Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-01-26

but he can do it, swear what you may!
The Lord be thanked, that man is herer'
"a bnZz of astOnishment ran round the
court; the feeling of awe that had held
the audience changed into one of amaze
ment.
".Point him out to me- said the Judge.
"The man who can save me- said the
prisoner, sits there beside you,' pointing
to the astoniShed Captain FORSYTH.
"The judge turned to Captain Forsyth
and said: This man appears to know
you. Is it the case?'
@'Certainly not he replied, much sur
prised; Il never saw the man before in
my life
a'Oh, Captainr broke in the prisoner.
Yes, you needn't start, know you, Cap
tain Forsyth. You are never going TO
swear an innocent mans life away like
that?'
at is curious, my man. the Captain
replied, that you know my name; but l
repeat that L never saw you before in nv
life
s'What? not know John Williams, of
the Neptune? The coxswain of the Cap
tain's cutter?
sf'Yes, | know John Williams; but
YOU are not he. John Williamt was the
smartest man that ever served under me,
and never likely to stand where you are
now
"'Captain,' repeated the prisoner, 4
tell you / am John Williams. A long
illness, hard bout of drinking and this
cursed Imprisonment have made me
what / am And l will prove it, Cap
tain, l will prove it if you will only
listen
eThe sensation caused by this dialogue
was immense. The judge, the members
of the bar and the spectators were equal
" astonished at the curious turn affairs
had taken, and, although believing the
man to be guilty of desperate deceit to
save his life, were eagerly awaiting what
should come.
"'Captain,' continued the prisoner, Il
am accused of numbering man here on
the 25th of June, more than nine months
ago. Now, tell me, sir, was not John
Williams = your coxswain = invalided
home from the West African station on
the last day of that month";
"'What the man says remarked Cap
tain Forsyth to the judge, is perfectly
true. His Majesty's ship, the Invincible,
sailed with our invalided men for Eng
land the Both day of June
"The prisoner went on: Yes, and
arrived in England the end of July,
weak and ill, and, getting my prize
money, went and drank it all away. |
And that's how it was I was found at
Bristol, where 1 had gone for another
ship, and ever since have been in this |
accursed jail
" THE fellow is plausible enough |
again remarked Captain Forsyth. He is
certainly about the height of Williams.
Well, my man, l suppose you can Eaove
what you say
"'Ay, ay, Captainl Do you remember
on the 10th of last June, giving orders
for a night raid on the native town off
ek;eh - hay looking out for slaves?'
'~fh.Y eA, I do, to be sure. |
"sAnd, that we were five boats in all.
And the first to beach was the Captains |
cutter. And the first man to jump out
of it was you, Captainf'
".Well this is the most extraordinary
thing l ever heardl And turning to the
Judge the Captain said: Every word of
this poor fellows narrative is true, my
lord He may have picked it up some
where; but 1 can't help beginning to
think there is something behind. Ny
ship is still on foreign service and l have
only returned to take charge of another
one.
"'Well, 60 on, man.
"'One word more, Captain, and maybe
you will believe me. AS we were fight
ing in the town, great native came be-
hind YOU with his ak and would have cut
you in half before you saw him, had not
a man rushed between and stopped him
with his cutlass, and yet not quite stop
ped him, for that natives ak slipped
down the cutlas and gashed the mans
head open. Who was that man, Cap
tain?'
"John Williams was the reply; the
coxswain of my cutter
"'Ay, ay, Captain, and here is the cut
which that ak made and bending down
he lifted with one hand his long, untidy
hair, and with the other pointed to a
huge and fearful scar running for sever
al inches along the side of his head.
Captain Forsyth leaped from his
seat
"Good heavens, you are right But
how you have changed! My lord, this
poor fellow had not sailed from the Afri-
can coast when the murder was commit
ted; it is impossible that he could be
guilty of it; Williams, you saved my life;
| thank God 1 have been able to save
yousP
"At these words everybody in the court
stood up and cheered the prisoner with
the widest excitement and enthusiastic;
the Judge said that In disoharging him !
he must at the same time compliment |
him ON his gallantry; and the foreman
of the Jury then and there started sub
scriptiOn for him which came up to
near $500. Captain Forsyth
ordered a chaise to. take him pOst-haste
to London for the purpose of removing
Williams from a place with such hOrri-
BILE associations, and of getting him an
from the admiralty. The
people insisted on dragging the chaise
out of town with their own hands, the
horses were then put to, and amid deaf
ening cheers they drove off-and were
never heard of again."
"Why was thatp" some one asked as
the Colonel paused.
''Because it was a hoax"
"What! 4 hoaxw we all exclaimed.
We had listened breathlessly to the tale,
which the Colonel certainly told admira-
bly,, the perspiration standing out on
his forehead as with horrible reality he
personated the desperate sailor.
'Yes," he said, "a hoax. 1t was all
preconcerted arrangement; the Captain
was merely an accomplice, who played
such parts for those of his associates
who came near receiving the reward.
This was possibly his biggest perform
ance; but though it answered well enough