The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-07

said. She was looking at me with
those gray eyes very much as If she
saw something behind me, and hanging
to my hand like a drowning person.
Yes, yes" she said, with sob;
you will save him." and then she be-
gan to cry convulsively.
/ had not the heart to tell her how
hopeless it all looked. / wished that l
had been spared this SO that my judg-
ment could come to the interview
with the accused man unperturbed.
She made me go up and see her hus-
band first. She would wait.
! found Clarkson to be the very an
tithesis of his wife. He was a large,
muscular and slightly bloated fellow
with a purplish face, the result OF de-
bauchery, but withal rather hand
some man or what would have been a
handsome man in normal conditions
He sat on the edge of the iron bed when
] entered the cell, his head between his
hands. and he did not look up until
had spoken to him, and then 1t was
with such u iabby despair that I felt
repelled.
Here was one of those large vital ma
lures that appear to have no internal
resources. / could see in an instant
why his life had been a failure. He
was made up of unregulated appetites
and sensibilities without volition
| enough to control them. Just the sort
of man to do a desperate deed in the
frenzy Of drink, without a motive be-
fore 1t or recollection after II, but
as devoid of methodical vindictiveness
as a mastiff.
I told him / had come to talk with
him In view of conducting his defense.
Bah" he said. there Is no defense.
| Can you defend me against God?"
Let me ask of YOU" | began, mot
! to talk in that reckless manner. Try
and be cool Blasphemy may relieve
your feelings. but 1t will not help your
case"
my case is helpless" he said. with
every neshly indication that 1t was.
But If 1t Is worth while to make a
plea at all, 1t Is not necessary to an
nounce your guilt In advance"
He sprang up from the bed--he was
six feet at least in height--and with a
clenched fist uplifted shouted:
II am not guilty, but ! might as well
be, for God has decrced that everybody
shall think So"
A little gleam of hope suddenly had
shot out of the darkness of this reply.
The man might be In some degree in
sane and irresponsible.
"If you are not guilty there are pos
| slbilities of defense. ] don't think
Heaven will object to our avallng our
selves of them"
Much you know of Heaven" he re-
piled. mo man could have made such
a set Of circumstances to flt into my
doom. 1t requires the subtlety and
cruelty of god. / might as well have
killed that man and given myself up.
The result will be the same. But I'm
too id weak to kill anybody, SO I
am to be killed. This is In accordance
with eternal practice"
| He looked at me with n glarlng eye.
| His words were hot with a burning
arraignment. There could be no mis-
take about the earnestness and sinceri-
| ty of his emotion.
EITHER this man is innocent or mad
/ said to myself. and then hastened to
dlsavow the thought to myself
II tell you beforehand" he went on
that you cannot do anything with
the circumstances. Did go to Mr.
Prineveau and use threatening words
yes. Did 1 happen to have a pistol In
] my possession whose bullets exactly
correspond to the one found In the
| mans body-yes. Did / disappear
after the deed-yes. Is my life and
character just such as would 'fit me for