The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-09-25
Was He Guilty?

Was He Gulitys
A few winters since, while travelling in
the south, found myself one afternoon
in little village, the County seat of -
County, Virginia. Learning that the
court was then in sitting, and that a
murder case was on the docket for the
next day, I decided to remain. in town
and attend the trial. On the fol-
lowing morning 1 made my way to the
courthouse, and early though it was,
found the room we'll filled.
I managed to find seat beside all old
gentleman, who gave me tho history OF
the case to be tried.
About year before stranger OF very
pleasing appearance and manner had
come to the place. He gayo his nsne as
the Rev. a. l.. Holt, aud showed letters
of recommendation from prominent pas
tors throughout the state. There was
but one church in the place, a union
society, and being at the time without
pastor the stranger was invited to
preach one Sunday. AS the result OF
that one sermon he was engaged as the
permanent pastor of the church, and at
once became popular not only as q
preacher but as social lion.
He literally took the quiet, aristocratic
village by storm. The little chapel soon
became too small to accommodate those
who came to hear this wonderful man
preacher; and SO the courthouse was
opened for toe meetings, and every Sun
day was filled to overhowing. Men sat
in the windows, or perched on the trees
that they might see and hear.
One Sabbath morning, about two
months before the story opens, the pastor
had taken for his text the words, "Be sure
your sin will find you out" When the
services were about half through, an old
man was seen climbing through the win.
dow just back of the speaker. AS the
house, as we'll as all the windows were
filled, nothing was thought of the matter
until, suddenly, there was q report OF a
revolver, and q cloud of blue smoke was
seen rising above the desk.
AS the smoke cleared away the preach
er was seen lying on the floor, with the
old man standing over him. For mo-
ment the throng seemed stunned, and
then tempest of rage and wrath burst
forth. The murderer was seized by the
sheriff who, with much difficulty, finally
managed to get him from the angry crowd,
into cell.
Scarcely had the old gentleman in
ished his story, when the court was sum-
moned and soon after the prisoner was
brought in. He seemed to be 8 man OF
sixty-6ve years, tall, and of commanding
appearance. The two months in jail had
not broken his spirit, and he stood at the
bar with head erect.
After some delay, a jury was empanel-
ed, and as looked at the hard, set faces,
in the Jury box, I could net repress a
feeling of pity for the poor old man,
murderer though he might be.
On the wall behind the Judge, just
above the window, was large picture of
the murdered man; handsome lace;
one over which a woman might rave and
yet be forgiven.
Yet with all its beauty, there was
something in the face that puzzled me.
As the old man lifted his eyes to it, |
saw such look ofjoy and triumph as
never before or since have l seen on hui
man countenance. !,
The prisoner had refused the services of
the lawyer furnished him by the state.
The clerk read the Indictment, and the
court asked the usual question: "What
say YOU to the Indictment found against
YOU are you guilty or not guilty 2"
"I am guilty." answered the old man.
~ shot the feller and killed him, too.
Yer needn't have any trial; for | done it
fast enough. Yer can hang me, for yours
is the power to kill, and these here good
folks want to see the man whatshot their
parson strung up. But afore you pass
the sentence, I want ter tell you some.
thing of.my story, I don't expect yer Will
believe it, andI don't care if yer don't.
I amt asking for no mercy I don't want
none of it. I want to hang, for l am
guilty, aud the quicker get out of this
world the better for all. My home was
in Connecticut. vas born IAN raised
there. Pm wheelwright, and have
worked like trooper all my life, till !!
found, at last, that I'd got something laid
by.> ihad wife, who was one of Gods
own angels; an l bad a boy an gal ;
twins they was, and we was the happiest
family on earth. Heaven kinder seem.
ed to smile on u.s. and the future looked
bright. So things went on, till the chill
dren got most growed up. Nell was
the prettiest gal in all the town, and
'twould bother you to find smarter boy
than Joe.
"By this time young feller by the
name of Frost come to>teach our school,
a nice, likely looking man he was, too.
After he had been in town week or 80,
be come into the shop one night and
asked if I would board him, for he didn't
like the place where he was.
$50 / took him in, and, from the first.
he an Joe was the best of friends, an
after bit he begun to shine up to Nellie
G. little. I didn't make no objections,
for he seemed like purity good Teller,
and seed that Nell sot a heap Of store
by him.
Zone morning 'long in the spring,
Frost did't come to breakfast, but, as he
oftent went out for walk early in the
morning, I didn't think nothing of it,
till wife come in looking kinder white
around the gills, and with a piece Of
paper in her hand Wal, the gist of the
matter was, Frost had SO bamboozled my
little gal that he had got her to run OF
with him. knew 'twouldn't do no good
to try to foller them. They would come
back again pretty soon, and everything
would be all right; but the spring turned
fall and they didn't come and l began to
get worried, and ma began to fade and
droop like.
"Long in the fall, I wanted to use
some money, so I went 10 Il to draw
out of the bank, but the cashier told me
that hadn't none there. Said thai
| Ia...4 LII i,.nuf1t,k nrdar from n0f