Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-03-31

My friend. with whom han 20 lately 80
| out In company, had been found niiit-
/ dcrcd and ropbed near the spot ~ which
| ]. but I alone. knew We had separated. J
| Wa the last pcrson Known 20 ~ With HIN,
| and was now arrested on suspicion of ms
murder. a search u the promises was
| Immediately Instituted. The watch WIS
found In the drawer IN which had placed
| II and was identified ~ the property %
the murdered man. His horse, too, was
found In my stable. for ihe animal had
Just put thcrc was none other. recog
nlzei him myself when saw him IN the
light What said know not. Ny con.
fusion was taken m additional ovidence.
And when. ut length, dld command Ian
guagn 70 give m Ineligible statement, 10
was received with snears and incrcdnliiy.
Tho mob spirit il inherent In mhn-at
least In crowds u men. u may not always
manifest itself Ia physical violence. II
fomctimcs contents itself with lynching u
character But whatever iis form. II IL
always relentless. pitiless. cruel
As the proofs u my guilt ono after an
other. came to light, low muiterings gradu.
ally grew into a clamor for vrngcance. nnd
but for the frmncsS OF one man--the ohlcer
who had me In ohasgc-I would doubtless
have paid the penalty Of my supposed o.
fense on the spot. II was no' sympathy
that nctuated my protector. His heart was
A. hard ~ his oflicc, but he represented the
mnjckty Of the law aud took a sort u grim
pride In the position. As much under the
glance II his cyc a. before the mngfle Of
hi. pistol, the cownrlly clamorrrs dww
back. Perhaps theS were not sufficiently
numerous to feel tho full effect Of that
mysterious reflex influence which makes a
crowd Of men 10 much worse. and at times
m much better, than any one Of them
Hlnvly.
at tho end Of some months my trial
cnmc II could have but one result Cir
cnmstanccs too plainly declared my guilt.
knew they lied. The absence Of the Jury
was very brief. TO their verdict paid but
little heed. II was single hidcous word.
but I had long anticipated Il, and II made
no impression. A. little impression wns
made by the words Of the judge which fol.
lowed IL, aud his solemn invocation that
Col might have that mercy upon me
which man was toe Just 10 vouohsafe.
sounded liketir hollowcst ~ hollow mock.
cries. II may be harl for the condemned
criminal 10 meet death. Il l. still harder
for him who j. Innocent The one. when
the fiat shock II over. acquiesocs In biz
DOOM aud gives himself TO repentance; the
heart Of the other. filled with rebellion
against mans injustice. can scarcely brng
Itself 10 ask pardon Of God. ! had grailn.
ally overcome this feeling In spite Of the
good cloriyman's Irritating efforts, which
were mainly directcd toward extracting a
confession. without which, he assured me,
he had no hope 10 Offer.
"On the morning Of the day fixed for my
execution | felt mcasnrably Resigned. !
had NO long stood face 10 face with death,
had 10 accustomed myself to look upon u
ns mrrcly-a monetary pang. that
no longer felt soliotous save that my MON.
DRY should one day he vindloated. She for
whom I had gone TO prepare home had
already found one In heaven. The tidinp.
81 my calamiiy had broken her heart, shc
alone 81 all the world believed me limo.
cent, and she had died with prayer upon
her lips that the truth might yet bc
brought to light. Al this had heard.
aud Il hnd soothed. ~ II sweet incense. my
troubled spirit. Death. however unwei.
coma the shape. was now a portal. beyond
which could see one angel waiting to 10
cciyc me. heard the sound Of approach.
Ing footsteps. and neryed myself to meet
tho expected summons. The door Of my
coll opened. and the sheriff and his attend.
ants entered. Hoheld In his hand paper
IL was doubtless my death warrant. lie
began 10 read it. My thoughts were busiri
elsewhere. The words full and frcc par Z
don were the first 20 strike my prcoocnplcd
senses. They affected tho hystandcr. morn
thnn myself. Yet 40 u was, was par.
doncd for an orense | had never CON.
miitedi
9Th. real enlprit, none other, Il Ia need
less 10 say, than he who had sought aud
abused my hospitality, had been MORALLY
wounded IN n recent ARRAY In distant
city. but had lived long enough 10 make
disclosure. which had been laid before tho
governor barely In time TO save me from
shameful death and condemn mo TO "a
cherries aud hurdeusomc life. This IA my
experience. Ny judgment, as yours In tho
case before rs. leads TO but one conclusion,
that OF the prisoners guilt; but not les
confident and apparently unerrins was tho
Judgment that falsely pronounced my
own"
We no longer importuned our fellow
Juror. bat patiently awaited our discharge
on the ground Of inability 10 agree, which
came Mt last.
The prisoner was tried and convicted alta
term, and at the last moment
confessed his crime on the scaiiold. -Loula.
Vile Courier-Journal.