Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-04-29

| tured it. The whole previous atmosphere
was changed Whatever of interest had been
conferred i'll the trial was now all concern
| trated in this now development coming out
Of it. The audience, fir,t bending forward,
| at last rose i'll their seats to get n better
| view of the wealth there displayed At
| rough guess | had put on exhibition about
| two thousand dollars in quartz specimens
teing gold in form never before seen in
that part of the country.
The district attorney felt his case slipping
| away from him. The introduction of such
| evidence was an indirect contradiction to
his differences regarding my 'loafing about"
and Suspicious habits 1t was plain that
if had been mysterious, there was some
thing which would justify mystery He OBJ
jected to such things being put in as evil
dence.
But the things had done their work
1t was finally necessary to call the court to
order ere the trial could be resumed The
judge laid aside his spectacles, but retained
the richest lump ON the bar in front of him.
and his eyes would glance occasionally in it's
direction. | continued my story II did
not find this claim. My partner, who is here
in court did, long before / met him. | acted
for him as a guard ON the claim while he was
necessarily absent carrying the rock to ''The
Bay" to be worked. Mr.. iratt found me on
the ground | was guarding. 1t was true we
had no tools visible or notices up, because
these might have excited observation and we
were not, us to regulations for holding such
ground, protected by any law Mr.. Pratt
insisted on meddling with the ledge from
which this gold was taken. He insisted ON
| meddling with it at the very place where we
had dug out the pieces you see before YOU.
Now, what was | to do? Let him do so o..
notF'
mol" roared out voice in the audience.
"Order in court!' cried the sheriff. But
that "No!" was a powerful expression of the
prevailing sentiment.
] continued:
snow, gentlemen, did not do as you think
| did. Here comes what | know is the i'm
probable part of my story 1t would be far
pasier me to say that did shoot Pratt in
defense of what considered mine than that
he shot himself. That is exactly what he did
do-by accident. He had the drop on me.
his finger on the trigger, warning me not to
| interfere with him, when his foot slipped
from the rock on which he was standing. he
fell over backward, his pistol was discharged,
and by the fall and the shot he got the two
wounds in his head. Well, | was frightened
| nearly to death at the time myself. saw in
| q moment all the appearances would be
against me. had to keep secres the locality
of the claim. My partner was away. 1
went up to Pratt, and found him
as | supposed, dead ! didn't know
| what TO do, so | covered him with
brush and went home. / couldn't rest that
night for thinking about the body IN there
how it would be discovered and our claim
with it, and between the two-of the fix
| should be in to keep our claim secret. and
account satisfactorily for Pratt's death under
the circumstances got up in the night and
went up to the body. | intended to roll it
Gown the hill and pitch it into the river to
| get it out of the way. Thank Godl | found
Pratt alive Now, gentlemen, that's all nv
story, and whether you believe me or not. I'd
| ask you If you would not possibly do as have
| done under the circumstances
II think can vouch for what the gentle
man says" said a voice near me- 1t was that
| of Blanche Seton.
This appearance Of a beautiful woman in
the court in connection with the trial was
oven more phenomenal than the quartz.
| There was an eager craning forward of necks
md then profound hush to hear her next
words
After being sworn in as witness, she con-
inued
81 came here to say that my uncle. Mr.
| Pratt has recovered his faculties and de-
clares that Mr. Holder committed no assault
upon him.
| She then paused