The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-26
ghe ahta Daily Eagles Saturday 1loring august IS, 1893

doubted, and If they doubted now why
should they not always doubt? Surely
talking ought not to change the i'm
preston the evidence had made, else
why should that evidence have been
given?
The case which had occupied the Alb
erdeen Oyer and Terminer for the past
week was, as the district attorney had
said in his opening, lawful in the SIM
plicity and directness of its proef." At
the further end Of the county, amid the
arid sand plains, the Barlings and the
Knowleses had occupied adjacent
farms for many years. The railway
ran in front of their dwellings and the
young men had grown up half farmers,
half hnemen, cleaning from the two
occupations Likelihood and recreation.
There had been a constant feud be-
tween the two families, sprung from
some forgotten trivial cause, but en-
haaced into bitterness through paucity
of daily interest
There were three Barring boys, Of
whom Thomas the defendant, was the
youngest, and one Knowles, the brother
of Patty. This latter had encountered
one evening the two elder BarliRgs at
the village tavern, and quarrel and
scufde had ensued. It was the follow
ing day that a wildcat" train, of which
young Knowles was engineer, was de-
rallied and he thrown from the cab and
killed. Thomas Barring was seen rum
ming away from the place where the ac-
cident occurred His brothers disap-
peared, but the detectives melted by
liberal rewards, caused the arrest OF
the lad, claiming it was he who had set
the obstruction on the track.
His presence, his fight, his terror.
certain incoherent words which he had
uttered on his apprehension, consti-
tuted the main points OF the case
against him. His defense had been
necessarily brief. consisting OF his
youth, coed character. and his own
story slightly OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES he
had been engaged in removing the OBJ
structions, when the wildcat" of
whose existence he had not been aware,
came around the curve and struck.
But on the question OF how he hap
pencd to be there at just this time he
had remained silent
Solemnly the great clock in the court
room beat out the dragging moments.
The bailiffs droned.stories and yawned.
The clerk scribbled on the back of pa
pers The crier slept the sleep of child
hood and smiled over its reyiving
scenes. The old woman sat erect, mo-
awaiting the elimination of burning
desires. Perhaps she alone could ex-
plain that ancient feud; perhaps, when
that bosom had been tender and that
arm softly responsive to caresses, an
injury to her beauty had been the
dragons tooth of this future. Perhaps
the past now returned to her; for ex-
pectancy hath it's panorama of spent,
but not dead, emotions. Certainly lit
tie Patty, as she saw the grim face
growing grimmer, grew faint with
dread, for in its lines she read vengeance
upon Tommy and woe for herself.
There was a sharp, demanding rap on
the door of the jury-room. Its drewsy
guardian sprang to his feet and un-
locked it. There were whispers, and
then once more the door was closed,
the bolt was shot, the sentinel sat at
his post. Once more, but with differ
ence The man no longer lolled. He
was big with the consciousness that
every eye was upon him, big in the pos
session Of a secret which he had NO
right to know.
The great clock licked warningly, for
the hours of excitement are moments.
1t was nearing the time for the judges
return. The clerk set dockcts and pen
and paper in order. The bailiffs shut
windows and opened doors and turned
up lights and took their stations. There
was one whose post was by the door Al
the end of the gallery leading to the
iurv-room, which opened upon the
main stairway Of the building. The
guardian of the jury-room was his
friend, and, as he passed, whispered
single word The bailiff stepped to his
place and beyond. He leaned over the !
rail and gazed down into the gloomy |
corridor The front door swung open, !
a digniied form entered. He recog- |
nized it, and in an instant was leapipg |
down the stairs. And in another in |
slant Judge Greengoods knew at what |
verdict the jury had arrived, knew that /
the solemn words which he had mental .
" arranged during his walk thither |
had not been marshaled in vain.
Many sharpeyes had noticed the pass
ing of that single word from officer to |
officer. and ere the crier had begun his |
sonorous proclamation bailifs and at
torneys and sheriff and prisoner knew
that the verdict was guilty" Patty |
knew it, too, for she had watched that
guardian at the door as if he held the
portals of her happiness Patty knew
it, and great sob swelled in her heart
and hardened into q resolution. In