The Republican., 1892-07-01

| ter he heard them shouting just in ad-
vance of him. He ran up as quickly as
he could and saw them running away,
when he was himself seized by some
one, who shouted murder, and held him
till others came, when, to his amaze
ment, he found himself charged with
robbery.
| "And that's absolutely all l know
| about it, he said. II was in company
with no one on the road that day. l
| don't know who those men were nor
where they went. l don't know any
thing about it. didn't know that old
man was walking in front of me, and l
didn't know where there was any
money, except the poor little suF in
my own pocket. And, more than all
that, ! couldn't commit crime, sir.
I've been brought up by Christian par
ents, and never stole a cents worth.
Do you think yourself, sir. that would
be likely to begin with highway rob-
bery?"
The boy might have made lawyer;
he put just the question for the jury,
provided his training was what he
claimed. His words made a deep inn
preston on me. / thought an instant,
and then said:
'Tll tell you the truth, my lad. If
your character is what you say it is,
and you can get six good, reputable
men to prove it, there's chance for
you, after all Can you?"
He hesitated. Was to be disap-
pointed in him, after all?
Il don't believe my poor mother
knows anything about this" he said:
and tear came into his eye. I'D
rather she wouldn't"
at can't be helped, Clinton. Your
feelings are honorable to you. but you
must not allow them to sacrifice you.
Give me the names"
The boy took pencil and wrote in
my note book the names of six prom
inent citizens of Farnham. Prominent
citizens! l should think so. The list
embraced a judge and a member of
congress of my own acquaintance, and
there were besides two clergymen and
two merchants.
"Will these gentlemen swear to your
good character?" / asked.
Every one of them," he answered,
promptly.
shook his hand and told him to keep
up good heart, and then hurried to
my Office to prepare for his defense.
The day of the trial came, and the
court opened with great crowd. Gin
toms mother sit beside him all day-a
sad-faced, rather handsome woman
and she looked tenderly at her son, and
anxiously at judge and jury.
The district attorney opened the case
with statement of just what old Jacob
Mixer would swear to, and then old
Mixer came on and swore to it. have
no reason to suppose that the old man
told anything but the simple truth, and
it made a case of very strong circum-
stantial evidence against the boy. /
cross-examined him carefully, to get
out all the facts: but what the reader
already knows was the substance of it.
1t seemed reasonably plain, from his
story, that the prisoner was one of the
party who attacked the old man in the
dark, or when it was nearly dark, and
robbed him of his money. If that was
true, Dyer was guilty, although not a
cent of the money could be traced to
him.
1--WE rest" said the district attorney.
| The judge laid down his pen, with the
air and expression that we often see in
| a Judge when he thinks case has been
| defended, and said:
"Well, Mr. Bradstreet!"
rose and remarked to the Jury that
| this was case where circumstances
were conspiring against a perfectly in
nocent lad. | detailed minutely the
occurrences of that evening, as the
prisoner would swear to them if the
law allowed him TO be witness
told them who Clinton Dyer was, and
the character | should prove for him.
And then sat down.
| The Judge smiled and took up his pen
again. ! could read just what was
passing through his mind. If he and
had been alone at that moment he
would have said, with laugh Brad
street, your client is young fellow of
pretty good character, who robbed an
/
And said to myself: I'm show YOU all.
presently, that there's more in this case
than that"
wanted judge, jury and everybody
else to see what kind of mother the
boy had, so put her on the stand and
proved the age of her son, when he left
home, how and for what purpose. Her
evidence made good impression. al
though. of course, it was not very mate
rial. Than proved by man that he
saw Dyer leaving the village on the
Putney road. that afternoon. alone.
Then by another man, that half an
hour before dusk he met old Mixer and
Dyer half mile behind him. and DYER
was still alone. Here was little III
our favor, and saw that the Jury were
getting interested. Then called Judge
Grove. The Judge on the bench looked
up in surprise, for this was the most
eminent judge in the state. He testified
that he lived in Farnham. and had
known Clinton Dyer all his life He had
often worked in his garden. lie had
always been boy of irreproachable
l.. L.