The Rugby news. (Rugby, Morgan County, Tenn.) 1890-189?, 1890-11-29
poison in the old mans wine. 1t was a

poison in the old mans wine. 1t was a
foolish as well as wicked crime"
walked on. The details of the MUIR
der had been recited too many times to
interest me now. 1t had appeared on
the trial that Harper was in love with
his old employers only daughter, and
that Dunham had quarreled with his
confidential clerk in consequence.
On the evening when he (Harper) was
to depart Mr.. Dunham called him into
the library and requested him to drink
social glass of wine with him. 1t
seem that Harper assented. An hour
later Donald Dunham was dead. He
had died in agony and with his latest
breath accused his clerk of having pois-
oned him. The dregs of one of the
wine-cups were found to contain
arsenic, the other being harmless. The
confidential clerk was at once arrested,
and in one of his pockets package of
arsenic was found. Such evidence was
overwhelming. Wallace Harper sent
for me, and 1 undertook his defense. I
made as good fight as possible under
the circumstances.
The ante-mortem testimony of Dom
aid Dunham, together with the fact that
the two had quarreled, and the finding
of the poison in the pocket of Harper,
was evidence that I could not overcome.
I went from the courtroom to my
own pleasant home feeling weight on
nv mind that I could not shake off. A
few hours later messenger came to me
from the prisoner, requesting an inter-
view.
at once repaired to the jail.
Wallace Harper greeted me with a
pleasant smile, and held out his hand.
81 am satisfied that you did all that a
human being could do, Mr. Nelson, and
want to thank you for it, and to tell
you that it is my wish that you do moth
ing toward securing a new trial"
expressed my surprise at this
1T would only postpone the inevita-
ble," he said. I'LL luck runs in our
family. l suppose was born to be
hung!" and the laugh that followed
made my flesh creep.
.But you are innocent?" l said, a
sudden doubt coming, unbidden, to my
brain. +
; II am innocent. hope you will
never doubt that. Mr., Nelson
A littlb later left him, promising
not to urge a new trial. 1 was satisfied
that new trial could not be obtained
and had only. entertained the thought
l to delay matters as long as possible.
1t was two months to the 9th Of No
vem Der. Much might be done in that
!, time if there had been any foundation
on which to stand. AS it was, trie6
to dismiss the prisoner from my mind
> and attend to other business. l coulo
not do this, however, and the days and
; weeks passed, until one day remained
before the day set for the execution O.
the condemned. On this day | visited
Wallace Harper once more.
He had lost flesh, and 1 could see tina
there was much inward suffering. l be
came fully convinced that something
rested on his mind, and urged him tx
make clean breast of it.
lit could do no good,' he declared
! II will die without speaking." An(
then left him. H,
, AS passed from the Jail another Wis
itor was announced-a vailed woman
> 1t was doubtless the mans sweetheart
come to visit him for the last time. Sh
had been too i'll to appear at the trial
I, and l had never seen her to speal
l with her since.
The night before the day set for tn
: vindication of the law / passed miser
ably. I felt that an innocent man wa
:; soon to be launched into eternity.
. In the gray mists of the morning 0
l November 8 a vailed female walked
to my door, / answered the bell in per
o son, and I admitted the visitor to m,
office-room. Being seated, she threw
1 aside her vail, revealing young face
pale and thin, and almost beautiful.
-, Before she spoke I knew that she wa
the daughter of the late Donald Dun
= ham.
SIS it too late to save Wallace Har
d per?" she asked, in tremulous voice.
Q "Certainlv too late" answered. 20
o course, if there was new evidence
j. of positive nature, going to show tha
l some other person committed the Grim,
# for which he is to suffer, I've no doub
: we might save the young man. But
a 81 have that evidence.
n "You have? Why in Heavens nam
did you not speak sooner, then?" Icried
s in a stern voice.
81 dared not" she said, slowly. 'I-
y must speak now; the world must knoy
g the truth. Wallace Harper is innocent
1t was / who did the deed"
Her whole frame shook like an aspen
Il and could see that she was wrought u
j. to an awful pitch of excitement
: could scarcely believe her words, how
: ever. 1t must be that she was driver
e mad on account of her lovers peril.
y requested her to speak, however, an,
h she did so, in rapid, low tones.
HTt woo 7 who did tho doad bo+o,