Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-14
AN ELECTRICAL SLIP.

Public orinion had been triumphant- ly vindicated. The insanity plea had broken down, and Albert Prior was sen fenced to be hanged by the neck until he was dead, and might the Lord have mercy on his soul. Everybody agreed that itwas Q righteous verdict, but now that he was sentenced they added, "Poor fellowr'
 Albert Prior was young man who had had more of his own way than was good for him. His own amily-father, mother, brother and sisters-had given way to him so much that he appeared to think the world at large should do the same. The world differed with him. Unfortunately the first to oppose his vii olent will was woman-a girl almost. She would have nothing to do with him and told him so. He stormed, of course, but did not lool- upon her oppo- sition as serious. No girl ill her senses could continue to refuse a young man of his prospects i'll life. But when he heard that she had become engaged to young Bowen, the telegraph operator, Prior's rage passed all bounds. He de- termined to- frighten Bowen out of the place and called at the telegraph office for that laudable purpose, but Bowen was the night operator and was absent. The day man, with a smile, not know ing what he did, said Bowen would likely be found at ene Parker place, where Miss Johnson lived with her aunt, her parents being dead.
 Prior ground his teeth and departed. He found Miss Johnson at home, but ing with the tragedy. He fired four times at her, keeping the other two bull lets for himself. But he was coward and a cur at heart, and when it came to the point of putting the two bullets into himself he quailed and thought it best to escape. Then electricity did him it's first disservice. It sent his descrip- tion far and wide, capturing him 25 miles from his home. He was taken back to the county town where he lived and lodged ill jail.
 Public opinion, ever right and all powerful, now asserted itself. The out ward and visible sign of it's action was all ominous gathering of dark browed citizens outside the jail. There were de- termined mutterings among the crowd rather than Outspoken anger, but the mob was the more dangerous on that &C., count. One man in its midst thrust his closed hand toward the sky, and from his hand dangled a rope. A cry like the growing of pack of wolves went up as the mob saw the rope, and they clam ored at the gates of the jail. "Lynch him! Jailer, give up the keys!' was the cry.
 The agitated sheriff knew his duty, but he hesitated to perform it.
 But the keys were not given up The clamor had ceased. A young man with pale face and red eyes stood on the top of the stone wall that surrounded the jail. He held up his hand, and there was instant silence. They all recognized him as Bowen, the night operator, to whom she had been engaged.
 "Gentlemen, he cried, and his clear voice reached the outskirts of the crowd, ''don't do it. Don't put an everlasting stain on the fair name of our town. No one has ever been lynched i'll this county, and none in this state so far as I know. Don let us begin it. If thought the miserable scoundrel inside would escape if thought his money would buy him off-I'd be the man to lead you to bat ter down those doors and hang him on the nearest tree, and you know it. , There were cheers at this. But he won't escape. His money can't buy him off. He will be hanged by the law. Don't think it's mercy I'm preaching; it's vengeance!" Bowen shook his clinchcd fist at the jail. That wretch there has been in hell ever since he heard your shouts. He'll be ill hell, for he's a dastard, until the time his trem- bling legs carry him to the scaffold. want him to stay ill this hell till he drops through into the other, if there is one. I want him to suffer some of the misery he has caused. Lynching is over in moment. l want that murderer to die by the slow, merciless cruelty of the law"
 Even the worst ill the crowd shudder- ed as they heard these words and realiZ- ed as they looked at Bowen's face, al- most inhuman ill it's rage, that his thirst for revenge made their own seem al- most innocent. The speech broke up the crowd. The man with tho rope threw it over into the jail yard, shouting to the sheriff, Take care of it, old man; you'll need it..
 And so it came about, just as Bowen influence of the Prior family could not help the murderer, and he was sentenc- ed to bo hanged on Sept. 21, at a. m. And thus public opinion was satisfied.
 But the moment the sentence was an nounced and the fate of the young man settled a curious change began to be mo- ticed ill public opinion. It seemed to have veered round. There was much sympathy for the family, of course, Then there came to be much sympathy for the criminal himself. People quoted the phrase about the worst use man can be put to. Ladies sent flowers to the ing him, poor fellow, would not bring Miss Johnson back to life However. few spoke of Miss Johnson; she was for gotten by all but one man, who ground his teeth when he realized the instabili- ty of public opinion.
 Petitions were got up, headed by the local clergy. Women begged for sigma lures and got them. Every man and woman signed them-all except one, and even he was urged to sign by tear ful lady, who asked him to remember that vengeance was the Lords.
 ''But the Lord has his instruments, :" said Bowen grimly, land I swear to you, madam, that if you succeed in get ting that murderer reprieved I will be the instrument of the Lords venge- 
 "Oh, don't say that, pleaded the la- dy. "Your signature would have such an effect. You were noble once and sav- cd him from lynching, be noble again and save him from the gallows.