Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-10-02

you neeu not caution me, your uohor
l am, as you say, thoroughly aware OF
the gravity of my words-and position.
What say is simply the truth, and the
truth can iniure no one. l am a mur-
derer, and purpose telling tn st ~ OF
my crime without attempting any pallia-
ton"
There was a stir in the courtroom,
and yelled woman-the mother of the
victim, it was said-leaned forward in
her chair and sobbed.
"Your honor" cried Mr.. Lang, again
on those ready feet of his; "there is an
attempt at sensationalism here, " with q
vibrating forefinger pointed in the direc-
tion OF the sobbing woman, land ask
that it be stopped"
| "Well, now" said the prosecuting at
torney with hot sarcasm; 1--WE must say
we like that. During the whole of these
proceedings we haven't said a blessed
word. We've allowed you to put your
man on the witness stand with ali the
stage-effect you wanted and without a
boo; and now, because this poor, be-
reaved woman - this heart-stricken
mother-gives way to her natural grief
when the terrible crime that robbed her
of her darling is brought to her mind,
you-you, sir, who should be the last
man to make a sound, go to blabbing
about sensationalism. Why, sir"
"That will do, gentlemen" said the
Judge, quietly but firmly, for Mr.. Lang
was actually bounding about in his anx-
iety to make his retort. go on, SIR"
he added, turning to the defendant, who
during the discussion had busted him
self folding his red handkerchief into
neat square package.
Since working for Messrs. Rocker &
Coe," Cephas Love continued, 81 have
been in the habit of walking down to
the store along Pine street each morning
from my boarding house, at the corner
of Larkin and James streets. On the
sixteenth of June last, or it might have
been the seventeenth, l noticed that No.
1858, after having been vacant for many
months, was about to be tenanted. The
next morning, and it was Friday, re-
member, my attention was again attract
ed to No. 1858, and this time by very
peculiar incident. The two windows on
the ground floor, where the parlor was
evidently situated, were draped with
heavy curtains of some maroon colored
stuff, after fashion which used to be in
vogue for dining-rooms when I was
boy. AS was passing the house, the
curtain nearer me was drawn aside and a
face peered out-such a face as frightens
q child in what are called its bad
Dreams"
"Describe it, Mr.. Love-" said the at
torney Lang.
II can not" said the witness, putting
OFT both hands in gesture of repulsion
that was strangely energetic in man
seemingly so placid and undemonstra-
tive; ''it was more of mask than
face. Not one of these grotesque masks,
you understand, but one of vacuity-a
blank, an emptiness, soulless nothing
The eyes were big, wide open, with the
white showing all around the pupil be-
tween the fixed lids. The cheeks pale
and iabby, the nose line, and the
mouth half open, with the lower lip
dropping"
Here strange thing happened, for
while the prisoner described the face,
his own took ON that of the creature he
was delineating, until in the place of the
little old gentleman of semi-clerical as
pect there appeared the doddling head
of moving idiot. The red handker-
chief had been snatched up from where
it lay smoothly folded over on his knee,
and was now grasped in both hands like
ball.
81 could only see his face," said Love,
dropping back, so to speak, into him
self, ''because he brought the curtains
close up about his neck, like garment
like dressing gown. After had moved
on a few PAGES, turned around, for SO
strange was the impression produced on
me that | can liken it to little less than
fascination. The face had not moved,
but the great staring eyes were still
fixed on me as the eyes of portrait done
in oil painting always seem to be, no
matter where the observer may move.
More than once during the day found
myself thinking of this vacant, fatuous
face, and then toward the afternoon |
managed to dismiss it with the resolu-
ton that it belonged to some poor un-
fortunate being, whose friends preferred
to take private charge of him rather than
to send him to an asylum, and that his
presence at the window was due to the
temporary absence of those whose duty
it was to look after him. But with all
this common sense view of the matter,
found myself stupidity excited and nerv-
Gus as | drew near the house next morn
ing. Well, sir-I mean, your honor
the fellow must have been watching for
nc, for as ! came opposite the windows
again, thin, white hand parted the
curtains and the vacant face was turned
once more upon me. This time,
thought that the eyes, though fixed and
wide open, had the light of nasty
smile in them and that the dropping
lower lip was shot out in grimace of
contempt. | had stout walking cane
in my hand" said the witness, jumping
up, "and l threatened the fellow with it
in this way" Here he shook out the
rcd-silk handk erchief and waved it rap
idly toward the jury-box as though it
were danger-signal. One of the jury
men drew back, with little nervous
start, and the judge looked curiously at
the defendant-witness.
"Control yourself, Mr.. Love, " said he,
"and tell your story as calmly as pos
sible."
81 will, your honor" he replied, with
meekucss anu au lnstanI chauSe VI uc-
meanor, although it was noticed that
great beads of perspiration had broken
out on his forehead, and that, now and
then, these merged themselves one in the
other and than ran tricl1ling down his
face like an overcharged raindrop on a
window-pane
"For two or three days l changed my
way to the office" he continued, "and
took another street, so as to escape the
sioht of this onnressiye face. 1t was q