The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1890-01-09

coroner's inquest, which brought in
verdict Of willful murder. win saw
nothing about the agony of my first in
terview with my family. The horrcr of
my situation was increased by the evil
dent doubt my wife had of the truth of
my explanation as tony strange conduct
on the night OF the supposed murder.
She did not say SO In words, but her man.
nershowed that she had great misgivings.
The day Of trial came at last. Obi the
anguish Outstanding in full court, accused
OF so revolving crimel Not one Of tho
numerous friends who had formerly at
tended my'dinner parties, and my wife's
balls, was present. They had abandoned
me en- masse, as It might peril their own
respectability, for It Is an undoubted fact
that no persons are 50 severe In their re-
marks, or 80 scrupulous in disowning the
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 to
give the slightest excuse for calling at
tention to themselves. Depend upon 1t.
no woman is so severe on the frail as the
faithless wife, She is obliged to follow
Shakespeare's maxim, Affect virtue.
though she has it not"
The only man who remained true TO
me was my lawyer, Mr.. Malcolm Camp
bell. He 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 fact
that many murders had been committed
during the past twenty years which
have never been traced, and that most
probably my exterior responsibility and
hypocritical piety had averted all 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 nv
unusual behavior on that emphatic even
ing.
My standing on the steps of my door
before rang the bell was observed
by villainous, prying old maid, who
came forward and deposed to facts in
addition which were pure inventions.
My swallowing brandy at dinner, as adj
mitted by my own family and domes-
tics, was the occasion of some eloquent
leaders in the papers, the gist of which
was that l deserved hanging even for
that alone.
The prosecuting attorney called atten-
ton to my physiognomy, 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
Threats cut from ear to ear. 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 eloquence of my
counsel, Mr.. Malcolm Campbell, who pos
itively surpassed himself and knocked
Demosthenes and Cicero into the mid
die of next week, all seemed dead against
me.
The explanation gave of my unusual
behavior was pronounced by all as being
too ridiculous to merit moments con-
sideration.
The judge who presided and who had
turned deaf ear to every mendicant
since he had been possessed of cent to
give away, said that he had never given
anything to beggar in his whole life,
and that 1t had never made him miser-
able.
Indeed" sarcastically added this light
of Christian law, sit would have made
me more miserable if had ever given
penny away"
The whole audience reared with laugh
ter at the judges wit, althoughit stamped
him as being heartless brute.
he summed up dead against me, and,
as l had not taken the precaution Of
buying up the jurors, was found guilty
of willful murder and condemned to be
hangedt
The fatal day arrived. Hardly able to
walk, was carried TO the scaffold. The
reporters crowded around me, shaking
hands with me as though they were
proud Of being introduced TO q gentle
man who occupied such an enviable DO
sition. The rope was put around my
neck, the cap was drawn over my face.
heard sharp click and felt the rope
tighten. | was suddenly thrown up into
the air as a flood OF fire rushed from my
brain and filed my eyes,
Convulsively threw out my arms.
heard a tremendous crash as though all
creation was crocksry and had suddenly
been smashed l opened my ewes, not
upon another world as / had expected,
but to see that had knocked over the
table, broken into thousand pieces nay
wife's best china tea service, spoiled her
new satin dress, scalded her pet spanial,
which was bowling Hike Meshodiss
ranter. and that all the buttered TOAST
was in my daughteFs' laps, who were all
dressed to go to the opa=a-
Since then nay wife never lets me srsore
In my ea9y chair after dinner
York World
Anxto0a - Get LetGevs.
wonder rnDYS and mara all 49,.