Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-12-01


British jury--on its strict integrity, on
its sense of justice-I have no fear of
such tribunal, and know that the
whole case will be fully, fairly, and i'm
partially considered 10y you.
Having made these observations, I
shall now proceed to consider the most
unparalleled circumstances of this pain
ful case.
TN the first place, l would answer the
question OF the learned counsel for the
prosecution, as to who could possibly
have had a motive for the murder I'M
less it had been the prisoner?
That some one had motive for
| comprising that poor young lady's
death he would presently be prepared
TO show; but that person was not the
prisoner. And before attempting to re-
flute the evidence against her, he would
tell the story of her Iife-in itself a
| more complete REPUTATION than any
other that could be afforded.
Some eight years ago, when young
and very beautiful, the prisoner had
become attached to Mr.. Eyre. and for
awhile was happy. believing herself
secure OF his affections: but at last he
fell In love with a young girl of less
than half his age, who, ignorant of his
long-Stand NC connection with the ac-
cuSed, loved him in return. Her friends,
who knew his story, forbade the mar
riage. the more so as she had previous
ly become engaged to Lord Lovel, who
was nearly of her own age, and most
deeply attached to her; but a few days
before that fixed for her wedding with
him, she contrived to elope with Mr..
Eyre, and was married to him before
they could be overtaken.
meanwhile, what does this woman
do, who is left alone, loving the man
who has abandoned her as paSSiOnately
as he once loved herself, and with Sc
cret to bear of which he had not dreamtp
He had provided for her, he had done
all that honor demanded if less than love
asked: and, doubtless, the world would
have blamed her had she pursued him
into the presence of his new happier
love; but she made no such cutlery over
her loss. She did not declare that since
love was denied her, vengeance should
he hers; but lived alone, unfriended,
until just before her child was born.
when she sent for her fOSter-sister, who
came. But so careful was she that no
shadow of her misery and degradation
should pass between Mr.. Eyre and his
happiness, that she would not even re-
veal to her foSter-SiSter his name-the
fOSter-SiSter, who was the one person
on earth who loved this fOrSaken, I'M
happy woman, and who attended her
devOtedly throughout that terrible time.
But this woman, with the stern instinct
of revenge common to her class, took
the resolve to comfort the father with
his child, and rouse him from the dream
of happiness in which he was sunk to
contemplate the misery of the woman
whom no had lnun6 And NV
patient watching and searching, she at
length obtained what she believed to be
clew to his home and name; then per-
Suading the mother that the child would
be better if taken to her own people for
awhile, and the mother cOnsenting, the
servant took it away; and that way led
her to the very gates of Mr.. Eyre, the
man through whose inStrumentality the
woman he had once loved, stands,
charged with murder as a felon, i'll the
dock to-day.
But placed on a false scent by the
information that she had gathered in
the village, and faint with fasting and
fatigue, the servant repented of her
plan. and creeping away, sat down to
| rest herself by the pool, of whose curl
Gus history she was ignorant. AS night
drew on, the child cried for food, but
she had none to give it, and in mo-
ment of madness laid the baby down by
the pool and walked away, thinking
that some one would find it, but return
ed few moments later to find that it
had rolled itself over the brink, and dis
appeared.
, She sat there all that night-GOd
knows what ag0nies that woman endur-
ed through those awful hours; but
when day broke, she crept away home
ward, and after walking an incredible
distance, enduring all sorts of hard
ships, she reached her fOster-sister,
who, running to her with outstretched
arms to seize the child, was met with
the one single wOrd-dead!
For alas! the mothers heart, to all
appearance so Indifferent, had Weakened
in her during the servants absence, and
only when she knew that her baby was
dead-had died of diphtheria on his
way home, did she fully realize the hap
piness that might have been hers had
she kept him beside her. When the
servant conducted her to SUPPOSE
tious grave, she fell down beside it in
sensible, and for days and weeks was
incapable of movement Or thought: but
when she came TO herself. fixed mono
mania possessed her-tO discover in
her own might have been. had he lived.
But nowhere could she find such a one,
though she sought him far and wide.
"Think of the horror OF the situation
of the servant knowing herself to be
in deed II not IN heart. a murdereSS-
think or these TWO lonely women dwell
ing with that awful secret between
them for years and years, till one morn
ing, IN the corner OF a country news
paper, the servant read how by the dry
ing up of the Shifting Pool in the vii
lage Of LoveI. the skeleton of verv
young enid had been discovered; prov
ed by medical evidence to have lain
there upward of five years"
An awful fear seized her lest the
mother should hear OF the discovery,
and drawn by dreadful fascination to
the spot, she gathered a little money
together, and without a word to her
mistress, walked every step OF the way
to LOvel.
when she reached the fatal pool,
the place was deserted. but as she sat
there in a state of stupOr, born of in
anitiOn and despair. labOrer passed,
and she recognized his face at once, as
he recognized hers. He had spoken to
her five years before, when she hal sat
by the pool with the baby on her knee.
LAS he stared at her, open-mouthed,
Mr.. Eyre rode up, and, hearing the
mans stammering EXPLANATIONS, drew
the truth from him, and. without mo-
ment's hesitation, as a magistrate COM
mitted the woman to prison. Sne did
not known him, either by sight or
name, nor did she bear him any malice
her one hope was that her mistress
might be prevented from knowing the
truth, and so she gave false name, and
pleaded guilty. only anxious that she
might die before Hester Clarke. by