Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-07-06

AsOO III lllc very lctSt'
Then why cannot you disclose the
particulars
because they were given to me in con-
fdence. and decline to break it"
"Did Capt. Owen say where he had been
during the afternoon
At this point Beautiful Jim raised his
honest eyes and beheld staring at him,
with the fascinated gaze of q bird ut
tracted by a snake, the girl who was bar
maid at the Ducks Tail; her small, sharp
features were strained and anxious, her
dark skin was of q greenish pallor, which
contrasted horribly with her profuse and
unnaturally golden hair Jim looked at
her steadily for a moment. and then turned
his attention back to his qucstioner.
Eyes; he had been into Walmsbury. -
"Did he tell you where?"
Eyes. he went to the Ducks Tail.
1.-THE Duck Tail? What to do therc?"
ITO *. the address of a horse dealer
who had been recommended by Maj. Whit
taker''
Did he get III"
Il don't know: he did not say"
Was the annoyance connected with
this horse dcalcr?"
Not in the very least.
Then there followed a long and close
day and evening, to all of which jim re
turned answers precisely corroborating the
evidence which had gone bcforc Then at
last he was told to stand aside, and the
name of I.o5e McclSing was called
Somewhat to jim S surprise. Lose Meek
ing proved to be the sharp visaged young
person from the Ducks Tail; and. if
fright was any sign of guilt. Miss Meek
ing must have had the credit of being
very guilty. indeed.
She dcposcd that rather late in the
afternoon Capt. Owen had como into the
bar of the Ducks Tail There was no
one else there She did not know the
exact til g. but the landlord and the
family were at tea She was busy tidy
! ing up the bar for the evening She al
ways did that the last thing before she
went to her tea
Capt Owen inquired tho address Of
certain horse dealer Mr. Johns She
knew Mr. Johns address and gave II to
him She also told him that MIR Johns
had been i'll the hotel that r'orning and
had gone up to London for .-. VI three
days. upon which Capt. Owen remarked
that it was no use his writing or going to
him for a week or so Capt. Owen stayed
short time. talking to her about other
things. and then left. Sho did not know
else in the bar during tho tho ho woc
there.
She was then asked whether Ccpt.
| Owen had often been in the hotel before.
I and whether she know him at all init
ma.ely.
And to this she replied that she had
never seen him in the hotel but onco be-
fore. when he had not spoken to her.
| The day of the murder was tho first time
sho had ever had any conversation with
him She was not the least intimate with
him No. he had not shown the smallest
wish to be Intimate with her
After this. Miss Rose Meeking was put
/ down. and several minor witnesses were
/ put up. from none of whom could any evi-
dcnce worth mentioning be extracted
There wero various officers servants and
the men who had been on duty that night,
two mess walters and the gentlemen who
had been guests at tho mess table. If
their united evidence was worth anything
1t was toward clearing Jim Beresford of
tho suspicion which Leaders unfortu-
nately long tongue had caused to rise up
against him. and then they all sat down
to await, with what patience they might,
eventually arrive.
you arc safe enough" said the great
criminal lawyer to Jim. There's not u
jot of evidence against you"
Il have never been afraid there would
bo, said Jim, coolly.
And presently the jury were ready with
their verdict. and amid breathless hush
it was given to tho public. when it is safe
to say that the only person in that as
serbly who did not tremble was the one
On whom tho darkest suspicion had fallen,
Bcahtiful jim. While the eyes of all
were dimmed with fear of what the next
moment might bring forth, he stood up in
his place straight and true. and awaited
the verdict with the assurance of com
plete innocence. And the decision Of the
jury was:
''Willful murder against some person
or persons unknown.
And OH what cheer burst out then,
and how they all-or nearly all-pressed
forward to take Jim by the hand and tell
him that they had never, never believed
him guilty for moment. And then poor
to tell him if thoy had given yer
dict against him ho should havo conc out
and hanged himself like Judas: and then
when Jim, with rough kindness. told him
not to talk rot. but to get back to bar
racks. he burst out sobbing like great
baby and cursed himself for a blubbering
fool, who had risl,cd the neck of the best
master man had ever served under.
Bat it was all very delightful. never
theless, to Beautiful Jim. 1t is easy and
well to make little of danger when it is
over; yet this danger had been very real
while 1t had lasted, and more than once
Jim. in spite of his innocence. had caught
himself furtivcly striking his throat and
wondering what tho feel of the ropo
would be like. if it should como to that.
Ohl without doubt, it was very, very
pleasant to be FREQ once more.
On account of the dead man still lying
in the room above tho mess room, who
had been SO great a favorite with them
oil, there were no open demonstrations of
satisfaction and joy at Beautiful Jia's re'
lease that evening Bu: Immediately
after dinner the colonel filed his glass to
tho brim. and, turning to Jim, who sat in