Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-06


1 hope you will bring home another face"
But Il was strange. when 1 boarded the
train, 1 felt more anxiety than ever. I
took a paper and tried to read. but Il was
impossible TO get my thoughts together,
Again and again the black figure appeared
before me. 1 divided the coupee with three
gentlemen. two elderly and a younger one
VINO had q lively conversation. / soon
found out that they were lawyers Their
conversation was about q murder case
which was 70 be tried at the district court.
One. a handsome gentleman with a gray
beard and gold epectacles, was thoroughly
convinced OF the guilt OF the defendant
The defense Yves altogether faulty from
the start" he said
The younger one-his sharply cut, INTEL
hgent profile seemed familiar to me nodded.
Tho proof OF abb was ventured. indeed;
but on the other side you must not forget
mat thers was not one direct witness of the
murder And / must confess i am some-
what mistrustful OF purely circumstaut isl
evidence"
But let me tell you. my dear Or. Berg
mann, SAID the stout one. the case is as
clear as the sun. And IL a dozen witnesses
lad been there the fellow would not be
the murderer"
addressed my vis-a-vis: Il believe We
have met before. doctorT' The young law
N@ recognized me: We had had some bust
less together some time before. I asked
Him for Particulars: What is this case
aooutY ! have not regularly read the pa
oh. it is a very interesting case. book
Keeper who has lest his position Is indie, "a
Ior the murder and robbery OF the cashier
said. cannot be given; the circumstant,si
evidence. however, 10 grave enough Thu
defense has tried 70 prove an alibi; but un-
lo s,, there Is missing link. jast the
c1ucai hours In which the deed was COM
mltted. Well here We are already at NJ"
Inc train stopped. and We got OF ..Wtu
You accompany me TO the court houseY or
mus, you attend to your business right
away asked the lawyer I stood unde-
cioed for moment. II was just after Q
CLOCK. 30 early l would hardly ina NV
s business IF. friend Very WELL II can get ..
seat Inc court room Will undoubtedly
De very fun, but will do my best"
succeeded in pushing myself into the
ossrerowoed court room. but had to be
satisned with seat from which could see
,ns more than broad bscke and high
lades nao' IL was low hail. badly light
ca. and worse ventilated, the atmospher,
was stiffing.
Perhaps this was the cause why tia. I'm.
easy cas- Iorsood.ns feeling oppressed me mors
.iu more. me court had not yet been
opened Loud confusion OF noises filled ths
LaIl- suddenly deep silence prevailed. i
hearu steps-ths court entered. The pre-
n,a,ns Juase opened the session. A few
minutes later the district attorney took The
iioor Although I could see nothing of ths
action, L could hear every word: AMI I fol-
owed the argument of the speaker In
breathless Suspense. 1 had seldom hes nd a
better one How terribly CONVINCING n.
spokei With what clea-ness he Arranged
ana explained the Testimony OF the W.T.
nesses! With what skill he wove out OF
tnese Insignificant threads a net from which
mere seemed no escape for the murderer
For the defendant was the murderer. he
must De the murderer. No one in the court
'o T, uouoted after this crushing speech.
The attorney FOR the defendant also lid
MS best; But In the proof Of abb by which
ne tried 10 save his client the most i'm.
portant INK was missing Il was proved
night Several witnesses had unanimously
slated that about that time cries for helm
were heard from the office in which az
cashier mad been working alone
The defendant, during the whole trans
action, had steadfastly maintained that he
was not at all in the city at that time But
ne could not prove II by a single witness
Inder these conditions Il was certain that
no force
Defendant. you have the last word: have
you anything else TO sayT' asked the judge
amidst a dead silence
AT this moment the gentleman in front OF
NE moved a little to the side. and / could
See the defendant but not his face. for Il
was turned TO the Judge 'As true there
Is a God / am innocent" said he with q
calm, deep voice. whose tone affected me
strangely. He slowly turned and looked
sorrowfully Though the long lines OF the
audience.
There is but one man IN the world whq>
testimony save me, and" he suddenly
stopped There is the man. he cried out.
and his outstretched hand pointed at me
Like q stroke OF lightning Il flashed
through my brain. I recognized the man,
he was the same that had met In that De-
cember night. the night OF the murder.
He Is innocent" i shouted.
My testimony brought the missing link In
the chain for proof OF not guilty.
The man at the time of the crime was
fully three miles from the city.
A half hour later he was free.
And, strangely enough the moment he
recognized me the hands OF the clock In the
court room pointed to three minutes TO
twelve.