Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-09-30

"It seems hard on, jennings" he said
''if we prove to have been suspicious of
him without cause. Can you speak pos
| itively, sir, to the mark which you put on
your money!"
The traveller declared that he could
swear to his mark. Mr.. BurnelI yielded.
The 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 gum
eas-nineteen in number-had a mark
on each one of them, and that mark the
traveller identified. After the discovery
| there was but one course to take. The
walters protestations of innocence when
they awoke him and accused him of the
robbery, were words fatty contradicted by
facts
He was charged before magistrate
with the theft of the money and, as a
matter of course, he was committed for
trial.
The circumstances were so strongly
against him that his own friends recon-
mended Jennings to plead guilty and ap-
| peal to the mercy of the court. He re-
fused to follow their advice, and he was
bravely encouraged to persist in that de-
cislon by the poor girl, who believed in his
innocence with her whole heart. At that
dreadful crisis in her life she secured the
| best legal assistance, and took from her
little dowry the money that paid the ex-
penses.
At the next assizes the case was tried
The proceedings before the judge were a
repetition Cat great length and with more
sOlemnity) Of the proceedings before the
magistrate. No skill in cross-examina-
ton could shake the statements of the
witnesses.
The evidence was made absolutely COM
plete by the appearance of the tradesman
| to whom Mr.. BruneIl had paid the mark
ed guinea. The coin $50 marked) was
curiosity; the man had kept it, and he
now produced it in court. The Judge
summed up, finding literally nothing that
he could say, as an honest man, in favor
of the prisoner. The jury returned a
verdict of guilty, after a consultation
which was mere matter of form. Clear
er c1rcumstantial evidence of guilt had
never been produced in the opinion of
every person-but one-who was present
at the trial.
The sentence on Jenning for highway
robbery was, by the laws of those days,
death on the scaffOld.
Friends were found to help Esther in
the last effort that the faithful creature
could now make-the attempt to obtain a
communication of the 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 exercise of mercy. Esther's
betrothed husband was hanged at Hull.
His last words declared his innocence
with the rope around his neck.
Before year had passed the one poor
consolation that she could hope for in
this world found Esther in her misery
The proof that Jennings had died a
martyr to the fallibility of human justice
was made public by the confession of the
guilty man. Another criminal trial took
place at the assizes. The landlord of the
inn was found guilty of having stolen the
property of a person staying in his house.
1t was stated in evidence that this was
not his first Offense. He had been habitu-
ally robber on the highway, and his
name was Brunell.
The wretch confessed that he was the
masked highwayman who had stolen the
bag OF guineas. Riding by nearer way
than was known to the traveller, he had
reached the inn first There he found
person in trade waiting by appointment
for the settlement of bill. Not having
enough money of his own about him to
pay the whole amount, Brunell had made
use of one of the stolen guineas and had
only heard the traveller declare that his
money was marked after the tradesman
had left the house. To ask for the re-
turn of the fatal guinea was more than he
dared attempt. But one other alternative
presented itself. The merciless villain
insured his own safety by the sacrifice of
an innocent man.
After the time when the sea captain had
paid his visit at Mrs. Anderkin's house,
Esther's position became subject to GER
tain changes. One little domestic
followed another, so gradually and so
modesty that the housekeeper found her
self loved and honored member of the
family without being able to trace by
what succession of events she had risen to
the new place that she occupied. The Sc
cret confded to the two ladies had been
strictly preserved; Esther never even sus-
pected that they knew the deplorable
story of her lovers death. Her life, af-
ter what she had suffered, was Dot pro-
longed to great age. She died-peace-
fully unconscious of the terrors of death.
Her last words were spoken with smile.
She look ID at the loving friends assem-
bled round her bed and said to them:
MY dear one is waiting for me. Good
by"