The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-09-08

SocAhSl ~ 'uS agreement OIL the
tury' The District Attorney had
packed away tho papers that had seen
thelr day In his green bag, and, arm
In arm with his assistant, had strolled
away, Pauslng now and then to whis-
per caution to bailiff, and to re-
celve IN return more or less authentic
Information.
The prisoner had been led over the
covered corIIdor-another Bridge of
olghs-lnto the jail, to await his fate
In the cell where murierers were al
ways Kept, rs the great iron ring in the
centre of the floor, for their better Sc
curing, attested. His counsel had
accompanied him to the stairway, and
then had turned into the Office to have
smoke and chat rs to prospects
with his friend the Sheriff
Dubious" said that functionarv.
munchIng on his cigar. "The judge
was agln him from the fust, and the
jury seed it.
The reporters had hurried away
with their notes, first arranging for
telephone calls when verdict was
reached.
High above the judges bench ran n
gallery. At the end nearest tho win
dows was door. Before this door sat
court officer, and behind it were the
Jury, discussing, and so vigorously,
too, that again and anon n mut,,ed
sound would descend to those who
waited
These were few in numbcr-the inn.
ltor of the building, the clerk, who
lived out OF town and had brought n
lunch with him; three or four attend
ants, the blind crier, doing i'm his
chair, and, in the further corner OF
the spectators seats, an old woman
and young girl. The former of
these two was stif and motionlcss. her
features set sternly, and her eyes burn
ing with fierce desire. The latte,
was slight anu yielding; she swayed
from the weakness that terror Ind
brought, and would have rested her
head on her companion's arm hal not
an unrecoSnlzed antipnthy prevented
There and thus they had sat through
ont the day, the mntron q stone md
the maiden a reed. Finally this young
girl spoke. "Grandma," she soid
why does TINT man sit without that
door?'
'He is on guard, my child, to see
that the jury are secure and unmo-
lested."
"But why should they be locked
up?"
I'm 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
donce, and that would be contrary to
the oath they each one took"
''Some are strong and sensible, and
others are weak and foolish. Il is
proper that the will of tho former
should prevail"
''But that wouldn't bo their unani-
nous Judgment then, and who can say
but that the weak and foolish may not
sometimes bo right? Besides they
must be hungry and tired and cross.
And whom people are cross they are
unfair. Oh, what dreadful thing Is
the law!"
"What q 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"
ooh, do you really believe"
"Bel'eve Don't I know? Hnin't
tho Knowleses and the Barlings been
at odds this fifty years? Didn't the
boys quarrel at the tavern? Haven't
we heered the detectives stories and
this lads admissionP What if the
others did get away? He was there,
10 Io.a - ,o,oh thnn, nj
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 set
tie their doubts in short order. Now
you shut up, Patty. II I thought
that one of my kin wouldn't rejoice in
the death of an enemy, I'd turn her
into the street without shawl to her
back or a shoe to her feet"
"Poor, poor Tommy" sobbod the
girl, as she trembled before the indis.
tinct sounds of wrangling thnt camo
from above.
Patty Knowles shrank still further
away from the stony bosom and the
threatening arm, and tried to think,
as if thoughts could 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 Barling?
All, there were substances, not shad-
ows, about her; her mind in its peace.
sui slumbers had never imagined any
thing so cruel! Yet he would bo nc.
auitted, how could she doubt, when
the jurymen Us well As she had heard
his frank, simple story and had seen
the candor of his beautiful face? Had
she not watched them and detected
expressions of sympathy, of confidence,
on at least two of their countenancesf
- xbaa, man ha1 pnna truok al