The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1886-09-15
SOMERSET. PA. SEPTEMBER Is. 1886
been mark (which escaped my notice.
on the guinea which I took out of my
purse when sent for change

-
been mark (which escaped my notice
on the guinea which took out of my
purse when l sent for change
-0r,- the traveller suggested, :. ii inay
have been one of nay stolen glineas given
back by mistake by this drunken waiter
of yonrs, instead Of the guinea handed q
him by yourself Do you think he is
asleepg-
! Sure to be asleep, sir-in his condi-
ton"
. Do you object, Mr. Brunell. after what
you have told me, to setting this matter
at rest by searching the mans clothes -
The landlord hesitated-
1t seems hard on Jennings, ne said.
if We prove to have been suspicious of
him without cause. Can you speak
positively, sir, to the mark which you put
ON your money" ?"
The traveller declared that he could
swear 10 his mark.
Mr. BrunelI yielded The two went
up together to the walters room.
Jennings was fast asleep. At the very
outset of the search they found the sto-
len bag Of money in his pocket. The
guineas-nineteen in number-had a
mark on each one of them, and that
mark the traveller identified. After this
discovery there WAS but one course to
take The walters protestations of in
nocenee when they woke and accused
him of the robbery were words fatty
contradicted by facts. He was charged
] before magistrate with the theft of the
money and, Us & matter of course, was
committed for trial
The circumstances were SO strongly
against him that his own friends recon-
Inended Jennings to plead guilty and APP
peal to the mercy of the court He re
fused TO follow their advice. and he was
bravely encouraged TO persist in that de-
cision by the poor girl, who believed in
his innocence with her whole he.9t. At
that dreadful crisis in her life she secured
the best legal assistance. and took from
her little dowry the money that paid the
expenses.
At the next assizes the ease was tried.
The proceedings before the judge We're a
repetition lat great length and with more
solemnity) of the proceedings before the
magistrate No skill in eross-exanlina-
ton could shake the direct statements of
the witnesses The evidence was made
absolutely complete by the appearance of
the tradesrnan to whom Mr.. Brlnell had
paid the marked guinea The coin -
markedl 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 verdict of guilty, after a con-
sultation that Was mere matter of FORM
Clearer cirumstantial evidence of guilt
had never been produced in the opinion
of every person-but one who was pres
ent at the trial. The sentence on Jen-
nings for highway Fobbery was, by the
law ef those days, death on the gal
lows.
Friends were founsf to'help Esther in
the last effort the faithful creature ooul
now make-the attempt to obtain the
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 indisputa-
Bile evidence forbade the exercise of nier-
cy. Esther's betrothed husband was
hanged at Hull His last words declar-
ed 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 mar
tyr to the fallibility of human justice was
made public by the confession of the gull
" man. Another criminal trial took
place at the assizes The landlord of an
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 ofiense- He had
been habitually 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 Ia the traveller, he had
reached the inn first. There he found
person in trade waiting by appointment
for the settlement Of a bill. Not having
enough money of his own about him to
pay the whole amount, Bruneil had made
use of one of the stolen guines.s. and had
only heard the traveller declare that his
money MAS marked after the tradesmGn
had left the house To ask for the return
of the fatal guinea was more than lIe
dared to attempt But one other alterna-
tive presented itself The nierciless VII
lain insured his own safety by the sacri-
fee of an innocent man.
After the time when the sea-captain
had paid his visit at Mrs. AIrIerkin's
house, Esther's position became subject
to certain charges. One little domestic
privilege followed another, 80 gradually
and 50 modestly that the house-keeper
found herself loved and honored menl-
Der Of the family, without being able to
trace by what succession of events she
had risen TO the new place that she ocru-
pied The secret confided to the two Ia
dies had been strictly preserved Esther
never even suspected that they knew the
deplorable story Of her lovers death.
Her life, after what she had suffered. was
not prolonged to a great age She died
peacefully unconscious of the terrors Of
DEATH Her last words were spoken with
a smile She looked at the loving friends
assembled round her bed. and said to
them, My dear one is waiting for me
Gooi-by"- fio,ah's Comfa,aon
Joaquin and The Lost Cabin"
We see by southern Oregon exchange
that another expedition has been fitted
out and sent forth in search of the long
Lost Cabin that cabin as mystical to
old miners As the Lost Atlantic was to
the mariners Of old But the Lost Cab /
inr did exist in reality. Near by it, and
in a ss,e,c,. az vround If pff u,1,fb lary,sr (