The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-26
A CHANGED VERDICT.
How Patty Saved Her Lover from
the GauowS.

courtroom, and about them slowly
circled the foul, heavy air, adding to
the dimness. Judge Greengoods had
gone to his dinner, having announced
his intention to return at nine o'clock,
unless summoned sooner by the agree
ment of the jury. The district attor-
ney had packed away the papers that
had seen their day in his green bag,
and, arm in arm with his assistant, had
strolled away, pausing low and again
to whisper a caution to bailiff, and to
receive in return more or less authen-
tic information.
The prisoner had been led over the
covered corridor-anotfter Bridge of
Sighs-into the jail to await his fate in
the cell where murderers were always
kept, as the great iron ring in the CEN
ter of the floor for their better secur-
ing attested. His counsel had accom-
panied him to the stairway, and then
had turned into the Office to have a
smoke and chat as to prospects with
his friend. the sheriff
Dubious" said that functionary,
munching at his cigar, ''the judge
was agin him from the fust, and the
jury seed it."
The reporters had hurried away with
their notes, first arranging for tele-
phone calls when the verdict was
reached.
High above the judges bench ran a
gallery. At the end nearest the win
dow was door. Before this door sat
court officer, and behind it was the
jury discussing, and so vigorously, too,
that again and anon mufied sound
would descend to those who waited.
These were few in number-the jan
itor of the building, the clerk, who
lived ont of town and had brought a
lunch with him, three or four attend
ants, the blind crier doing in his
chair, and, in the further corner of the
spectators seats, an old woman and
young girl The former OF these two
was stiff and motionless, her features
set sterniy and her eyes burning with
fierce desire. The latter was slight
and yielding. She swayed from the
weakness that terror had brought on
1
companions arm had not an unrecog-
nized antipathy prevented. There and
thus they had sat throughout the day,
the matron a stone and the maiden
reed. Finally this young girl spoke
Grandma" she said, why does that
man sit without that door?"
He is on guard, my child, to see that
the jury is secure and unmolested."
But why should they be locked up?"
SIN order that they may render
verdict and thus punish the wicked"
But surely each one must have
known what he believed when the case
was finished. and confning them won't
cause them to change"
mo, but discussion may"
''Then that would be yielding to
other influences than that of the evil
dence, and would be contrary to the
oath they each one took"
''Some are strong and sensible, and
others weak and foolish. 1T is proper
that the viii OF the former should pre-
vail"
But that wouldn't be their unani-
nous judgment then, and who can say
but that the weak and foolish may not
sometimes be right? Besides they must
be hungry and tired and cross. And
when people are cross they are unfair.
Oh, what dreadful thing is the law."
what a dreadful thing rather is
murder. Think of your only brother
done to death by the Barlings. I only
wish the old days of drawing and quar-
tering had returned"
''0h, do you really believe"
''Believe! Don't know? Hain't the
Knowleses and the Barlngs been at
odds this fifty years? Didn't the boys
quarrel at the tavern? Haven't we
heered the detectives stories and this
lads admission? What if the others
did get away? He was there, and he
done it as much as them. And the jury
will say Swing you mark me-"
"But there were two who seemed to
believe his story"
'Them poor critters in the back row?
They dassent trust their own feelings
in the face of the others. Do you mind
that racket? That will settle their
doubts in short order. Now you shut
up, Patty. If ] thought that one of my
kin wouldn't rejoice in the death of an
enemy, I'd turn her into the street
shawl to her back or a shoe
TO her feet"
Patty Knowles shrank still further
away from the stony bosom and the
arm, and tried to think, as
if thoughts would bring comfort. 1t
was all too awful to be real; she must
be dreaming; yet why could she not
awake? Was it true that she, with her
grandmother, was awaiting in court
the verdict which should shamefully
destroy their enemy, and that enemy
her old comrade Tommy Barring? All,
there were substances, not shadows,
e bout her; her mind in its peaceful
slumbers had never imagined anything
SO cruel. Yet he would be acquitted,
how could she doubt. when the jury
men as well as she had heard his frank,
simple story and had seen the candor
Of his beautiful face? Had she not
them and detected expressions
OF sympathy. of confidence. on at least
two of their countenancesp And if
these men had once trusted would they
dare to condemn? Then, indeed, were
they not the murderers who would slay
for relief from custody, from fatigue,
or from fear OF their associates? Oh. a
dreadful thing was this law which be-
clouded the truth when It was SO evil
denti Hadn't Tommy explained that
he was removing the obstruction from
the track when the wildcat" so unex-
Il er.,,,r,A .h.a nd