Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-05-15

pride in the position. As much under the
glance of his eye as before the muzzle. OF.
his pistol, the cowardly clamorers drew
back. Perhaps they were not sufficiently
numerous to feel the full effect of that
mysterious reflex influence which makes a
crowd Of men SO much worse. and at times
so much better, than any one of them
singly.
AT the end of some months my trial
came. 1t could have but one result Cir
cumstances too plainly declared my guilt.
l knew they lied The absence of the jury
was very brief. To their verdict paid but
little heed. 1t was single hideous word,
but l had long anticipated it, and it made
no impression. AS little impression was
made by the words of the judge which fol-.
lowed it, and his solemn invocation that;
God might have that mercy upon me
which man was toe just to vouchsafe,
sounded like the hollowest of hollow iffoek-
cries. 1t may be hard for the condemned
criminal to meet death; it is still harder
for him who is innocent. The one, when
the first shock is over, acquiesces in his
doom and gives himself to repentance; the
heart of the other, filled with rebellion
against mans injustice, can scarcely bring
itself to ask pardon Of God. had gradu-
ally overcome this feeling, in spite of the
good cIergyman's irritating efforts, which
were mainly directed toward extracting a
confession, without which, he assured me,
he had no hope to offer.
''On the morning of the day fixed for my
execution I felt measurably resigned.
had so long stood face to face with death,
had SO accustomed myself to look upon it
as merely a momentary pang, that l
foJ+ hot,
ory should one day be indicated She for
whom l had gone to prepare home had
already found one in heaven. The tidings
of my calamity had broken her heart. She
alone of all the world believed me inno-
cent, and she had died with a prayer upon
her lips that the truth might yet be
brought to light. All this l had heard
and it had soothed, as if sweet incense, my
troubled spirit. Death, however unwel-
come the shape, was now a portal, beyond
which | could see one angel waiting to re-
ceive me- I heard the sound of approach
ing footsteps, and nerved myself to meet
the expected summons. The door of my
cell opened, and the sheriff and his attend
ants entered Heheld in his hand a paper.
1t was doubtless my death warrant. He
began to read it, My thoughts were busted
elsewhere The words full and free par
dom were the first to strike my preoccupied
senses They affected the bystanders more
than myself Yet SO it was; I was par
doned for an offense I had never COM
mittedl
''The real culprit, none other it is need
less to say, than he who had sought and
abused my hospitality, had been mortally
wounded in recent affray in distant
city, but had lived long enough to make a
disclosure, which had been laid before the
governor barely in time to save me from a
shameful death and condemn me to a
cherries and burdensome life. This is my
experience. My judgment, as yours in the
case before us, leads to but one conclusion,
that of the prisoners guilt; but not less
confident and apparently unerring was the
Judgment that falsely pronounced my
own"
We no longer importuned our fellow
juror, but patiently awaited our discharge
on the ground Of inability to agree, which
came at last.
The prisoner was tried and convicted at a
subsequent term, and at the last moment
confessed his crime On the seaffold.
vile Courier-J Journal.
Ought to But Couldn't.
"Do you make keys here?" asked the
woman as she entered a locksmith shop.
''Yes'm."
"Weu, want one."
'sWhat sort of a key, ma'am.
zone for the front door,"
"Have you a duplicated"
'No."
Bring the lock?" ssz
eNo."
'What sort of key is it?"
"I-I don't remember"
"But how am I to guesss There are
about 10000 different kinds Of keys"
'sH'm. didn't know that"
'Is it a night key?"
eyes, yes. That's it. It's night key"
"But that's also very indefinite"
swell, my husband sometimes unlocks
the door with his pocketknife or button
hook or anything else that comes handy,
and you ought to know about what sort of
key would fit such a lock-"
He studied over it a while, but finally
had to admit that he was up a tree.-De-
troit Free Press.