Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-10-15

case If Jon can prore me inno
cent"
I then related ny plan Of de
Tense, and when / he'd finished th
Colonel shook me ioyfnlIy by tn,
hand, and said !: God bless ron
my boyl You viii ssve me from
the gallows %
AS you remember, the case wa
the topic Of the day, and Col. Gov
Ientry vas thous hsssas tksstro1g
est proof b. the fact that he had
engaged me to defend him.
l knew that the reaction woult
be powerful, and that those who
now reviled and sneered at m.
would, ere long, be sounding my
praise.
The trial came on. The Gov.
ernment first brought forward the
two men who swore to seeing Col
Coventry walking by the bank al
$3.50 o'clock on the night of the
murder. Then the evidence was
brought to show that the Colonel.
although rich man, was just at
that time in need of ready money
to complete speculation in which
he was engaged.
The last and strongest witness
was Charles Brand, the cashier,
who testified to the description OF
his assailant, which corresponded
to that of my client, and swore in a
most positive manner that the rob-
Der had lost his left arm at the ell
bow.
The Government attorney was q
great sportsman and betting man.
So, leaning over to him, l said /:
Glow much will you bet that / will
not prove my clients innocence p"
go, il you are anxious to bet, l
will run up $780," he answered,
"though | dislike to bet on a sure
thing"
"I'll cover your bet," I said.
"You think you have q sure thing,
and SO do /, go we are safe.
/ arose and addressed the court,
saying l had but one witness to
call that l might bring many wit
nesses to prove that it VAS Col.
Coventry's invariable custom to
take a walk after his dinner, and
that he always came back by way
OF the bank also many to prove
that the Colonel could have bor-
rowed on his personal note, and
did borrow in that way all the mon
ey he needed for his speculation ;
but the one witness whom / was
about to call upon could and would
prove beyond shadow of doubt
that the Colonel was not the mur-
derer and robber.
But when l called Charles Brand
the murmur of surprise that rippled
out through the room was ludi-
crous. OF all the surprised ones,
none was more so than the cashier,
so unexpectedly called upon as an
infallible witness in favor of the
man whom he had only a few mo-
ments before virtually condemned.
"You are positive that it was the
right hand in which the robber
held the pistol ?"
eyes," he answered, 81 am pos.
tive"
"Could it not have been his left
hand ?"
"No his left hand was gone. "
l spoke few words to my clerk,
who went out, returning in q few
moments with large frame cover
ed completely with a cloth, which
l placed in front of the cashier.
"Now Mr.. Brand, ! wish you to
look at that. without turning your
head till such a time as 1 tell you. %
L signalled to Col. Coventry,
who advanced, removed his coat,
put on the black mask, which had
been brought to the court room,
took the revolver in his hand, his
right one, and stood behind the
cashiers chair, pointing the muz'
zle at his head.
At a sign from me, my clerk
pulled away the cloth and dis.
PLAYED a large plate glass mirror
When the cashier saw the figure in
the mirror he started from hii
chair in surprise, but l held hin
down.
"Tell me-" said, sis this igur,
that of the robber 90
"The identical likeness" b,
answered.
"Look closer {, Is there no dif