The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-10-20
A CHANGED VERDICT.
How Patty Saved Her Lover from
the Gallows.

clrcIeQ UHe IOui, HSdVy dir, dCtlluS W
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
uent 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 now and again
to whisper caution to bailiff, and to
receive in return more or less authen-
tic information.
The prisoner had been led over the
covered corridor-another 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.
'Dubicus," 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 a
court officer, and behind it was the
jury discussing, and SO vigorously, too,
that again and anon muflied sound
would descend to those who waited.
These were few in number-the jan
itor of the building, the clerk. who
lived out 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 a
young girl. The former of these two
was stiff and motionless, her features
set sternly and her eyes burning with
fierce desire. The latter was slight
and yielding. She swayed from the
weakness that terror had brought On
and would have rested her head on hel
companion's arm had not an unrecog-
nized antipathy prevented. There and
thus they had sat throughout the day
the matron stone and the maiden q
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 aud unmolested."
''But why should they be locked up?'
SIN order that they may render q
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 te
other influences than that of the evi
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 will 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 no1
sometimes be right? Besides they mus
be hungry and tired and cross. AnC
when people are cross they are unfair
Oh, what dreadful thing is the lawr
"What dreadful thing rather il
murder. Think of your only brother
done to death by the Barlings l only
wish the old days of drawing and quar-
tering had returned"
"Oh, do you really believe"
''Believe! Don't know? Hain't the
Knowleses and the Barlings been a
odds this fifty years? Didn't the boy.
quarrel at the tavern? Haven't we
heered the detectives stories and thi
lads admission? What if the Others
did get away? He was there, and h,
done it as much as them. And the jury
will say SWING you mark me-"
"But there were two who seemed t.
believe his story"
"Them poor critters in the back row
They dassent trust their own feeling
in the face of the others. Do you mine
that racket? That will settle thei
doubts in short order. Now you shu
up, Patty. If thought that one of m,
kin wouldn't rejoice in the death of al
enemy, I'd turn her into the stree
without a shawl to her back or a sho
to her feet"
Patty Knowles shrank still furthe
away from the stony bosom and tn
threatening arm, and tried to think, a
if thoughts would bring comfort. l
was all too awful to be real; she mus
be dreaming; yet why could she no
awake? Was it true that she, with he
grandmother, was awaiting in cour
the verdict which should shameful,
destroy their enemy, and that enem,
her old comrade Tommy Barling? All
there We're substances, not shadows
about her; her mind in it's 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 MS frank
simple story and had seen the cando
of his beautiful face? Had she no
watched them and detected expression
of sympathy, of confidence, on at leas
two of their countenances? And
these men had once trusted would the
dare to condemn? Then, indeed, wer
they not the murdererS VINO Woulu slil
for relief from custody, from fatigue
or from fear of their associates? Oh,
dreadful thing was this law which b'
clouded the truth when it was so ev
dent! Hadn't Tommy explained tha
he was removing the obstruction frol
the track when the wildcat" SO unel
pectedly came around the curve an
Struck it, and was derailed?
Couldn't they understand why /
had remained silent when asked no
he happened to be there2 Surely, an,