Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-14
THE ALIBI.

Jem Blake was shot dead in his own door
way by Antonio Gueldo and the trial was
to come OF directly.
The extraordinary interest in the affair
was less due to the murder and its pecu-
liar circumstances than to the fact that this
was the first case tried at San Saba in any
more formal court than the time-honored
institution of Judge Lynch.
AS there was no place specially arranged
for the trial, Judge Pitblado Hospitality
offered the use of his shed. Here rough
table and chair was placed for the judge.
the other necessary furniture, intended to
represent the dock, the stand, etc, being
eked out with boxes from Silas Baggets
grocery store.
Jake Smith looked at these preparations
for time with frowning discomfort, and
then strolled down the road, turning into
the lane that led to Blakes. When ne
reached the door of the shanty he leaned
against the lamb and poked his naked head
inside, tanning himself IN an embarrassed
way with his greasy fragment of hat. He
had come there with the intention of saying
something, but the sight within made him
forget it.
Blake's widow sat there, as she had
pretty much all the time since the murder,
staring straight before her. with her chin
in her palm. The sunlight struck through
the foliage of the red oak trees that grew
DGlDEC INC QOOI, anu CliCGhGIGu WIFI bLiC
Pickering brightness the floor and cradle IN
which Jem's baby was sleeping.
There it was, just as 1t had been three
days ago could it be only three days -
lust as it had been when she went out that
morning to look after the drying clothes
and left him standing in the door by the
cradle (how fond he was of the baby y
just as twas when she heard the crack of
the pistol and ran in with an awful sense of
suffocating fright-just the same as when
she had found him lying upon the cradle
dabbling its white linen with his blood and
the baby playing with his hair. She
screamed once, the first and last complaint
anyone had heard her make; then she was
qulet and helpful through it all-when men
came and lifted him up; when they had
laid him on the rough bed in the other
room; when they carried him to the grave,
she following with the baby in her arms.
Jake Smith was trying to find the link
missing in his thoughts; he shifted with
perplexity-or something else-and Blake'S
widow looked up without speaking. Jake
nodded pleasantly four or five times.
''Pooty chipper?'' asked he
BIake's widow smiled sadly, bent over
the sleeping child and smoothed the clothes
with q tender touch.
'sThey's agoin ter try him in a court"
Jake went on, land I don't believe"
TRY who-Antoniol' She turned
IOWdFU luG UuElN III JliG uDOf Will q
flash OF interest in her black eyes.
Eyes. The ledge is making court out
of his shed. hope tin turn out all right,
but it seems like giyin' that Mexican devil q
chance he Oughtn't ter have
''fIe can't get clear. can he2' she asked,
rocking the cradle gently and patting the
coverlet.
q don't see how, but he's got some kind
of law cuss TO speak for him-a fellF
that SroODad here a daV OF. two apO on Is
way TO Galveston-and II makes me kinGssf
nervous"
Blalze's widow did not appear to notice
the last remark, for the child, disturbed by
the talking, had awakened and sat up in his
cradle with a wondering look
''Pooty, amt he,n said Jake. Regarding
the small figure with interest. Looks just
like-ahem-you. Poor httle-I-a-" he,
stammered, aud treated his hat like meE
tai enemy. ''Of course he'd had-yofss'
got-there's nothin' l could do fur yer,
maybe2"
She answered with = grateful look, but it
was accompanied by q shake OF the head.
Jake bent down and with his big forefin-
ger softly rumpled the hair of the baby'Ss
head; then he went cut and left theq&
Blake's widow sitting rs he found her AID;
the baby staring down the path after him
He walked on until he reached the top of
the little hill, where he could look down
upon thereof which covered the piteous
scene he had just left. Here he seemed TO
have half mind TO turn back, for he hesi-
tated and stopped; out he changed his p2r-'
tial intention after lingering ] moment and
walked meditatIvely onward, with the sk
clamation, ssWal, some women do beat the
d. amazin.
Of course everybody came to the trial
The arrangements were soen found to -