Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-06-16

hrSt floor beneath MIR. V1nJnrOpS, was
awakened some time in the night by a
sound of weight falling on the piazza
But she had no idea what
time it was, and the noise might or
might not have had any bearing on the
crime.
This was, absol utely all that 1 could |
learn of the matter. Personally, was
satisfied that Nat was innocent; but |
from the data at hand it seemed impos- |
sible to establish his innocence in court. |
Young and inexperienced as l was. the |
responsibility was greater than liked |
to bear, and I asked Nat to let me
bring in an older lawyer. His reply
was most emphatic negative, his rea-
sons being that no other man would
believe him innocent. and therefore no
one else would put his whole heart
into the work. Expostulation was In
vain; / 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 1 worked as no mall ever
worked before to find some clew to the
murderer. There were not wanting
detectives to ply their skill, but all in
of stupor, seemingly too benumbed to
realize the awful turn things were
| taking.
Hoping against hope that the sound
Hetty had heard had had some connec-
| ton with the deed, looked fo< the
| twentieth time for some indication OF
its cause. Every inch of the piazza
| floor near her room 1 went over, and
was at last rewarded by finding very
slight clew-very slight indeed. but in
darkness such as mine it seemed ray
of light. On the piazza floor discov-
cred two curious little indentations
one on each side of pillar, and very
close to it. They We're in the form OF a
tiny horseshoe, with the toe toward the
edge of the piazza, as 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. To me they seemed like the
dints made by plates on the heels OF
shoes to prevent their running down. y
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 Hetty to go into her room ano
| listen I then went up to Mr.. Win
throp's room and stepped out on the
: piazza Swinging over the edge, ]
clasped a pillar and slid down, striking
sharply on my heels. They made i'm
j press ions in the same relative position:
on the floor, and Hetty avowed tina
$50 de Lawd, dat was jis' SIGN a mise a
she'd done heard de night ole massa wa
| killed.
!, This might prove to be a chew. Nov
if could find the man who made those
tracks I informed the detectives o
. nv theory, but they considered it worth
q less
q The time passed rapidly for me, an
the day before the one set for Nat
O trial arrived without any further dis
. covery On that day I went to the vi
! Iage to make some final arrangement
for the trial. l had decided to do m
o best to have the case continued, in TIL
n hope of finding some further clew t
- the real murderer: but public feelin
was so strong against Nat that wa
7 morally certain of refusal.
IS man was that day being tried fc
e burglary, and, having finished the bus
> ness which had brought me to town,
went up to the courtroom to hear til
,e trial.
The preliminary sparring had com
lie to an end, the jury had been sworn an
the prosecuting attorney was just be
v! ginning to state his case when l el
ID tered 1 learned from his statemer
lie that on the very night Of the tragedy {
IS Winthrop place hole had been cut
the door of the village store, the dot
of had been unbolted and all the valuable
|
a was taken, together with several r
volvers, some cheap jewelry and 9th
1t. articles. The crime was committed
III or near the hour of the murder Of M
~ Winthrop, for the storekeeper RENAME
Id until nearly midnight, and the de
en- was discovered by a Waterman short
he after one. The evidence was pure
circumstantial, but unless the prison
it could prove an alibi it looked dark
Mt him. if the prosecutor could prove all
yn | stated.
" watched the prisoner narrowly dl
ne ing the statement of the case, and w
an struck by the attention with which
ax' listened A hardened criminal, as
on appearance indicated him to be, Seldt
ne manifests any interest in the prOce'
ings against him; but he paid as clt
nv attention as if this was the first
count he had had of it He listen
IDS with intense interest to the story of
burglary-the boring of a hole in
re. door, the saving out of a circular piece
eos the door, the insertion of the hand,
pushing back of the two bolts, and
- the details of the crime.
re He was very large man. with
IN mense hands and feet which were
.., parently as much in his way as
those of bashful schoolboy. / Y
:. much impressed with his muscular
80 pearance OF his great, brawny hal
as he moved them restlessly abe
~ They seemed to be just healing fr
recently-inhicted wounds His ey
- shining like those of a beast beneatl
tangie of bushy eyebrows, had in tn
the peculiar crafty look of man v
is deceiving his fellows and is grea
pleased thereat Breathlessly he
- tened until the statement was ms
when be electrified the whole COZ
80 room by rising slowly and address
Sbe court<
MAY = please tn court, we nigh
we'll cheese tn racket an save trout
- I'm the bloke as pulled tn shanty."
His counsel was Mortified, but