Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1892-06-25

A'NN 80
vain; l must work out the case my
self.
Court was at that time in session, and
Mats case was set for Friday of the
following week. During the days that
followed | worked as no man ever
worked before to find some clew to the
murderer. There were not wanting
detectives to ply their skill, but all in
vain. Nat passed the time in a sort
of stupor, seemingly too benumbed to
realize the awful turn things were
taking.
Uopinr og,;nst hone that tbe sound
Hettv had heard had had some connec-
tion with tbe deed. I looked for the
twentieth time for some indication of
its cause. Every inch of the piazza
floor pc,r her room I went over. and
was nj last rewarded bv indinc n very
s,irbt clcv-verv SLIGHT indeed, hut in
darkness spcb os mine If seemed a raw
Of Iigbt On the n;ozza floor | discoy.
cred two curious little indentations,
one on each side of =, nillar. and very
close to it. They were in the form of a
tiny horseshoe. with the toe toward the
edge of the piazza. rs if some dimin-
utive pony had left his tracks impressed
upon the soft pine floor. 1t might have
been done by children at play; but that
was not likely, for | could find but the
two. 70 me they seemed like the
dints made by plates on the heels of
shoes to prevent their running down"
They were in the very spots where a
mans heels would strikeoif he should
slide rapidly down the pillar from the
floor above. To be more certain, !
told lIetty to go into her DOR and
listen. | then went up to Mr.. Win
throp's room and stepped out on the
piazza. Swinging over the edge l
clasped a pillar and slid down striking
sharply on my heels. They made I'M
pressions in the same relative positions
On inc moor ana lietty aVo"ea Una
10 oe LaWo' oa' was Us sich an Use as
sne done hearo ne 'gh'oie massa was
killed.
This might prove to be a clew' Now
If could find the man who made those
tracks, informed the detectives OF
my theory, butthey consldercdit worth
less.
The time passed rapidly for me, and
the day before the n set for Mats
trial arrived without any further dis
covcry. On that day | went to the viii
lage to make some final arrangements
for the trial. | had decided to do my
best to have the case continued, in the
hope Of finding some further clcw to
the real murderer; but public feeling
was 50 strong against Nat that was
morally certain of a refusal.
man was that day being tried for
burglary, and, having finished the bust
ness which had brought me to town, |
went mp to the courtroom to hear the
trial.
The preliminary sparring had come
to an end, the jury had been sworn and
the prosecuting attorney was Just be-
ginning to state his Ease when | en-
tered. | learned from his statement
that on the very night Of the tragedy at
Winthrop place n hole had been cut in
the door of the village store, the door
had been unbolted and all the valuables
stolen. Nearly two hundred dollars
was taken, together with several re-
v%olycrs, some cheap iewelry and other
articles The crime was committed at
or near the hour OF the murder OF Mr..
WINTHROP o the s~torekeeper renamed
until nearly midnight, and the deed
was discovered by a Waterman shortly
after one The evidence was purely
clrcumstantlal, but unless the prisoner
could prove an abb 1T looked dark for
him. II the prosecutor could prove all he
stated.
] watched the prisoner narrowly dur
inA6c statement of the case, and was
struck by the attention with which he
listened. A hardened criminal, as his
appearance indicated him to be, seldom
manifests any interest in the proceed
ings against him; but he paid as close
attention as if this was the first ac-
count he had had OF it. He listened
with intense interest to the story of the
burglary-the boring of a hole in the
aoor, the saving outof a circular piece of
'he door the insertion OF the hand, the
pushing p"ch OF 'he TWO ooi's' ana all
'"e "''"i'S VI '"e or'ihe'
He was a very large man, with i'm
hienSo i'"hos an" iee', "hich were APP
i"'I do ihuo. !" ms way as are
.ios. VI " oasniul Scnoolooy' 1 was
'np'.sseu WIN ms muscular APP
pe",""'o u ms great orawny hands
m "n Nv move" 'he" resttessly about
A"eS Seeiheu 70 oe Jus. healing from
sb;nina lila ,hoso ~ ha". -" ,s's'
t,nclo of brsby orohroys LaI u
tho ~necnliar crafty ,ool, ~, nn
;s decc;y;nr b;s foiIom,
pleased tbere,t proa,h,ossi e ~ y.
toned INIT, tho stotomont was a.IS
when hc e,ectr;fed tho u,hola ann".
roam nv r;s;,,r slow,v a,5.aN
the coprt.
.uar,, no,ao
woll ob.osa ,h, ..".o .'".' "o hniRn, as
I.,a w. l,a,.a nm'Is, ave .'owo'e
IT, u p''',o sn"n'S'
'I"'' wa" horrihco' Dut the
J"use "sNeo' s'erhiy'
i,o you ehpr plea OF guilty"
you We said err ledge' I'm tn cove
as lone IT..