The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1894-10-25

es do; not light them for ourselves; for it
our virtues did not go forth of us,
'twere all alike as if we had them not.
Elk.
Land for the landless. freedom for
the industrial slaves of this country, |
broad, grand, noble manhood for all
those who breathe Gods pure air.
Anything less than this is crime. This
and all this can be secured when the
people learn to think for themselves.
The man who thinks for himself is
free man. The man who allows others
to do all his thinking for him is ten
times slave.-HOOsier Blade.
A prominent lawyer, of the Lone Star
state, who recently visited New Orleans,
related to reporter the following story
of a murder trial in his Texas home:
The prisoner was on trial for his life.
The evidence had all been heard. The
states attorney had just taken his seat
after a most incisive statement of the
evidence, wherein he demonstrated the
utter failure of the prisoners theory of
self defense. The counsel for the pris-
oner was stranger, too, known only
by reputation to the judge and bar. and
that reputation was one of great ability,
perfect integrity, and a marvellous
knack of 'snatching verdicts,' each
time by some new turn. This gaunt,
yet, graceful gray headed man arose,
seemingly without looking at the jury,
though each man felt he was under the
power of that wide-open eye. After
bowling to the judge and saying few
almost inaudible words Of courtesy to
his honor, he turned to the prisoner
and said: "You must die, John-die
by hanging. 1t will be by no fault of
yours, by no fault of the judge, or Of
his jury, or of the good people OF the
county: neither will it be any fault OF
the law. The law of Texas is all right,
though it's machinery may sometimes
expose perjury, it can't always prevent
the false swearing of witnesses. Judges
and juries have not the power, though
they sometimes exercise the authority
of almighty God. They couldn't look
down into the souls of those perjured
witnesses snd see the malice, hate and
private purpose that colored and twist
ed all the facts. We can't help it now
You must die as you have lived, like
brave man. l don't need to tell you
: that. The woman who bore you, three
months before you saw the light OF
, heaven, carried in her arms, from one
: of the blOodieSt fields of the late war
+. the bleeding, senseless form of YOU
father, while shot and shell still shrieket
and groans of the dying filled thu
air. And your father, whose maime(
body we laid to rest last week, was no
2 matched in all this land. These trusted
< YOU, and their blood can betray M
e trust. The only message he sent you
|, was. Tell him we believe in him. W.
y will lay you beside them. In a few
: days this old white head will be lai(
:, next to you. I'll not be ashamed to b.
e buried soon beside you, John. Yo'
) are SO like the other John that Sc
the visions of happy boyhood Will
S gazing into the same true eyes-cOn
n fused with these is the pride [ hav
taken in my friends boy. While W
t Law these bodies in the churchyard owe
4 the mountain we'll appeal this case
l. Well try it all over again up yonder.
8 Then, in a few of the boldest an
o grandest figures, he sketched his ide
+ of a trial in Heaven, where, as he sale
u In that glorious presence the falls
e witness is dumb and the inerrant judg
e needs not the aid of counsel or jurors
. Then he pictured the eagerness wit
% which the mother, and the calm COZ
y fdence with which the father aWaite
IL Heavens verdict; the quick rush, tn
"a enhancing, soul satisfying embrace
III both at the words, mot guilty. Thel
II taking up both hands of the prisone
J. he looked down in his face for
le moment steadily, then, bending forwar
s. with mother-Hke tenderness, kisse
u him twice on the forehead, saying, in
ST whisper audible to all: 1--WE can wa
u for that So, good-by, John, my boy
IN Bowling respectfully to the judge /
is took his seat, still holding one of tt
10 prisoners hands.
y The district attorney, who throug
20 all this was with his back half turned
=, the speaker and to the jury, nervous
= and excitedly chewing his toothpic
~ and crossing and recrossing his leg
began a reply which quickly ende
after good look at the Jurors faces
w a stammering request to them to
ed their duty. The judges charge W;
Or, scattering He seemed to scarce
a know what he said. The jury did n
a hear him. Not the slightest incidel