Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-09

stairs: that he often took sucn walks,
that he met a tramping stranger one.
half mile west of the mill, and that the
man wore coat but no vest, and that
after passing him the man hailed him
and wished to buy his vest, and that,
| as it was an odd one, he sold it to him.
naming the amount and denominations
OF the money paid him, and giving a
minute description of the man; that he
| was in his room at the time John Earl
ing claimed to have visited it; that he
was exceedingly difficult to arouse
| when sound asleep, and that he re-
| membered hearing some one calling
him as in a dream. Nothing could
shake him from this statement, nor w as
! any motive for the crime apparent in
the evidence, nor did it appear THAI the
murdered girl and the prisoner were
in any manner connected prior TO tie
dark event; that evidence was safe II
John Earnings pocket.
Then, too. scores of Openstoners tes-
titled to the utterly blameless life he
had lived among them, but at the end
John Earring wished the prisoner re-
called, and vixen the still man took the
witness-chair lie sat down with dis
tended nostrils and blazing eyes before
him. For long time he sat there
gazing on the prisoners averted eyes,
and the restless audience grew hushed
and breathless. Still he remained mo-
tionless, gazing, silent The audience
thrilled, and at last the black eyes fiut-
tered wildly up and remained gazing
into John Earnings. When they had
he
with slow, deep distinctness:
did YOU ever commit murder pre-.
vious to this one?''
In an instant the prisoner started up
with his thin fingers clasping the chair
and the blood surging into his face;
the counsel for the defense objected,
the Judge ruled the question out, and
John Earling said, quietly:
THAT is ALL" and the book-keeper
wens. weak and trembling. to his seat
But he recovered himself as the az
guments went forward, and he heard
the pleading in his defense, his merits
eNtolled. his praises borne aloft on beds
of flOwery clauses, and all the beaute-
Gus, glittering. perplexing tangle of
entreaty, doubt, subtcrfuge, logic.
warning, hope. imprecation and
life and the twelve men who were to
judge it.
But ut the last, on the third day of the
speeches in the afternoon. John Earlin2
walked out before the jury. Oh! for
words that were blazing fire, to scar
up and dissipate the rosy. plausible,
clouds of doubt with which
the powerful opposing council had en-
veloped them! The great audience
leaned forward breathless and expect
ant he looked so young, so
white. SO vivid, so intense with
voice that thrilled throughout the room
he began, and without touching the
evidence, brought the murder at once
before them. All the horror, agony,
fear, pain and terror of the deed shone
in his voice and face and hands and
eyes. Atom by atom he illuminated it,
moment by moment unfolded it, stroke
by stroke. cash by cash, drop by drop,
breath by breath, cry by cry. until the
dead girl he had loved splashed in the
dark water from the murderer's reek-
ing hands and Redeemed it with her
sweet young blood. Then lifting him.
self as if upon the very wings of pas
sion, he shrieked: There sits the man
whose leperous heart conceived this
speechless deed. There tremble the
hands over which her sweet blood ram
There throbs the brain about which
even now are wrapped the flames OF
hel1s unimaginable remorse. Let him
have .juSiicer'
The audience thrilled, and the prisoner
5wayed forward with his face in his |
IL Il ~ 1, "a.
the terrible cleaning sentences ran on,
crowding, thickening, flashing. like a
train of bursting stars. The speaker
seemed lifted wel-nigh out OF the NOR
tai by his feelings. He pictured before
them the crime effect. With all its myr-
lad moments of sorrow and singing
pangs, down to the last bitter lovt.
He held up before them in flaming I'M
agery the crime incentive, The loath- |
some, venomous appetite of this oiiJ.
noiseless craven. VINO. to appease his
burnings, tiend-like defaced
and ruined one of Gods most beauti- |
full creations. Then turning his white
face up to Heaven, he cried in an &C.
stacy of passion:
He may escape now. but God will |
blast him from among men! Ven !
geance will find him out, for he de- !
bauched and murdered Innocence! |
Wrath shall take him to its kissing
bosom! Hate shall encompass him. |
Rage shall entwine him! RemorSe |
shall press upon him! Truth shall for !
sake him! Peace shall never know him! |
Joy shall forever leave him! Tears
and gall and shame shall be his por- !
ion. till time, and death, and fury, i
shall dash and dissipate Ills foul, pol !
uting ashes from the bosom of abhor-
ring Nature. for he murdered limo
,ence. he murdered Innocencer
The prisoner, with his fingers grasped |
about his neck, and with the Hood |
7essels standing out like cords upon his |
swung lower and lower under
he pitiless lash OF language. He cow
.red and writhed as if Il storm of fire |
we're beating over him, and when John
CARING drew in his breath to plunge |
NEW into terrible invectiye. the weak, |
'em orse-tormented man sprang gasp
NC up with his eyes starting out. his |
ace Hvid, his arms stretched out with !
myers, working, and stumbling for
ward shrieked: Mercy! mercy. |
and fell crashing among the
hairs at John Earrings feet
For moment John Earring. with
lis hands stretched up, scintillated
Ibove the PROSTATE man, then rising
o his utmost height he shrilled in a
piercing voice:
He's guilty. he's guilty! he's
guilty. and sat down choking and
aboring for breath.
The crowed surged forward mel
lashed water in the prisoners face.