll.
The wretch confessed that he was
the masked highwayman who had sto-
len the bag of guineas. Riding bv a
nearer way than was known to the
tiiNtltI III ntu TtttIltN me Inn HrSl.
There he found a person in trade wait
ing for the settlement of "A bill. Not
having enough money of his own about
him to pay the whole amount, Brunell
had made use of one of the stoL,.
guineas, aud had only heard the tr.x
eler declare that his money was marked
after the tradesman had left the house.
TO ask for The return of the fatal guinea
was mo- tutr, he dared TO attempt
But on 9TH. alternative presented IT.
self. ~ 1~rcilcss villain insured his
own saic,y - the sacrifice of IN inno-
cent man.
After he time when the sea captain
had paid his visit ut Mrs. Andcrkin's
house. Esthcr's position became sub
ject 20 certain changes. One little do
mcstic privilege followed another SO
gradually and SO modestly that the
housckccpcr found herself a loved and
honorcd member OF the family. without
being able 10 trace by wiIni succession
of events She had risen 10 the new
place she occupied. The secret CON