The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-11
cHAPTER I.-rHe TRAGEDY.

CHAPTER 1.-THE TRAGEDY.
fFrorn notes written by Miss Sarah
Fairbanks Immediately after the report OF
the grand jury
As / take my pen TO write this l have
feeling that I ara on the witness sFend
for or against myself. which, The
place OF the criminal in the dock VIII hot
voluntarily take. ] .sin affirm neitaeg my
Innocence nor deny my guilt. viii pre-
cent the facts OF the case as impartiaily
and as cooily as II had nothing Al stake.
viii let ali who may read TINS Judge me
as they Will.
This I am bound to do. since 1 m con-
demped to something infinitely worse than
the life-ceii or the gallows. VIII ny
my OWN self in lieu OF Judge and jury my
guilt or my fnnoncenee J will prove 10 you
al. IL ttai,e In my mortal power. In my
despair ! am tempted 10 say j care hot
which IL may be. so something he prosea-
Open condemnation could not over~hein
me like universal suspicion.
Now. first. as / have heard Is the Gus
ton. in courts OF Law, ] viii present the
case I am Sarah Fairbanks, country
ecf.foI teacher, - years OF age. Ny
mother died when was 2. Since then.
while have been away teaching at Dig
by. cousin of my fathers, Rufus Ben
nett. and his wife have lived with my
father During the long summer xaca-
lions they returned 20 their little farm
tn Vermont. and ! kept house for my
father.
FOR five years I have been engaged 10
he married 20 Henry Ellis. "A young man
whom / met in Dighy. Ny father was
very much opposed 10 the match. and has
told irse repeatedly that If 1 insisted upon
marrying him IN his lifetime he would
disinherit 'me. on this account Henry
had never visited me al my own home.
rIs4Is - hrfR ms n
of finally my engagement l wished TO
avoid an open rupture with my father.
He was quite an old man. and ! was the
only one he had left of a large family.
believe that parents should honor
their children. as well as children their
parents. but / had arrived at this con-
clusion: In nine-tenths of the eases where
in children marry against their parents
wishes. even when the parents have no
just grounds for opposition. the marriages
are unhappy.
/ sometimes felt that ] was unjust 10
Henry, and resolved that If ever ! sus-
pected that hs fancy turned toward any
other girls would not hinder IL, esp scial-
" as ] was getting older, and. l thought,
losing niy good looks.
A little while ago. a young and pretty
riri came TO Digby To teach the school in
the south district. She boarded in the
Same house with Henry. ] heard that he
Il
made up my mind would not interfere.
At the same time il seemed to me my
heart was breaking. ! heard hc- people
had money, too and she was an only
child I had always felt tina. Henry
ought TO marry wife with money. be-
Gauge he had nothing himself, and was
not very strong.
School closed five weeks ago. and /
came home for the summer vacation. The
night before I left, Harry came to see
me. and urged me TO marry him. re-
fused again: but | never before had felt
that my father was so hard and cruel
ms did that night. Henry said that he
should certainly see me during the vaca-
tion and when | replied that he must rot
come he was angry. and said-but such
foolish things are not worth repeating.
Henry has really very sweet temper.
and would not hurt ny.
The very night of my return homo
Rufus Bennett and my father had words
about some maple sugar which Rufus
made on his Vermont farm. and sold to
my father. who made a good trade for it
10 some people In Boston. That was
fathers business. lie had once kept
store, but had given II M. and sold "A few
articles that he could make large profit
on here and there at wholesale He used
30 send 20 New Hampshire and Vermont
for butter eggs and cheese. Cousin Ru-
fus thought father did not allow him
enough of his profit ON the maple sugar
and in the dispute father lost his temper
and said that Rufus had given him under
weight At thae Rufus swore an oath
and seized father by the throat Rufus
wife screamed, ''oh. don't, don't! oh.
heli kill him.
went up to Rufus and took hold OF his
arm
Rufus Bennett" said l. "you let my
father go.''
But Rnsus' eyes glared like a mad
mans. ard he would not let so. Then I
went TO the desk-drawer where father
had kept pistol since some houses in
tho Village were broken into: ! got out