Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-04-19

turned inward, his lips drew slowly back
displaying the huge yellow teeth, and hi
powerful hands gripped the char arm,
till his knotted veins rose in throbbipc
rebellion and the wood creaked under Ia,
strain. As he sat hudJled in the chat,
he looked like some tremendous incarna,
tion of murder crouching for the spring
His faded wife half rose from her seat
screamed family and dropped back. In
strange peryerslty, she wore even then a
strained, dscolored scarlet silk gown.
An intense silence followed, broken
only By the rapid beating of the prison
er's foot on the floor and the quick rust.
ling OF papers in his attorneys trembl,
ing fingers. A measured tramp ascend
ed the stairs, the door swung open and
the two officers appeared their hands
resting firmly on the shoulders of q
/ figure between them. All eyes we're bent
/ on him and he knew it. With shutting
tread and hama to his face he was showed
rather than led into the witness chair.
He WAS the pariah of his class, the dc.
/ testati0n of criminals, the frequent in
strument of the law, the nameless vicari-
Gus tyenger-states evidence. There
was scorn of him in every heart, loath-
ing in every look, from the judge on the
bench 20 the small boy in the rear in
dustriously cracking pecans. Only the
district attorney encouraged him with
smile as the digusted clerk arose and
and preferred him the Bible to kiss. He
| touched it lightly with his dirty lips and
muttered an affirmative to the rapid
formula. From first to last he carefully
avoided looking at the prisoner, who,
with rigid face unchanged, glared ven
omously at him. No leading questions
were necessary. He told his story glibly,
and rapidly, as if anxious to have done
with it and escape from the inimical at
mosphere that surrounded him.
Yes, his right name was 81 Brady. He
had known the prisoner long. He saw
him murder the peddler Jew Levy"
He shot him II the head while they we're
walking side by side. The jew did not
speak after the shot. He and Wilkinson
divided the booty, Wilkinson taking the
larger share. He had given some of it to
Wilkinson's wife. Wilkinson had also
given some of it TO the woman. The red
silk was given by Wilkinson. He be-
lieved the woman then had on the dress.
bought the goods. Wilkinson had
planned the murder and had committed
it unaided. He BRADY had simply fol
lowed his leader.
"You liel' yelled the prisoner, spring
ing to his feet, his gaunt frame shaken
with passion. "You did it yourself"
For the first time Brady looked at him.
II tell tbs truth" he said. "Your folks
has threatened my life to keep me from
telling. b'lieve they'll kill me yit."
With smile of triumph, Wilkinson
sank into his chair. "Y'are right" he
muttered.
1t was some hours later when the jury,
pale but a unit, brought in their an
nouncemeut of guilty as charged. The
condemned stood the verdict and sen-
tence unmoved. he seemed to breath
more freely, now that the strain was over,
and his eyes no longer fervently intent
upon the proceedings, roamed restlessly
among the faces, seeking his betrayer.
Brady had skunk away after a merciless
cross-examination, and now stood half
sheltered behind the sheriff. That funct
tionary was very grave. 1t was noticeable
that his treatment of the states witness
was gentle.
at reminds me-" said one, "of how he
looked the day he hang Seth Jones, the
nIgger."
The sheriff evidently regarded Brady
as a dead man, man under sentence,
whose lifeltase was shorter by weeks
than his late companions. If poll of
the 800 heads then assembled had been
taken, there were probably none wfo
would have concurred in the opinion
that the person of many aliases, in his
desperate grasp at liberty, had signed
his own death warrant. And he knew it.
You might read it in every line of his
blanched face, in his shrinking figure, as
he chung to the law he had battled against
all his life, personifed in the quiet of
ficer who could give him no protection.
When the deputies passed with Wilkih-
son in custody, the condemned glanced
only once at his betrayer, and in the look
there was world Of malice and exuita
ton. He passed out; the heavy doors
shut behind him, and as the last strag
gler left the room, Brady, turEed to the
sheriff and said huskily.
"My boss is hitcheo back O. the court'us,
sheriff. / must be riden'. | wanter put
fifty miles betwix nae an this place by
sun-up."
'Ride fast, my boy" said the officer,
land keep your eyes skinned"
Together the two men descended the
steps and walked to the south side OF the
plaza, where a powerful black horse
idly champed the bit and moved his head
up and down in recognition of their
coming.
He's good 'un," said Brady, stop
ping even then to stroke the tangled
name and purposely adjusting the stir
rups. Hes bout all I've got left"
His face was very pale and his lips
trembled as ne climbed sti1Iiy into the
saddle. He turned, as he gathered up
the relns, and held out an awkward hand.
II did it to save my life, john he
said. won't yer shake han'sp
The sheriff stood moment with folded
arms, peering up into the dark face
above him.
"Ive shook hands with murderer
afore he went through the trap" he re-
Joined slowly, IAN I've clssped a many q
hand as were red with crime, bat the man
as | hung were brave man, though he
were niger, an he never went back on