The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-24
Gabriel Foot, HighW8ynlan.


ghe jury re-entered the court after half an
hours consultation.
1t all comes back to me as wildly as though
] stood in the dock at this very moment The
dense fog that hung over the well of the court;
the barristers' wigs that bobbed up through it,
and were drowned again in that seething caul-
dron therays of the guttering candles for the
murder trial had lasted far into the evening"
that doomed through it and wore sickly halo;
the red robes and red face of my Lord Judge
opposite that stared through it and outshone
the candles; the black crowd around, seen
inistily; the voice of the usher calling "Si-
lence." the shutting Of the julymens feet;
the blank pallor on their faces as leant for
ward and tried to read the verdict on them;
the very smell of the place, compounded OF
fog, goal-fever, the close air, and the dinners
eaten earlier in the day by the crowd-all this
strikes home upon me sharply as it then
did, after the numb apathy of waiting
AS the jury huddled into their places I stole
a look at my counsel He paused for a mo-
ment from his task of trimming a quill, shot
quick glance at the foreman's face and then
went on cutting as cody as ever.
Gentlemen of the jury''-it was the judges
voice--"are you agreed upon your verdict
''We are.'
"Do you find the prisoner guilty or not
guilty?''
mot guilty.
1t must have been full minute, as / lcant
back olutching the rail in front of me, before
saw anything but the beared eyes OF the
candles, or heard anything but hoarse muir
Hlur from the crowd. But as soon as the court
ceased to heave, and | could stare about me-
looked toward my counsel again.
He was still shaping his pen. He made no
motion to come forward and shake hands over
my acquittal, for which he had worked untr-
lIgly all day. He did not even offer to speak.
He just looked up. nodded carelessly, and
turned to his junior beside him but IN that
glance [ had read something which turned my
Heart cold, then SICK within me, and from
that moment my hatred of the man was as
deep as hell.
In tho fog outside I got clear of the gaping
crowd, but the chill of the night after that
heated court pierced my very bones. ] had on
the clothes had been taken in, It was June
then, and now it was late in October. re-
member that on the day when they caught me
Iwore my coat open for GOODNESS. -Four months
and half had gone out of my life Well,
had money enough in my pocket to get great
GOAT; but must put something warm inside
me first, to get out the chill that cursed LAWYER
had laid on my heart
had purposely chosen the by-lanes Of the
town, but remembered q certain tavern-the
Lamb and Flag-whieh lay down q side. alley.
Presently the lights from its windows looiled
like d beacon ahead. pushed open the door
and entered
The small bar was full of people newly come
from the court, and discussing the trial in all
its bearings. In the babel [ heard dozen diff
ferent opinions given in as many seconds, and
learnt enough, too, to mako me content with
The jury [ had had. But the warmth of the
place was pleasant, and elboWed my way for
ward to the counter.
There was woman standing up by the door
as ] entered who looked curiously at me for
moment, then turned to nudge q man at her
side, and whisper The whisper grew as I
pressed forward, and before / could reach the
counter hand was laid on my shoulder from
behind. 1 turned
"Well?" said /,
It was heavy looking drover that had
touched me.
fare YOU the chap as was tried TODAY for
murder Of Merchant Todd?" he asked.
"Well?' said I again, but could see the
crowd falling back as ii | was leper at his
question
"Wcll? 'Taint well then, as I reckon. to be
making so free with respectable people,
There was murmur OF assent from the
gaping mouths turned toward me. The land
lord came forward from behind the bar
~ was acquitted I urged defiantly
''Ac-quitted" said he, with big scorn in the
syllables. "Hear i'm acquitted Land
lord, is this respectable house?'
The landlord gave his verdict.
"H out yer goes, and blame yer impu-
dence"'
looked round, but their faces were all dead
against me.
"n ont yer goes" repeated the landlord
Sand think yerself lucky it amt worse,
added the drover.
With no further defense skunk out into the
might once more.
A small crowd of children (heaven knows
whence or how they gathered) followed me IN
the court and out into the street. Their num-
bers swelled as / went on, and some began to
boot and pelt me; but when I gained the top
of the hill, and lonelier district, L turned
and struck among them with my stick 1t did
my heart good to hear their screams
After that was let alone, and tramped for
ward past the scattered houses toward the omen
country and the moors Up here there was
scarcely any fog, but could see it, by the rising
moon, hanging like shroud over the town be-
low The next town was near upon twelve
miles off but l do not remember that | thought
of getting SO far. l could not have thought at
all, in fact, or should hardly have taken the
high-road upon which the jeweler had been
stopped and murdered.
There was keen wind blowing, and shiy-
cred all over; but the cold at my heart was
worse, and my hate at the man who had set it
there grew with every step. thought of the
four months and more which parted
the two lives of Gabriel Foot, and what I
should make of the new one. Ihad nv chance
again-a chance gained for me beyond hope by
that counsel but for whom should be sleeping
tonight in the condemned cell q chance and
good chance, but for that samed cured law
yer. Ugh. how cold it was, and how hated
him for it.
There was a little whitewashed cottage on
the edge of the moorland just after the hedge
rows ceased-the last house before the barren
heath began, standing a full 300 yards from
any other dwelling Its front faced tie road
and at the back an clubhouse and a wretched
garden jutted out on the waste land. There
was light in each of its windows tonight. and
as passed down the road l heard the dismal
music of a flute.
Perhaps it was this that logged nv thoughts
and woke them up to my present pass. Atany
rate, he'd not gone more than twenty wards
before ] turned and made for the door The
people might give me a nights lodging in the
puthouse: at any rate they would not refuse
crust to stay the fast which l had not broken
since the morning. tapped gently with my
knuckles on the door, and listened
Z waited five minutes, and no one answered.
The flute still continued its melancholy tune;
ttwas evidently in the hands Of learnerfor tine
Air "a dispirtting one enough at the Eest kent
breaking off suddenly and repeating Itself.
But the performer had patience, and file sound
never ceased for more than two seconds at a
time. Besides this nothing was 10 be heard.
The blinds were drawn in all the windows.
The glow Of the candles through them was
cheerful enough, but nothing was to DO seen Of