Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-08
IDENTIFIED IN TINE.

NlInOul ittNlHa Al4I 49, 1900 '''N $500
Put the formal question
"Prisoner at tho bar, you havo heard
tho verdict of tho jury. Have you any
thing TO say why sentence of death should
not be passed upon you:
"Well. cap'n, IT'S hard to be hung for
nothin, but can see this we're IL n yard
arm business. 1 knows no more o. this
'cre burglary nor babby, hut these wit
nesses hn'n't told no lies, I s'pose. And
what can say ngin 'ern? Nhcn this thing
came off, was fighting tho slaves of the
gold coast But you've got no call to be-
lieye that, so there's an ond OF
There was something bluff and manly
about the prisoners manner which i'm.
pressed the judge, who said, not unkindly.
"But, surely prisoner, IL your story Is
true. you must have friends and comrades
with whom you could have communi.
catedg II you had Thought they could do
YOU good, you would have done this. II
Is too late now"
"Youro right, cap'n; 1t is too late. But
It's all very well to say Let 'em know
when man is locked up in Jail and cant
read or write and don't know where
they are They may be in Aineriky, and
they may DO at the Cnpo, and how could
let EN- know Leastways, not in time.
No, it's no use, cap'n, and you'd better
order me to be run up to tho yartlarm at
once "
Every one in court stared in amazeinent
at the man who thus coolly urged tho
judge to hasten his execution while at the
same time protesting his innocence. The
judge was evidently touched.
But, prisoner, the court has no wish to
hang man who may be innocent. IL
there no one who could speak for youY'
mot likely he began. But suddenly
he stopped short, u look of nstonishment
came over his face, he leaned eagerly for
ward, his eyes seemed starting from their
sockets. Slowly Thomas Wilson raised his
arm, and, pointing solemnly to the
stranger from the Lion hotel, who sat ON
the bench, said, in voice half chokcd by
emotion:
'Ye-es; there's n gentleman there who
might speak for me, II he would -
The judge turned sharply round. "Do
you know the prisoner" he asked
mo, my lord, ~ was the reply. ~ never
saw him before in my life"
A deep groan burst from the prisoner,
and 1t was echoed by something very like
"A sigh of disappointment from the people
In court.
well, Csp'n Sharpe, IL you put the
rope round my neck, give in. Go on, my
lord, I'm ready for tho yardarm"
Stay" said the judge, turning again
to the stranger, "are you Captain Sharpe"
Eyes, my lord, was the reply.
"Well, tho prisoner seems to recognize
you, and under The peculiar circumstances
1 will ask you to step into tho witness
box and BIO sworn in order that tho pris-
oner may ask you questions
Captain Sharpe stepped into the witness
box. Thomas Wilson began to question
him.
Beg pardon, sir, but are you Capn
Sharpe of his majesty's ship WulturS"
Yes, am Captain Sharpe and did
command tho Nulture before she was paid
Of"
WAS you, sir, in command of her last
spring on the gold coast"
IL was y
And wasn't ono of your crew."
Certainly not L never SAW your face
before in my life.''
but, cap'n, don't you remember that
big Arab dhow that gave yer SO much
troubles Don't yer remember boardin OF
herr"
Yes, but all this has been in tho news
papers, where you have probably read it,
for 1 am certain you were not one of my
crew.
what, Cap'n Sharpe!' cried the pris-
oner, almost in "A rosr, 81 wasn't one of
your crew. Don't yer remember who oamo
between you and the big Niger that was
Just n-goin to cut yer down, and don't yer
remember what he got for it? Don't yer
remember this Capn Sharpe"
And as he almost shricked out these
words the prisoner pulled aside his full
shock of hair and showed a white scar ex-
tending along tho whole Of the scalp
Captain Sharpe stared hard ut the in
terrogator; strange, puzzled expression
came over his face; then he slowly NUT
tered:
"Heavensl Is 1t possible9 Why, you
must bo Tom Wilson, my old boatswain! %
Captain Sharpe, leaying,the witness box,
made his way across the court TO the dock.
Then he seized the prisoner by tho hand,
and, turning to the judge, with tears In his
eyes, he said:
My lord, there Is some terrible mistake
hero. This Is certainly Tom Wilson, my
old bos'n, hut he's so changod-I suppose
by the anxiety and imprisonment he hn,
undergone-that l did not recognize him
at first, You can't hang the old hos II OF
the Nnlture, my lord, unless you hang hi.
captain with him
The scene which followed has probably
never had a parallel in any court of JUS
tee. The spectators gave vent TO theil
pent up emotions in ringing cheers, whict
the judge made no attempt to check. In
deed, no was himself so affected TINT tn,
tears were running down his checks
When silence was restored, his lordshiI
turned to tho jury and said:
Gentlemen, think this is case IN
which you may we'll reconsider your yer
dict"
"We have" my lord, promptly replied
the foreman, land we find the prisoner
not guilty"
About 10 o'clock that night Captain
sharpe, accompanied by his faithful boat
swain, left Chester for London. Had tn,
judge and jury overheard the conversation
that passed between them, thoy woult
probably have been more astonished than
in court. We'll, old pal, " Captain Sharp,
was saying, 1--WE. pulled through that bust
ness pretty we'll, think. That was u goot
Idea OF Willy Bob's-waiting for the yer
dict. We could never have touched tina
evidence YES, " Tom Wilson answer
I'd, and You acted it perfectly. If yot
had cottoned to me minute sooner, l bo
hove they'd have twigged IL. S'help me
Thought | should ha' bust when / saw
tho old beals a-blubberin. "-Iit-Bits.
AMERICANS AS MUSICIANS.