Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-02-14
WITHIN THB SHADOW OR THB
SCAFFOLD.
By MAJOR JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.

TRIED FOR HIS LIFE.

y
lordship, the Judge, was brought to town
by the Sheriff In his chariot, with out
riders and trumpeters. The court was
opened with great form and loud pIocla-
nation; the judges and the lawyers wore
wigs and robes; upstaves stood all about
to preserve silence. With such show
and flourish was that drama IN real life,
the trial of Ralph COurtenay, entered
upon.
The accused man sat between his coun-
sci and his wife. Both the Captain and
Blanche we're pale but collected, and
seemed unconscious Of the vulgar curiOs-
Ity of the crowd that gaZed upon them as
upon a show. The courtroom was
thrOnged until either egress or ingress
was next to impossible. The windows
were sometimes darkened by the faces of
those who, unable to gain admission,
climbed up and peered IN.
The accused was formally arraigned
for the murder of Robert Barnweu on
the night of September third, and asked
to plead. He answered, Not guilty"
After the usual delay in examining and
challenging jurors, twelve men were &C
copied and sworn and took their places in
the box. Mr.. Attorney General then
rose to present the peoples case to the
jury.
He was both able and jealous, and in
long speech he set forth a startling az
ray OF facts which he said he would plain
ly prove, which together, he said, showed
the most deliberate, the most extraOrdi-
nary, and the cruelest murder ever COM
mitted in Essex.
"The prisoner at the bar, he went on,
ais young man of good family and posi-
ton in his Majesty's most honorable
military service; and these things add to
the enOrmity of his crime. 1t will be in
vain that you punish the low and the
vicious, if such offenders as Captain
COurtenay re allowed to escape. And
it is proper that on should be warned at
the outset, gentlemen of the jury, against
false sympathy for him on account Of
the deluded young woman who sits by
his side, who abandoned one of the finest
homes in the country to link her fortunes
with this man after his arrest. I under
stand she has become his wife. God
help her!-but you and have nothing to
do with sympathy. We must do our
duty, plainly and sternly.
1T will be shown to you that some
months ago the prisoner and his victim,
Robert Barnwell, were rival suitOrs for
the hand OF this girl. The prisoner sue
ceeded IN winning her affections. Some
trihing collisions between these men at
that time viii be shown. There were hot
words passed between them, but no
blows; yet this is significant in the light
of the dreadful occurrences of the night
of September 3, for it will thus appear
that the prisoner, though successful IN
love over his rival, cherished a bitter
hatred against him.
-On the night of the fourth the prisoner
and the girl were to be married at Penn
broke Villa. The prisoner had obtained
a weeks leave of absence from Ipswich,
where he was stationed, and on the morn
ing of the second he left that place on
horseback. He arrived at Colchester in
the middle OF the day; the distance is but
seventeen miles; and there he remained
over night.
1--WE shall show you what his object
was in making this stop on his journey.
He had learned that his former rival, re-
duced in fOrtune-indeed, in the saddest
straits of pOverty-was staying at Col
chester. The prisoner went about the
town inquiring for him. God only
knows what his object was I will not say
that, if he had found him there, murder
would have been done upon that day;
but do say that the prisoners long wait
ut Colchester, and his anxiety to find
Barnwell, seem now decidedly suspi-
cious.
He did not succeed in finding him.
Robert Barnweu left the town before day
light the next morning, going afoot
toward London; the prisoner did not take
his departure till some hours later.
Barnwell was a fast walker, the prisoner
rode in n leisurely way; and it was not
until thirty miles had been passed. and
night was at hand that the hOlseman
overlook the pedestrian. The point where
this occurred is near the coast, in sight
Of that well-known hOstelry, the Red
Lion Inn.
The man who happened to see this
overtaking and passing upon the road
will tell you that the prisoner did not
stop, but kept right on. Yet that he rec
ognized Barnweu, there can be nc
doubt-the later events of the night
show it.
"Banweu TUNED from the road, and
entered the inn for lodging and refresh
the inn, and there, by himself, was par.
taking of the lunch which he had or
dered, when the first of the series Of
events occurred that show the deliberate
and bloody purpose Of the prisoner.
This was the coming of Ralph Court.
enay himself to the Red Lion.
Just pause a moment here, gentlemen
and ask yourselves why should he sus.
pend his journey, when he had notified
his betrOthed that he would be with he.
that night? Why should he turn bacl
and stop at this inn2
I think I shall satisfy you that it was
because he had recognized Barnweu al
he passed him; and as he rode on. his baC
heart urged him to return and seek
quarrel with him.
But he had a pretext for going back
His horse had fallen lame, and he mad
much buster and noise to the landlOr,
and the hostIer when he found that tn
animal could 60 no further that night.
Gentlemen, I have no proof Of tn
fact; what this man did in secret, whel
there was no eye upon him but the eye 0
Omniscience, I do not know. But I d
not hesitate to charge that Ralph Court
enay designedly famed his horse to fur
nish a reason for going to the Red Lion!
@He had already advanced considerabl
upon his way beyond that inn. Anothe
inn was bat two miles beyond. 1t vii
appear that, later in the night, the pris
FL ho
Buck Why, if his horse was honestl
lame, did he not continue right on hi
journey to that place?
But he entered the Red Lion. 81
was well acquainted with the house; b
had often stopped there, as had ais