New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-25
WHY THE MAN WAS NOT HUNG.
A STORY TOLD IN sNoKINe-Rool
ham ThA Inndnn Einld

STORY TOLD IN sNoKING.RooM.
From The London Field.
AZ have known Of a fisherman being visited By
Old man should like tho storJ Be preserved was
living some fourteen miles from Woreesnr iorty yeafs
ago and was a aeen fisherman. ono day laio IN tho
season had a good afternoon OF trout fishing In
krook which ran three miles from my house, and on
he way homo In a very dark evening was dronehed 20
The sldn by Thunderstorm IN spite of my efforts 10
escape by sheltering here ana there uhaes Shoasi
disturbed in bed By loud voice IN my roomt saying
Get up, and 60 20 Worcester started, rubbed my
yes al NO ana listened but heard nothing, and there
was not breath OF air stirring out OF doors ! went
on 10 sleep again, and was again hpeesy uis,uTD 1
the same cry nov awqEe nr, TI not s sbo rcped
but she did not wonder heard voices, After me 10.
eS apS sran the words sounded, this time louder
an ever az my ear Get up ana e. 70 " sgS peh
dark with much rain I could sec. Tho idea Of dc.
scending saddling the horse or my srooni nEoa ~
distant S99'sg SSa s sSes %us not Al ali cheer
fui nut tho same words sounded moe ip ~
than before ~ my ear ana, lei siIn,.d on nv clothes
lot myself out, and began saddilng gray VII, mlsn
some surprise ne, PGed that nv ~ Ieapins and hsSnE
this particular morning she was periee'y au'o' anu
ractab6. ,.v .,.., q, ro.,,
which surrounded Wilmington with ease partly from
knowing fhem perfectly, partly because no one was
SaT Ts afa o SSa 8hs aST S Necessary for me to
cross n did not care 20 go by tho windngs OF The
pected 10 spend half an hour bswifng from tho bank
Tn the drowsy feryman would be pleased to awake
touched his hat and said IAN right SIR heard You
S0g S sad s sss egoT he rain and cold
forbade my raising any Question ON lne mauesI a h
% 6 got d H. ana n was eber sde and Vt was $50
when rode Into Worcester tired ana hungry, How
sy eve gqs up D my .go gSs out into nc city sos
summons had brought me there, but had no nrthcr
guidance, way seemed much the same as an
Noticing crowd pressing toward The assile courts,
fell In with them, and BY dat OF tippng apo saueeL
trial. Tho prisoner, one Lewellyn Morris, had Just
been found guilty, as entered tne jusc otsnc bIa
pronounced mon him The accused seemed familiar
TO me, and YET / could not recall where had met HIM
court hung 'pop HIS fate with breathless anxiety,
DO the least concerned OF the assehDi,ase; no an
that he was entirely innocent of the murder and
two or three miles away from tho place where Y was
II was called but he could not produce his witness
he had no idea who his witnes was, pn. on me night
couple OF mites on tho road home till thunder roared
and the rain descended Ike waierspoul, WIN gem
Inc storm was SO fearful and the darkness deep
that they mad both dlyerged from tho road into a
neighbong chuchyard and taken refuge In Its porch
until half an hour after the tempest passed on. Tie
had conversei that time with his nelghpor but had
10 notion who no %as Gr g after Se od man bad
been murdered. and u wond have peon pnL scaly M
possible for him 70 have stood IN tho porch uness he
had been FAR away from tho scene of The murder at
that time. AS II was, however, having no Glow to
bis Witness he was content to leave himself IN bis
lortlship's hands
a At once i remembered that this was the very man
who had stood with mo In the church porch, and, is-
Ing amid mncb exctement offered myself to the Judge
as witness for the accused. After being sworn, I
wrote down az the Judges request what we had talked
Of aud what answers the prisoner had made GpOn
this the prisoner examined me, and the answers 80
tailed with what had written down that the Judge
III ftor 10 the fuFV.
their previous verdict the jury unanimously and with
out a moments hesitation acquitted him. We had
talked as II happened OF curious legend m neigh.
boring lords family. and the prisoner had given ms
information about the spawning OF trout which
aiterward convict at Dartmoor prison on his death.
bed confessed that he alone guilty OF the murder
escaped conviction; and you SEQ ghost was Oh
advantage for once and let MS hope for The crds OF
fishermen chose ono OF them 10 perform An sct Ia
justice IN consequence OF hs gentle, amiable, and
J kindly dispositions