San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-12-05

was tho popular feeling that tho polio
had considerable difficulty In saving m
from being lynched ON tho spot
Let me pass over the details of IN
coroner's inquest, which brought In
verdict Of willful murder. will sa,
nothing about tho agony OF my first in
terview with my family. The horror o
my situation was increased by tho owl
dent doubt my wife had OF tho truth o
my explanation rs tony strange conduc
on the night of the supposed murder
She did not say 30 in words, but her man
ner showed that she had great misgivings
The day of trial came ut last. Ohl tn
anguish Of standing in full court, accuse,
of so revolting crime! Not one OF tn
numerous friends who had formerly at
tended my dinner parties, and my WIFE
balls, was present. They had abandoned
me en- masse, as 1t might peril their owl
respectability, for II is on undoubted fac
that no persons are so severe In their 70
marks, or'so scrupulous in disowning tn,
friendship Of the unfortunate criminal
as that class Of respectable rogues who
living themselves in the secret practice
Of every species Of villainy, are afraid t
give the slightest excuse for calling at
tsntion to themselves. Depend upon it
no woman is SO severe ON the frail as thC
faitlIless wife. She is obliged to follow
Shakespeare's maxim, "Aifect virtue
though she has 1t not"
The only man who remained true tc
mo was my lawyer, Mr.. Malcolm Camp
bell. lie set TO work manfully to de
fend me. He said the press were aw
fully down on me. Numerous biogra
phies were published of me, which
brought to light events in my life never
before known, either to my parents, my,
self, or any of my relatives. One paper
called attention to the significant fac,
that many murders had been committed
during the past twenty years which
have never been traced, and that most
probably my exterior respectability and
hypocritical piety had averted ell sus.
picion from myself, and that no doubt
many an innocent man had been hanged
| for my crime.
At the trial my wife and daughter de.
posed, as they were bound to do, to my
unusual behavior on that emphatic even
ing.
My standing on the steps Of my door
before l rang the bell was observed
by a villainous, prying old maid, who
came forward and deposed to facts in
addition which were pure inventions.
My swallowing brandy ut dinner, as adj
mitted by nay own family and domes-
tics, was the occasion of some eloquent
leaders in the papers, the glst Of which
was that deserved hanging even for
that alone.
The prosecuting attorney called atten-
tion to my physioSnomy, in which he
read more murders than dozen New
gate calendars, and concluded an elo-
quent address by warning the court that
If was acquitted he felt sure that some
fine morning, like the Assyrians of old,
all New York would awake and find
themselves to be dead men, with their
throats cut from car to car, especially
the judge and jury, who would deserve
their fate if they turned such notorious
murderer loose to prey upon the citizens
of New York.
notwithstanding the cloquence of my
counsel, Mr.. Malcolm Campbell, who pos
itively surpassed himself and knocked
Demosthenes md Cicero into the mid
die Of next week, oil seemed dead against
me.
The explanation l gave of my unusual
behavior was pronounced by all as being
too ridiculous TO merit moments con-
sideration.
The judge who presided, andwho had
turned deaf ear to every mendicant
since he had been possessed of a cent to
give away, said that he had mover given
to q beggar in his whole life,
and that it had never made him miser-
able.
Indeed, ," sarcastically added this light
of Christian law, 'it would have made
me more miserable if had ever given
a penny away"
The whole audience roared with laugh !
ter at the judges wit, although 1t stamped
him as being q heartless brute.
He summed up dead against me, and,
as l had not taken tho precaution of
buying up the jurors, was found guilty
)f will.ul murder and condemned to bo
langedl
The fatal day arrived. Hardly able to
1elk, was carried TO the scaRold. The
'eporters crowded around me, shaking
lands with me as though they were
,roud of being introduced TO gentle
nan who occupied such an cnvlaJle po-
ition. The rope was put around my
leck, the cap was drawn over my face.
heard sharp click and fclt the rope
ighten. / was suddenly thrown up into
be air as q flood Of fire rushed from my
rain and filled my eyes.
Convulsively threw out my arms.
leard tremendous crash, rs though all ,
reation was crockery and had suddenly !,
cen smaGhed ] opened my owes, moi /,
pom another world as / had expected,
ut to see that had knocked over the {
able, broken into a thousand pieces my &
sife's beat china tea service, spoiled bci '
ew satin drcss, scalded her pct spaniel, /
-lich WIS bowling like a Mciholisi d
lnter, and that all the buttercd toast 1
'as in my daughters laps. who were all
ressed % 60 10 the opera
Since then my wife never lets me snore
my easy chair after dinner.-Sew
ok World
4 Nobse seieBos. a