The state capital., 1892-04-30

the two. To me they seemed like the dints
made by plates on the heelsof shoes to pre-.
vent their running down" They were in
the very spots where mans heels would
strike if heshould slide rapidly down the
pillar from the floor above.
To be more certain, told Hetty to &C
into her room and listen. I then went up
to Mr.. Winthrop's room and stepped out
on the piazza. Swinging over the edge,
clasped pillar and slid down, striking
sharply on my heels. They made impress
sions in the same relative positions on the
floor, and Hetty avowed that so de Lawd
dat was jis' sich n'ise as she'd done heard
de night ole massa was killed"
This might prove to be a clew. Now if
could find the man who made those tracks
I informed the detectives of my theory, but
they considered it worthless.
The time passed rapidly for me and the
day before the one set for Mats trial ar
rived without any further discovery On
that day went to the village 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 fur
ther clew to the real murderer, but public
feeling was sc strong against Nat that /
A man was that day being tried for bur-
glary, and having finished the business
which had brought me to town went up
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 beginning
to state his case when entered Learned
from his statement that on the very night
of the tragedy at Winthrop Place hole
had been cut in the door of the village
store, the door had been unbolted and all
the valuables stolen. Nearly 800 was
taken, together with several revolvers,
some cheap jewelry and other articles
The crime was committed at or near the
hour of the murder of Mr.. Winthrop for
the storekeeper remained until nearly mid
night, and the deed was discovered by a
watchman shortly after |. The evidence
was purely circumstantial, but unless the
prisoner could prove an alibiit looked dark
for him if the prosecutor could prove all he
stated.
watched the prisoner narrowly during
the 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 proceedings against him,
but he paid as close attention as if this
was the first account he had had of it. He
listened with intense interest to the story
of the burglary-the boring of hole in
the door, the saving out of circular piece
of the door, the insertion of the hand, the
pushing back of the two bolts and all the
details of the crime.
He was very large man, with immense
hands and feet, which were apparently as
much in his way as are those of a bashful
schoolboy / was much impressed with
the muscular appearance of his great,
brawny hands, as he moved them restiessly
about. They seemed to be just healing
from recently inflicted wounds. His eyes,
shining like those of beast beneath a
tangle of bushy eyebrows had in them the
peculiar, crafty look of u man who is de-
ceiving his fellows and is greatly pleased
thereat. Breathlessly he listened until the
statement was made, when he electrified
the whole courtroom by rising slowly and
addressing the court:
"May't please tn court, we might as
we'll cheese th' racket an save trouble
Pm tn bloke as pulled tn shanty"
His counsel was Mortified, but the Judge
asked sternly:
$50 you enter plea of guilty."
you've said FER, jedge. Pm the cove as
done it,"
In spite of this confession his eyes seemed
to me to CLEAN with secret satisfaction,
and there played about his mouth a smile
which thought had in it touch of pity
for the stupidity of mankind in general
and of this court in particular
L. ralv
to the motive of the deed, the manner of
performing it, and whether he had had any
accomplices. To all these he replied, with
the same sly twinkle of crafty satisfaction
in his eyes-or. at least, SO ! thought. He
needed money to go to New Jersey to see
his wife; he had not had an accomplice; he
had done just as the lawyer had said; cut
a hole in the door, inserted his hand, shot
back the bolts and entered. His sentence
was deferred until the close of the term,
when all the sentences would be an
nounced The spectators filed out of the
courtroom and down the street, not a few
commenting, in my hearing, on the case to
be tried On the morrow. The prisoner was
led back to his cell.
AS | passed the store which Dix had
robbed, curiosity prompted me to stop and
take look at the scene. Mechanically l
pushed my hand through the hole where
the thief had thrust his on that eventful
night. AS did 50 u thought struck me
a thought SO novel, SO strange, SO exciting
that l could not have been more agitated
if the bolts l touched had been heavily
charged with electricity.
Like an insane man, as / verify believe
some Of the people thought me, rushed
back to the temple of justice. When /
again emerged, there was in the hands of
the sheriff subpoena, calling upon the
authorities to produce one Samuel Dix as
witness in the case of State versus Ford on
the 25th day of June, 1877.
Next / went to the jail
MAY see the man Dix?" I asked.
'Shure an it's meself ID be PLACED to ad
init ye, but me ordhers is that shtrict Oi
da'sn't. Divil sowl can see him the day. y
was the reply
when was he arrested?"
''The silf same day afther his shport in
the shtore."
HAS he bought any new clothes since
them"
'Divil rag"
Thank you. Smoker" And l extended
Havana.
"Bedad nowi It's quare, but Oh do fale
an appeytite fur the same.'
l shouted, laughed sang and acted so
extravagantly on my way home that old
Aleck was actually Mortified. heard him
tell Aunt Phina after our arrival that
''Massa Harry was so sorry fob Massa Nat
he done tuck q drap too much, an twas
mighty juberous whedder he'd be able to
talk to dem lawyeh fellahs termorry"
tried to inspire Nat with my hope with
out telling him the grounds ON which it
was based, but to no purpose. dared not
tell him my plan, lest at the last moment
it should fail. He thought l was feigning
a cheerfulness which did not feel
Not wink did sleep that night, but
lay awake perfecting my plan for the NOR
row. 1t was desperate one but the more
thought of it the more | was convinced
thot r oc,, III pnrena If c,,ccaocf,,lIv