Arizona republican., 1892-03-09
THE ALIBI.

Jem Blake was shot dead in his own doorway by Antonio Gueldo and the trial was to come off directly.
 The extraordinary interest in the af- fair was less duo to the murder and its peculiar 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 ar ranged for the trial, Judge Pitblado hos pitably offered the use of his shed. Here rough table and chair were placed for the judge, the other necessary furniture, intended to represent the dock, the stand, etc., being eked out with boxes from Silas Bagget's grocery store.
 Jake Smith looked at these prepara- tions for time with drowning discon- tent and then strolled down the road, turning into the lane that led to Blake's. When he reached the door of the shanty he leaned against the jamb and poked his naked head inside, flaming 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.
 Blakes widow sat there, as she had pretty much all the time since the mur- der, staring straight before her, with her chin in her palm. The sunlight struck through the foliage of the red oak trees that grew before the door, and checkered with the flickering brightness the floor and cradle in which Jem's baby was sleeping
 There it was, just as it had been three days ago (could it be only three days?)- just 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 babyD-just as it was 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 it's white linen with his blood and the baby playing with his hair She screamed once, the first and last complaint any one had heard her make; then she was quiet 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 sniffed with perplexity-or something-and Blake's widow looked up without speaking. Jake nodded pleasantly four or fvs times
 "Pooty chipper" asked he.
 Blake's widow smiled sadly. bent over the sleeping child and smoothed the clothes with d tender touch.
 They're agoin ter try him in court" Jake went on, "an don't believe"---
 Try who--Antonio?" She turned to- ward the burly figure in the door with q flash of interest in her black eyes.
 "Yes. The iedge is making court out of his shed. hope itll turn out all right. but it seems like givin that Mexi. can devil chance he oughtn't ter have"
 He cant get clear. can he% she asked, rocking the cradle gently and batting the coverlot.
 "l don't see how, but he's got some kind of law cuss to speak for him-a feller that stopped here day or two ago on his way to Galveston-and it makes me kind O nervous"
 Blake's widow did not appear to no- tice the last remark, for the child, dis turbed by the talking, had awakened and sat up in his cradle with wonder ing look.
 "Pooty, ain't hey" said Jake, regarding the small figure with interest. Looks just like-ahem-you. Poor little-l- a'-he stammered, and treated his hat like mortal enemy. "Of course he'd had-you've got-theros nothin could do fur yer, maybeF
 She answered with grateful look, but it was accompanied by a shake of the head.
 Jake bent down and with his big fore finger softly rumpled tho hair of the ba- by's head; then he went out and left them. Blakes widow sitting as he found her and 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 the roof which covered the piteous scene he had just left. Here he seemed to have half mind to turn back, for he hesitated and stopped; but he changed his partial intention after lin gering u moment and walked medita- lively onward. with the exclamation, "NVal some women do beat the d-l