Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-26

and rushed for New York, where
shipped at once ON packet bound fol
California, and we sailed the sam,
evening. This was in 40, mind you
I'VE went round the horn and made
port all safe. Then l got the golt
fever aud struck off for the mines
Four years I worked, and at the enc
was only about $4,000 ahead. / longec
to 60 back to civilization for a while
and i started for the only place OF
land where could hope for welcome
Round Lake; l wanted to heal
something of Jean, too.
II reached there, surprised my ole
boss, who said he had heard / wa.
dead. He invited me in. though
somehow he didn't seem very hearty
in his welcome. / sat there an hour
when in comes two constables, clap;
irons on me, and shows me a warrant
for my arrest-for the murder of old
Monseer and Misses Bazine.
"Of coarse l objected; t'wern't nc
good. landed in the town Jail
There / heard the first | knew of the
matter. 1t seems that about o'clock
on the morning l left Round Lake SC
suddenly, Peter Carter had rushed to
the nearest neighbors and informed
them that the old couple had been
murdered, their old bodies carried of
and the house robbed. He had slept
with friend he said, a mile away.
Jean had left and the old people were
alone. Their beds were covered with
blood and the house all turned up.
Whom did he suspect?
"Why, me-Ben Marlin, who had
been there the night before drunk,
quarreling with old man, cursiDg
and thr, atening him.
81 was looked for, my haste in leav-
ing and refusal to tell why, my every
action convinced all Of my guilt. l
was traced to New York, to the ship
in which l sailed, but in those days
there was no way of telegraphing
ahead to stop me. There was a Ben
Martin also in the crew, and he died
of the tremens on the second day out.
This found its way into the papers and
the people interested concluded that
Martin was a mistake for Marlin, and
that was gone.
well, ! was in pretty bad fix.
But sends for lawyer and gives
him FIVE hundred out of my pile. He
was mighty white chap-even if he
was a lawyer I'd been overhauling
my memory and | gave him some
points. He went to work on 'em with
will.
1.-THE day of trial came, and it was
big day in that town. Peter Carter
swore dead against me, how cursed
and threatened the old man, and how
had big stick in my hand, after
ward found, all bloody, in the bed
room. How had been seen lettering
around near the house afterwards
He believed, felt sure, that I was the
murderer.
"His friend, stupid lout, swore tina,
Peter slept with him the night of the
killing. He couldn't tell what time
Peter went away for he slept until the
boss kicked him up.
Jean, prettier than ever, reluctant
ly testified that had returned curse
for curse with old Bazine, but not as
bad as Peter Carter stated, and that
had made no threats except that
would take the wind out of his sails
yet
"Otler witnesses of little things
helped make the case black for me.
my lawyer asked that l might tell
my own story. Twas put on the stand
All listened and Peter Carter sat down
in front Of me with sheer OH his
thick, ugly lips.
81 told my story thus
"'On the evening l had the words
with old Monsieur Bazine, had big
stick in my hand, the one shown here
to-day. ] did loiter about the house
not very near, for an hour or more
after leaving the doorstep. l hoped
to see Jean. started in desperation
at last, to knock again at the door.
When | reached the fence | thought
what fool | was and stopped. The
dog come to me, / threw my club al
him, then walked away and went to my
home. l didn't sleep much, and early
next morning | went point on High
Rocks, with my fathers spy-glass and
lay there looking for Jean to come
out to milk the cows. wanted TO 60
and make up. / could see all the
Bazine farm and the lake from where
was, being so high, and the spy.glass
made things pretty clear to me. |
didn't see Jean, but | did see some
things that | thought nothing of then,
but can understand now
"'If what you saw has anything to
do with this case, you can state il,
4 T.