Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-05-09
THAT SCHOOLMlTE.

be hear the words Alright, that white faced
boy standing before that crowd Of upturn-
ed faces' All, yes, he heard theml
"I can die, q" he thought. Then his eyes
sought among them all for one face that he
could trust, for one that might believe him
innocent Of the crime for which they would
hang him. Was there such facet Had
he In all that crowd a single friendi II so,
be knew it not.
"He doesn't look like murderer" said
a lady who had been present at the last
hearing. "IIe's handsome and not over Is,
they say"
"But the evidence was most conclusive"
said the man at her side.
ayes, / suppose 30. and yeti
The evidence had been most conclusive.
No one knew that better than the con-
demned, who turned his hopeless eyes upon
the crowd that seemed hunting him TO his
death.
Was IL only six months ago he had been
working In that little mining camp with
Pete and Jim, as happy and careless as the
birds among the trsest And now he was
TO be dragged of To jail, 10 remain there a
short time, when he would be sent TO the
penitentiary, where some months later his
execution would take place.
1t was horrible! horriblel Why had he
ever been bornf And such short time be
fore he had fancied himself 30 happy and
prosperousl How cruel was fatel
This was the story Of the tragedy as the
public knew IL. The murder had been COM
mitted on an obscure street. The victim
was wealthy citizen who had started TO
walk home, taking near cut that led
through rather unpleasant quarter OF the
town. When i'm the shadow OF IA tall build
ing, he was waylaid aud shot, then robbed
Of the 81 900 he was known TO have left his
Office with Not only was the shot heard
by a policeman near, but the murderer was
seen by him as well as by two Others, and
when arrested, before he could flee, the
money was found on his person-the exact
amount, &, 900 in IA plain white envelope
without a mark Of any kind. The revolver,
with its empty chamber, lay near the mVr-
dered man.
All this was proved at the trial-all this
and more. Not link seemed wanting The
Jury hesitated only on account OF the youth
OF the prisoner, but every one knewi would
be murder in the first degree from the start.
The boys version of how il all occurred
was regarded with incredulous smiles. 1t
was too preposterous TO think about. This
was what he said over and over when ques-
toned:
"My name Is Edward Niles When quite
young, lived in city somewhere with my
parents. When ] was 10 years old, my IA
ther moved out west, where we wandered
about from town to town, getting poorer
and poorer My mother died, then my fa-
ther, and / was taken in by two old miners
who kindly cared for me and taught me to
work In the mine. One day Pete found a
pocket We divided the pay dirt equally
and went To the nearest town, where Pete
had il changed into bills. That is how
came TO have 81 900 upon my person when
arrested. The money was my own and
honestly earned-at least it was given me
IA my part of the interest in the little mine
we owned and worked"
"But your appearance upon the scene OF
the murder" was asked.
Accident, accident wholly. Foolishly
desired To see something Of the world and
came to the city, intending To invest my
little fortune and add To it IL possible.
had been troubled with a longing for city
| life ever since | was taken from it. / came
| here the very day | was arrested. | was
passing through the street named when the
shot was fired The next instant was ar
rested. If | turned to flee, as they said, II
must have been from fright. / have no re
membranoe of It,"
But when asked TO produce evidence tC
prove the truth Of his words he shook hi
head sadly.
81 cannot. Jim and Pete intended to e
far to the south, know not where. / die
not try to find out. / cannot think Of I
way in which they could be reached"
"Perhaps an advertisement" was sug
gested by the prosecuting attorney, whit
really wished he could believe the youthful
criminal
mo-" the boy said. They never look a
a paper-don't see one sometimes for sil
months"
And thus 1t was that In the darkness o
his cell he languished and wondered II eve
there was or had been person more hope
less or ffiendless than himself in the wild
world.
His crime was published far and near
Pictures OF the murdered man and Of tn
prisoner appeared. One of these papers fel
into the hands Of a schoolgirl In a southern
village, who read with startled gaze tn
name Of the criminal.
"Neddy Nilesl Little Neddy Nilesi Papa
oh, papa, hstenI'
EYES," said her father, extending hi
hand for the paper, you are certainly right
But we did not think he would grow into
murderer, did we, Rose"
"Oh. papa"
49," he continued, glancing over Tn
paper at her, "the boy has one friend win
believes him innocent"
"Read IL all, papa, end he will have two.
A few minutes later the paper was tosse,
aside, and the man arose hurriedly an
took up bis hat.
"What are you going TO do, papaf" IN
suired his daughter.