Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-01-16

would be Obliged to introduce very
delicate and distressing story. The
young man. Peter Williams, it appear.
ed, had been his uncle's favorite neph.
ew, but had quarreled with him, had
gone out west, and there, passing from
one excess to another, had finally, in a
drunken passion, taken the life of fell
low being in the town of San Topaz, in
the state of Orefornia, for which crime
he had suffered the extreme penalty Of
the law. Documentary evidence in tho
shape Of transcript of the trial and
all of the requisite official attestations
of the execution would be presented by
an attorney -at-law of San Topaz. In ad-
dition to which-by what they could
only regard as a providential coinci-
dence-the sheriff of San Topaz was in
court at that very moment.
Then Lawyer Belford was introduced
and read from the transcript of the trial
the personal statement under examina-
ton Of the younger Williams as to his
name, age, place of birth, ETC., and read
also the sheriff's return for the execu-
tion, the coroner's certificate of death
and the dull thud" paragraph of The
Weekly Roundup.
''We place these in evidence" con-
cluded the lawyer, although they are
almost superogatory in view of the
presence here Of the sheriff Of San To-
paz, whom l shall now ask to take the
stand.
The witness chair creaked as Sheriff
Winslow settled his huge bulk between
its arms
"Your name is Stephen Douglas
Winslow, and you are sheriff of San To-
paz, Orefornia, I believer" said Law
yer Belford, smiling pleasantly at his
fellow townsman.
81 am-to both questions. -
''You were officially present at the
execution of Peter Williams on the
10th day of July of this year?''
81 was.
''This certified copy Of your return of
the execution is correct in every partic-
ular, is it not?'
"It's k'rect copy"
"You took quite an interest in the
unfortunate young man, understand,
Mr. Sheriff, and personally attended to
the disposal of the remains?'
''Waal," said the sheriff, slowly
spreading himself over the back of the
chair, "there's young man here who
can answer that question better than
Lawyer Belford evidently did not ex-
pect this answer, for he hesitated mo
menG.
"Put the young man on the stand by
all means" said Mr.. Wolfe.
Then the sheriff led the muf1ed young
man to the chair and stood beside him
while he was sworn.
''What is your name?" asked Bel
ford, glancing curiously at the witness
Before replying the witness slowly
turned down his coat collar, and then.
wheeling around in his chair. said
with difficulty. the catch in his voice
running through all that he said:
'Peter Williams.
"What!' cried Lawyer Belford and
. fell back in his chair, clutching at his
necktie as though he were going to have
fit.
''Oh, you know me well enough, l
guess, Mr.. Belford," said Williams,
"though you didn' save me from swing
ing. And Mat knows me well enough,
too, see, although guess I'm consid-
erably more changed than he seems to
be- Howdy, Mat? Sorry for you, old
man, but I've got to knock you out this
time By the way, too, if there's any
doubling anywhere around this court
room as to my identity. why, just look
at this neck.
Upon which he pulled off big silk
scarf and showed the lingering shadow
of the black imprint of the hangmann's
rope, whose close hug even the sheriff's S
life saving contrivance had not quite
overcome.
Lawyer Belford still sat grasping his
necktie and staring speechlessly at the
witness, while Mat Williams gray face
grew livid as he crept into the shadow
Of his attorneys back. Only the old
lawyer, Wolfe, retained his self posses
sion.
"Y our honor,'' he cried, ''we object.
This is most irregular, most unheard
of, and we object. -
''It is most irregular, as you say" said
the judge suavely, "and under the cir
cumstances I shall myself ask the wit
ness to tell his story
'We object.
Certainly" said the judge. Then
turning to the witness, Peter Williams,
he said, eff that be your name, how
comes it that you are here alive?'
Then Williams told the story that he
had been taught; that the sheriff, TAX
ing compassion on his youth and near
grasp of fortune, believing in his SOL
emn promise to reform and not looking
forward to any such complications as
had arisen, had consented to arrange
the rope SO that resuscitation might be
possible.
The Judge listened with close atten
tion, and then turning to Winslow said,
"Of course there was a monetary con-
sideration in this, Mr.. Sheriff.
''Waal, nat'rel, your honor, said
Winslow in surprised tone OF voice.
$50 supposed. Now, sir"-to Law
yer Wolfe-'I will hear the grounds of
your objection.
''They are very simple" said that
old practitioner "We object not only
because of the utter irrelevancy of the
testimony, but because of the utter i'm
materiality of the witness himself. We
are quite willing to admit that during
the lifetime of this young man his name
was Peter Williams, but, your honor,
Peter Williams is dead. He was hanged
by the neck till dead in San Topaz on
the 18th day of July Of this year of our
Lord, 1894, and you yourself, your
honor. have admitted the evidence that
proves it. The testimony of this man
Winslow-which he will be only too
willing to give-that he, sworn off
Ger of the law, did cheat the law and
did actively participate in an evasion
of the law and made lying return,
cannot possibly have the faintest
weight in this court. 1t would be the
testimony of self confessed perjurer
indulging in cumulative perjury. We
are even willing to admit that such a
plot was concocted and that it was car
ried to a successful issue, but that does
not in the very slightest degree affect