Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-03-05
ats Justice. Il was an infamous

GUESSING the prisoner and his sentences.
paused to listen.
Il knew Wallace Harper well. All
he family have died violent deaths.
He had q good show with Donald
Durham. He had been with the old
gentleman two years. think the
trouble was all on account of the girl,
Who. they say. 10 quite sick because
Of the death Of her father"
did the girl think anything Of the
clerk 2"
Some say 90. don't know. Il
seems twas on her account that Har.
per put poison in the old mans wine.
II was o foolish az well a. wicked
crime"
/ walked on. The details of the
murder had been recited too many
times 10 interest me now. Il had ap-
feared on the trial that Harper was
10 love with his old employers only
daughter, and that Durham had quar-
relied With his confidential clerk in
consequences.
On the evening when he { Hsrper)
was TO depart Mr.. Durham called him
into the library and requested him TO
drink social glass of wine with him.
Il seems that Harper sssented. An
hour later Donald Durham was dead.
He had died in agony and with his
latest breath accused his clerk of hav.
ing poisoned him. The drsgs Of one
Of the wine cups were found to con-
tain arsenic. the other being harmless.
The confidential clesk was at once ar.
rested, and in one of his pockets O
package Of arsenic was found. such
evidence was overwhelming. Wal
lace Harper sent for me; and I under.
took his defense. I made as good Q
fight 90 possible under the circum-
stances.
The antenortem testimony Of Do.
maid Durham, together with the fact
that the two had qusrrslsd, and the
finding Of the poison in the pocket Of
Harper, was evidence that could not
overcome.
went from the court room to my
own pleasant home feeling a weight
on my mird that could not shake
off. A few hours later a messenger
came to me from the prisoner, reques-
ting an interview.
l at once repaired to the jail.
Wallace Harper greeted me with q
pleasant emile. and held ont his hand.
II am satisfied that You did all that
human being could do. Mr.. Nelson,
and want to thank you for it. and to
tell you that il ia my wish that you
do nothing toward securing a new
trial"
I expressed my surprise at this.
at would only postpone the insvi-
table" he said. "Ill luck runs In our
family. I suppose I was born to be
huugl" and the laugh that followed
made my flesh creep.
"But you are innocent I" I said. q
sudden doubt coming, uubidden, to
my brain.
81 am innocent. hope you will
never doubt that, Mr.. Nelson
A little later Left him. promising
not to urge a new trial. I was satis-
fed that new trial could not be OBJ
tanned, >, and had only entertained
the thought, to delay matters as long
as possible. 20 rs 9''H
It was two months of the 9th of
November. Much might be done in
that time if there had been any foun.
dation on which to stand. As it was,
I tried TO dismiss the prisoner from
my mind and TO attend to other bust.
ness. ! could not do this, however,
and the days and the weeks passed,
until but one day remained before the
day set for the execution of the con.
demned. On this day I visited Wal.
lace Harper once more.
He had lost flesh and I could see
that there was much inward suffer.
ing. / became fully convinced that
something rested on his mind, and
urged him 10 make . clean breast OF
it.
ut could do no good" he declared.
81 will die without speaking" And
then ! left him.
As I passed from the Jail another
visitor was snnounced-a yelled wo.
man. It was doubtless the man
sweetheart, come to visit him for the
last time. She had been too i'll to ap.
pear at the trial. and had never seer
her to speak with her since.
The night before the day set for the
vindicstion Of the Law passed missr.
ably. / felt that an innocent man
was soon to be launched into eterni.