Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-05-31

noitorcd for favorable point If view,
seated herself on a convenient stone,
and proceeded to represent the uncon.
scious vagabond as accurately as II
she were under oath TO tell the truth,
the whole truth, and nothing but the
truth about him. 1t was past sunset
when she finished the sketch, and dusk
when she reached home.
Through more distant part Of the
Indian Woods was highway leading
to the city On that highway. just at
dusk on that same evening, a market
gardener. driving home from tho city
with a consideraL,c sum Of money in
his pocket was assaulted and robbed
by two men who made their escape
into the woods. Tho alarm was quickly
given. and in half an hour the woods
were alive with men in search of the
miscreants. The gardener was able to
give an accurate description of the
man who took the money from him
of his complexion, beard, stature. hat.
coat and the cudgel with which he
was armed.
HALLWAY to Pigeon Hollow man
was found completely answering the
description, and having tho identical
cudgel in his hand. and the empty
wallet of the gardener In his pocket.
But he stoutly denied all knowledge Of
the robbery. He gave his name and
represented himself to be a discharged
Farmland on his way to the city to
look for work.
"He had no accomplice. he said. and
no companion. He had been asleep on
the other side of the wood. II was not
half an hour since he awaked. He had
seen no one. had not been to the high
way. and did not know where il was.
The wallet and the cudgel he had
picked up in the woods and that was
all there was about IL.
"Of course the posse laughed at his
story, not one word of which they be-
lieved. The gardener positively iden-
tilted him, wallet, cudgel and all
They tried hard and long to make him
tell what he had done with the money.
and where the other man was,
but they got nothing out Of him but
the same absurd denials, and the Same
incredible story.
"They had no doubt that he had
concealed the money. or passed it over
to his accomplice; but rs it was now
too dark to look for the other offender.
they gave up the chase for the night
and turned hack with their prisoner.
1.-The next morning the gardner re-
turned with the detective. and searched
the woods through and through. but
result. In a piece of soft
ground near the entrance to Pigeon
Hollow they found some prints of the
boots, and not far away a
lady's handkerchief, with the mono
gram II in in one corner; but they at
tached no importance to either. and
did not imagine them to have any con-
nection with each other.
"Well, to make n long story short.
the man was in due time brought to
trial for highway robbery. and by
some chance, which / then thought
rather unfortunate, it fell to my lot to
undertake his defense. was then a
young attorney, passing through the
starvation period of my career, and
was glad Of almost any thing in the
way of business but did not enter
into that case with much enthusiasm.
l expected the mans conviction, and
was strongly inclined to believe that
he deserved it. But before the day for
the trial arrived. 1 had become fully
Of his innocence, and though
| saw little chance Of proving it to the
satisfae ion of the jury, l became in
tensely interested in the poor fellows
case, and resolved to do my best for
him.
"That morning. while on my way
down town in a street-car. my eye fell
upon an advertisement in the paper
which was reading.
LOST, on c. street. between the post
ofice and the Union depot. sketch-book con.
tanning number Of pencil studies marked Il.
The finder will confer a great favor by leay ng
i al the depot parcel room, and will be llber-
ally rewarded
"The advertisement made no i'm
preston on my mind. and would never
have received a second thought il had
not, on alighting from the car. found
a group Of dirty Arabs on the steps
leading to my Office, examining with
great interest a thin paper-covered
volume which one Of them held in his
hand. Peeping over their shoulders, |
saw that the pages were covered with
pencil drawings and that in some cor
ner OF every picture was the myster-
ious monogram IL. An unaccountabls
desire seized me to possess that book,
and give myself the pleasure Of con-
Ierring upon the unkn own az the
great favor to which the advertise
nent referred"
1.-The present possessor did not re-
pond very readily to my proposition
indeed, could have bought a corner
ot with less difficulty; but / knew the
itreet-Arab character well, and after a
good deal Of chatting and jockying. |
occurred my prize and retired with il to
ny Office, secretly ashamed Of my
oily.
"Opening the book almost at ran
lom. came upon this sketch, the
ubject Of which l recognized at a
;lance. There was the figure of my
'lient-the clothes, the unmistable
'oots. the hand minus half finger,
he spiral seams Of the neck and the
ghito initial on the back Of the head.
Ind there was the date Of the alleged |
obberyl
81 looked up my memorandum con-
erni+s the handkerchief found by the
elective, TO which neither the prose-
ution nor myself had attached any
The monogram upon It
Tas the same AZ which appeared in the