New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-03-07
STATES EVIDENCE,
r& Legal Incident of the Rio crande


From the Atlanta Constitution.
The prisoner at the bar was an old
man with wrinkled skin and tanned
2eathery hands. He sat in his low
chair and looked at the jury with hag-
gard eyes. His spare gray hair rose
straight from his crown in front, and
Hell Jagged and tangled on the dusty
'coat-collar behind. There was nerv-
>-sous twitching in his tobacco stained
lips and shifty aspect IN the way he
moved his long neck and turned hur-
Etedly to confer with his counsel. He
was the focus of five hundred pairs Of
eyes He seemed to shrink and shriv.
ct under their scrutiny. His face said
that he was a hard man; man Of
deeds against the law and it's officers;
of lax regard for the rights of others;
OF the intense selfshness so promi-
aent part in the make up OF the true
criminal. He was common man,
TOO, Of the lower order OF mind, lower
order OF society, which, by the way,
he called-when he mentioned it at all
--''sassiet;;" and IN utter contempt.
One hand grasped with nervous
hold the scattering beard on his chin,
and his under lip was slightly sw ollen
and SCARED from the discolored teeth
which he had pressed against it at
various periods of the trial Over bv
the rusty, unused stove in the corner
q group of young lawyers sat, hair
thrown backto expose their Torch ads,
feet tucked comfortably on vacant
chairs, shirt collars and cravats awry
and crumpled, eyes tired and sleepy,
Laughing and testing in q whisper.
The Judge, old and hard with many
winters, many weary miles of ard
desert circuits, many nights with the
boys, closed his eyes and, by force of
long practice, heard every word, while
his thoughts were thousand miles
away The blue flies hummed against
the dim windows and the jury, one
and all, seemed intending suicide. A
pale, tired woman, with an old sun
bonnet set crookedly on her aching
head and a snuff-stick in her mouth,
held a sucking baby and gazed stead
ily and drearily at the prisoner.
There were other women too, pre-
sumably relatives, all weary, alIinter-
ested, and all dipping snuff. A hum
arose from the spectators, who watch
ed with tagging zeal the legal tragedy
before them. The blare OF brass
band fioated into the room with the
cries OF hawkers on the streets-for it
was court week and the town was full
of people. Outside the sun rioted on
the white sand and unpaved walks
and the weatherbeaten fronts OF the
houses. There was strength and hope
and freedom in the swooping shafts OF
the heat and the soft breeze that came
from over the leagues OF prairie.
Knots OF people stood in the dark
stores, or on the corners, eagerlySDdis
Gusslng the progress OF the case, and
the chances Of the man who was on
trail for his life.
For it was the state Of Texas VS..
Gabriel Wilkinson, Indictment for
murder IN the first degree.
t@Tell YER" said one man, as the
ahavings flew from his virulent pocket
knife, and he looked around in enjoy
aneut of his superior knowledge, tell
yer. he's a hard old citizen, an had or
Gerswing. They IRE the tuffest crowd in
the county, an that's sayin' lots.
You uns don't recklect mebbe what
OF Gabe's in the hole fur, but / does.
1t were seven years ago the KILN
were done, but Lord, it didn't make
much stir in them days.
<'He were a Jew peddler, an he
came long hyar with a big pack O.
motions. He sold goods right in this
town, lots O. 'em, an one mornin' he
left for the Tordillas settlement to
take the folks down thar. He were
4nown to hev stopped at OF Gabe's
aouse, an he flashed O. big roll. He
were known to leave thar mex morn
an with OF Gabe fur pilot. Jesus! An
Inc weren't seen no mo-. That is, he
weren't seen no mo- sellln' goods.
sThey found him in the woods torerd
she evenin' All his money an most
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