Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1893-10-28

his DrOCner JOnn. Iney uuSt nave dl-
tered their original intention and
watched in different places from those
they had at first determined on. The
body was found in q spot I had not
looked in. AT last, as the dawn began
to break, went back to the barn and
saddled my horse and rode toward the
lake. At that time the murder must
have been done, and John Mainwaring
and the groom, after carrying the body
to the house, had returned to the camp.
And presently the wagon came up, and
/ joined the others, and they told me
what had happened. but no one asked
me how CHANGED to be mounted and
abroad so early. That is all"
ePardon me, have one more ques-
ton to ask said the lawyer, who held
the derringer i'll his hands. Il think
you said this pistol was in the same con-
dition as On that morning. Are you
aware that it has been discharged and
that the shell of the cartridge still re-
mains in it,
At this announcement John, whose
face had lightened little during the
previous few moments, suddenly turned
white and leaned heavily against the
back Of his chair.
"Yes, know that" returned Sinfire
quietly.
How do you account for it,"
Gas / was on my way back to the
barn I saw rabbit crossing the path,
and I fred at it. 1t was the impulse Of
a moment. and l was sorry directly aft
erward that l had killed the poor crea-
ture."
lit was an impulse that may have fatal
consequences for you, madam" rejoined
The lawyer, while low muttering of
discorslant feeling ran through the room.
"Your honor" he continued, 1--WE have
treated this lady with every considera-
ton, and she has been allowed to take
her own course in the story she has told.
We had witnesses ready to speak to sew
eral points, but the cynical frankness
which has characterized the greater part
of the narrative to which you have just
listened renders their confirmation SUPER
! fluous, while as for the conclusion of the
/ tale, so manifestly artificial and out Of
/ keeping with the rest, it will not, / think,
carry any weight Of conviction with it.
! We have been told that the witness had
a motive for enmity and hatred against
/ the deceased reaching back to period
antecedent to her appearance III this
community, and her presentation of her
self before us as the offspring of an un
.onsecrated union, and therefore with
out recognized social status, justifies th1
inference that in whatever may haze
happened between her and the deceased
he was not the only or the chief one to
blame Be that as it may, she conceived
a malignant purpose against him.
! Why should l concern myself to re-
produce the fluent rigmarole uttered by
this solemn legal fool? He spoke accord
ing to his light, but his light was dark
ness. He ended by proposing that Sin
fire should he committed for trial, with
ont further ceremony, on the charge of
,he willful and premeditated murder of
Henry Mainwaring, and it would doubt
less have been so ordered if | had not
arisen and stated that was prepared to
make deposition OF the gravest impor-
tance, which would put very different
construction upon what had just been
heard. The judge accorded me permis-
sion to give my evidence Ill my own way.
In accordance with what l had resolved
upon the night before l requested to be
sworn, and when the oath had been ad-
ministered this is what said:
Il do not pretend to explain why the
lady who has just testified has willfully
laid herself open to u charge of which
she is as innocent as l am myself. 1t is
my business only 10 prove that she is in
nocent of it. and that I shall do beyond
any doubt As to the account she gives
of her origin, something of it already
knew or suspected, and also that she was
hostile to my brother Henry, though the
causes OF that hostility / was content to
conjecture never as AaS her and she
never told mo what they We're. must
reveal also what hitherto has been known
only to her and myself-that i have
loved this girl almost from the begin.
ming of our acquaintance, and in due
time l had reason to believe that my love
was returned. But no definite contract
was made between us, because it was
first necessary that some conclusion
should be reached in her relations with
my brother. did not know what she
intended as to that, and she probably did
hot know herself. But on the night oi
which so much has been said we agreed
to meet.
"My illness prevented me from taking
part in the proposed ambush, and every
thing was propitious. She could come
to me without suspicion or peril, and We
could remain together many hours. Ae
cordingly she left the camp at the Lake
before 10 o'clock and reached my rooms
at II. She was still with me when thC
groom came to announce the murder
and while he was with me she withdrew
into the laboratory. She was still there
when we brought back the body, ant
after my brother and the groom had de
parted on their errand she helped me tC
lay out the body, and she put upon lis
breast the opal ring which was the wit
ness OF his fault. Then at my advice