Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-12

dCCuSeu, as succeeding witnesses a00uCeQ
| fresh discriminating evidence. The counsel
allotted Clarkson strove manfully, but his
| cross-examination did not shake the testi-
Wen asanst tbe frn TIN se
ming. The evidence was clear and strong.
The notes and the watch Of the murdered
prisoner. whose revolver had been picked
up few yards from where the body had
been discovered. Several witnesses testi-
fled to his having rushed into Beauty's Bar
late on the evening of the murder looking
WILD naggard and excited. like man who
erms bs or
having returned to the house at half-past
| In the morning looking very white and
strange. as II he had but recently gone
than one person knew that Clarkson had
! owed the rich. interruptions merchant a
grudge Closer and closer the chain was
Tightening about his neck. and as proof
upon proof of his guilt was adduced pecu-
| liar and ominous silence settled upon the
crowd or listeners and spectators.
Tne proceedings were necessarily partly
IN the omcial language Of the country, but
| many OF the jury were well conversant with
ted the accused to rebut the damaging evil
dence. He was asked if he had anything to
say. and Clarkson repeated his story. sim
Ing to conceal. though the truth could help
him little. He knew well the evidence
against him, circumstantial though it
listeners all appeared quite con WINGED ct
| his guilt. Very calmly, and with an un-
conscious pathos. he told the story Of his
hopeless misery. his reckless resolve to
spend his last shilling and purchase that
which should render him oblivious Of his
| sunering for time. He told how he had
| gone into the bar. and how the music had
created calmer and better thoughts, and
saved him; how he had gone forth into the
fatigue, had lain down and slept till morn
ing. The notes and the watch must he
s nave been put into his pockets while
serted and In the presence Of God he could
only repeat 1t.
The court and the crowd were skeptical.
thize with the accused in the slightest.
Inc jury retired. and painful silence fell
upon tne court In few minutes the jury
men returned, and their verdict could in a
sense be felt before it was given. VerV
slowly and deliberately 1t came:
we find the prisoner guilty"
NO one seemed surprised and certain1v
not the pale young prisoner himself. Not
surprised, but oh how bitterly fell upon his
ears ana heart the words that consigned
death. "'O s""''e'oi
In a low. calm tone the Judge pronounced
ohe aWIuI sentence and the prisoner was
ABOUT 10 be led away when 1t was seen that
some one was struggling through the crowd
tOWard him It proved to be a young girl
ture of despair: It was Minnie Colbeck, and
In a moment she was beside her lover. The
pohcemen offered no obstacle; indeed thew
looked so pale. so fair and so unearthiy that
she might have been a spirit from the other
, world confronting them. Clarkson gazed
upon her. but his white lips remained un-
moved and he uttered not a word
that he o Sa,d b 5ne fri in ma voice SO low
shall not die for another's sin. Heaven will
not permit such cruel injustice" Minnie
s scS as AL inexperienced people speak on
did not speak. He knew that with the first
word he uttered all his self-command would
in his and held them for a moment. as we
hold hands that we never expect to clasp
again In this world. and, with one look into
her Borrowing eyes-a look that seemed to
bid her an earthly farewell-he was led
away.
CHAPTER II.-THE PRESIDENTS
PREROGATIVE.
Among the passengers who left johann
nesburg by the early coach for Pretoria on
the day following that on which Thomas
Clarkson's death sentence had been pro-
nounced was a girl who. thickly yelled.
sat In corner of the coach with bent
head. clasped hands and melancholy mien.
1t was Minnie Colbeck. She had made a
desperate. firm. though wild resolve to go
plead for the life of Thomas CIarkson
Only woman would have carried out such
The coach Travelled at the utmost speed
of its eight spirited horses. but to her
heated and impatient fancy 1t seemed to
crawl along the smooth. dusty road. 1t
was still early in the day when it dashed
into the streets Of Pretoria.
Half an hour later Minnie stood at the
ordinary looking residence in QUIET part
OF the principal street. Her heart beat. her
hands trembled and her whole bodily frame
scarcely trust her voice to ask for an in
terview with his honor. That morning the
executive was sitting at the presidency,
wait long time before the president
could give her an audience Every minute
seemed an hour to the anxious girl. She
had been conducted to small room, which
seemed so oppressively silent that she could
almost hear the beating of her own heart.
AND ebe nine heavy
homely and kindly in appearance, entered
the apartment Minnie does not know to
this day how she told her tale. what words
She remembers that when she had finished
speaking she looked earnestly and intently
face was stern and sad. but there was a
kindly look in his eyes and some sympathy
in his voice as he said-his honor can speak
good English when he likes
1T cannot be. my child. The jury have
found the young man guilty, and the judge
has sentenced him to death. 1t is not for
me or my executive to interfere with their
decision"
"Oh, your honor, but he is not guilty"
went on the girl, with FEMININE logic. Il
know ne is not guilty. He does not deserve
to die. Do not permit such an act of injus-
tice to be perpetrated in the land. He is in
nocent."
THE jury have found him guilty" replied
the president. kindly but firmly. II pity
you. my poor child. but I cannot 10 what
1.-The jury are but men: they are not in
fallible." answered Minnie, passionately.
'1Oh. your honor. for the sake of justice, for
the sake of all that you hold dear on this
earth. for your hope of heaven, be merciful.
that you may demand mercy for yourself
at the throne of grace. pardon him! pardon
him. She flung herself at his feet and
raised her white face with such an agony
of supplication that the president was NOV
ed. Sentiment seldom moves this frrn-
ercises has he for long time been known
to exhibit emotion
II would do what you ask willingly, glad
ly, If thought 1t right, but 1 do not think
so. To pardon this young man would he to
encourage crime In the state. Besides
which l have not the prerogative alone. 1t
Is shared by the executive"
But he is innocent, yoar honor. 1 know
he is"
1.-The jury found him guilty. and the
Judge condemned him to death. People
would say. and justly. that we did wrong
to reverse their decision and pardon muir
derer."
HE is no murderer, And he is young:
and he has suffered so much; and l love
buried her face despairingly in her hands
for a moment, the president meanwhile
sitting In deep thought. Then he rose
and abruptly left the room. Minnie wait
ed bewildered. agonized, for few min
utes,