The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-21


called him. You're only a clerk, and you
don't expect to support wife and the fam
iIy that would probably come after taking
one CD sffeotion, do you? My niece, pro-
Yided she doesn't marry until after my
death, and provided also the-man whom she
chooses Tor a husband is worth at least
5000. will be my sole heiress. l have been
father and mother TO her since her parents
died so think she would only be acting
: right by remaining singleton need atten-
lion and care-while | live"
i ..Selfsh old brute!" mentally CALCULATED
Frank Waldron. Then he said aloud: You
viii never consent, in that case, to our mar
EiSge taken placer
= Certainly not. My niece shall never be
poor mans drudge if l can help it. Good
morning, SIR; and old Meredith abruptly
left the room.
:. Hattie Meredith, fine handsome girl OF
20 years, was standing at the garden gate
waiting for her lover; but the gloomy look
upon his face, as he leftthe house and came
tqward her. told plainly enough that her
= uncle had refused TO allow her to become
- Franks wife.
""Hatli e," he said bitterly. al am too poor
TO be The nephew of Miser Meredith, and
he says he will never consent to our mar
rying.
HAltlo SOCIuSQ fidUk DN lcliDS uiHl silS
would try to change her uncle's decision; she
did so hut in vain. He told her what he had
cid ETank-that he would never consent to
her becoming poor mans wife, nor any
!: mans while he lived.
, The following week, much to the anger
and disgust Of old Meredith, Frank and
:. Hattie were welded and they left MillVille
John Meredith told her never again to.
darken his doors with her presence, and that
lie would at once make will bequeathing
his whole fortune to charitable Institutions
=
:: :. The commercial panic of 1857 told heavily
ON Frank ard his wife, who were reduced
by it frem comparative ease 70 dire distress.
In this extremity they resolved to seek John
: Meredith, though for years they had not
: communicated with him.
1T was twenty miles from Melville to Mid
=. dlet0n. and when Frank got back his wife
. and a Mrs, Jameson were awaiting his re-
:. turn. He looked CHASTITY, and Mrs. Jameson
retired TO rest. bur. as she did so, she heard
him say that they were saved. but at fear
full cost; before daylight Mis-. Waldron was
.delirloUS
Between and 9o'clock there was knock
at the door, and Frank, on opening it, was
.:eonfronted by a constable.
:. Frank Naldrou," lie said. you are my
: prisoner. l arrest you for burglary and for
:: The murder Of Mr.. John Meredith"
=. : eseemed paralyzed by the fearful charge,
and neither spoke nor moved, but, with
" 4faZad look upon his face and deathly pale,
he gaZed at the constable.
=. =, A moment passed before he awoke from
the stupOr into which the dreadful accusa-
non had thrown him, and then he said. Il
am INNOCENT"
: Il hope So" responded the constable,
: who lad known Frank for many years,
:: "but, nevertheless, you must accompany
: me immediately"
:" Frank, without uttering another word,
went 10 the room where his unconscious,
suffering wife and her sick child were lying
: kissed them. both tenderly, and then told
Mrs: Jameson the unf0unded charges upon
which he was arrested, but that he was
:guiltess Of both crimes, as lie would surely
- be able TO prove.
Mrs. Jameson" he said, tearfully. my
wife and children will need a friend now
more than they ever did before. and will
you be the friend to them? 1t may be
weeks before | shall have been tried and
prove my innocence; and if it should be So
viii you care for them until l have regained
my llberty?"
upon the face of the earth, Mr.. Waldron l
:. would be but poor, uncharitable Christian
If refused to aid and care for them now,
when perhaps they need aid and care most
Whether you are guilty or innocent, will
do all In my power for them"
.; :" Heaven bless and reward you," be said
=: fervently, aud then, in the custody of the
: eoustablt, he left his house for Millvle
where he was placed in prison to await his
examination and trial.
:. That morning Mr.. Meredith had been
: found in his bedroom, cruelty stabbed to
death; and lying in one corner of the
Apartment was his plundered stronghold,
where he always kept considerable sum OF
money and some jewelry.
=. F6r two or three hours on the preceding
night Frank Waldron bad been seen prowl-
=. ing. about the residence of Mr.. Meredith,
but no one, had perceiy ed him enter the
: house. On being searched, after arriving at
: the Melville prison, bag OF gold was found
on his person, and his hat had also been
found lying on the floor of the room which
Gpened out of Mr.. Meredith's, and through
which any person would have to pass to get
cut Of the house after leaving the murdered
mans sleeping apartments. Such, including
Mis- JameSOn'S account of Franks startled
and peculiar appearance ON his arrival
nome, and the words she heard him utter to
his wife, with which the reader is already
=: acquainted, constituted the chief evidence
against him; but, circumstantially, it could
:: hardly have been more damning.
Most people beleyed-even those who
knew him well-that he was guilty of the
: horrible crime. The theory was that, driven
to desperation by his poverty, he had re-
solved only to rob his wife's uncle; but that
the old gentleman had been aroused from
F.. lis slumbers by the noise made by the rob-
Der, and the latter, fearing arrest Tor his at
Tempt at burglary, had TaShly killed Mr..
Meredith. 1t was well known that MIR.
Meredith had been on bad terms with his
niece and her husband since their marriage
. and many persons had otter heard Frank
say that he hated the misery, selfish old man.
. Well, three weeks after Franks arrest
- and.committal his trial took place His tes-
iimony in his own behalf was as follows:
Having but little faith in Mr.. Meredith
assisting him and his family, and being de-
pressed and low-spirited, lie, on the evening
in. question, louDged about the formers
house. for TWO or three hours before he
gained sufficient courage to enter. He at
last went IN by the front door, and found
Mr.. Meredith in the library. The old man
received him coldly. and when he stated his
GRAND Mr.. Meredith said he would furnish
The aid which he solicited, but only upon
. certain conditions. He must leave his wife
and children, 60 10 Australia and stay there,
while his loved ones must live with Mr.
Meredith, lie had no choice, his family
being on the verge OF extreme restitution
so he pledged his word of honor that he
. would comply with Mr.. Meredith's heart
less conditions. The latter gave him the
Dag of gold found on his person to pay bis
expenses to Aus ralia, and to enable him to
live there till he found employment He had
then hurriedly left the house, so ii was not
surprising that, being confused by what
he had just done, he should forget
his hat and walk home bare-headed; though
Is is a mystery to him how it had got into the
room where it was found, for he had not been
into that loom at all. Was 1t not natural.
under the circumstances, that he should ar
rive home looking startled and pale, and
that he should use just such expressions in
speaking to his wife as Mrs Jameson had
overheard? Yes. it was fearful cost at
which he procured bread for his starving
family-at the cost Of exiting himself for
years, perhaps forever, from the ones he
loved best in all the world.
John Noble, Mr.. Mereditll's only servant,
except an old charwoman, who came In the
morning to do the housework and cooking
and then departed early in the evening.
stated that about o'clock he had seen
Frank walking up and down before the
house. At 10 O'clock he John Noble), after
going to his master to see if he required
anything, retired to rest, but before SO do
ing, on looking out of his bedroom window,
he saw that Frank was still pacing back
ward and forward in front of the house.
The following morning on entering Mr.
Meredith's apartment to assist him to dress
he found him lying dead upon the floor.
The jury, after a few minutes private dis
cnssion OF the case, returned to their seats
in the court, and the foreman said that they
bad found verdict Of "Willful murder"