The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-03-27

q alton Tor publlc
approval was its centra location me
place being almost exactly IN thc
center Of the county To The people OF
the struggling little frontier town Wlid
Rock was a world within itself. It's one
short dusty business street, with the
county courthouse and jail-the most
comnodious building in the place--at \
one end Of it, was the center of the UNI
verse TO them.
But twice week Eli Warners stage !
couch, drawn by four big black mules
brought to them news of the outside
world from the little telegraph and
way station on the Southern Pacific
road. some 40 miles TO the south.
one of the latest additions 10 Wild
Rocks population had been Frank
Wagner, younger brother OF the Dig
brayypy frontcrsman who supplied
the town with its seml-weekly mai
md such other commodities as II was
necessary to bring from the railway
station. This younger Wagner had
settled in Wild l:ock, first, because
his brother WAS there, ana, seconu'
because the place was out west ne
had come west, like thousands OF
others, in search Of health. and III les
than n wears time had found ii. only
70 be brought face to face with death
In much worse form-on the
gallows.
Before he had been in the place ten
months, Wild Rock awakened one
morning and found one OF her citizens
dead. murdered at his home during
the night. Had Bill Wagner been al
home instead of nj the railroad sta
ton he would no doubt, have been
arrested as the murderer, because he
was the only enemy the dead man was
known 10 have. But. MS il was mpos
sihic 10 fnsten the crime onto the stage
driver. the citizens of the place mas
tened to lay it upon the shoulders o
the Younger Wagner. and had Franz
arrested before night
1t lacked but six weeks OF election
day, and the county attorney, eager u
be the choice of the people FOR nnottr
term, was untiring in his Efforts =
weave a chain of circumstantial evl
dcnce around the young man ina
would certainly convict HIM. Ious
his purpose be accomplished, ~ woul
win for the lawyer the plaudits of tn
people. and secure him their supper
AT the polls. because the young man
nolished eastern manners and goo
clothes had never been popular VIII
Wild Rocks male population.
Good counsel for the defense wa
secured in the east, but all 10 10 pu
pose for. do what they could. u ";
i,npossiblc TO secure an unpreIudics
iury. and their only hope for the
client lay in the Judge. When u
case came TO trial the few persons WI
were willing. and knew enough ano
The casc 10 testify. were placed on =
stand in the young mans favor. y
the eastern attorneys knew, btio
half the witnesses for the state we
examined. that their ease was ~
Even the hore that they might seen
some clcmency for the prisoner fre
the Judge decreased gradually as
case proceeded. owing to some 81
rulings he made in the states favor
After the testimony was al III y
the county attorney had thrown al
his pent-up cloquence into IN app
Tor Justice 10 the people. for an :
for an eve and q tooth for tooth
and after the attorneys Tor the
tense had shown To the jury the we
POINTS in the purely circums'ah
evidence against their client ana
spoken OF his good character. kno
both in Wild Rock and at his cast
home. the fate Of the prisoner was
10 the IL men chosen 10 represent
law in Nayajo county.
In less than Is minutes they rctur'
and announced to the court that u
had found Frank Wagner guilty
murder in the first degree. and rec'
mended that he he sentenced 10 ham
Never had life seemed so dear
young Wagner as when the Judge
4 voice evidently calculated to ca
warning to al in the conrtro
sentenced the prisoner ut the bar u
hanged by the neck until dead on
dav. November -. 1892, between
hours OF four and ten a. m.
That date was but five weeks a'
md every chance of saving the
oner's life must be tried in the M
time. Tn. motion for new trial
oycrruled by the judge, and an
enl was denied. Two weeks he
The day of the execution there was
one hope left, and Il was with n
hearts that Wngner's attorneys, I
oughly convinced Of the young n
innocence, started for Washiogto
Inv the case before the president,
eppcal to him for "A pardon for
client.
The time of execution was less
"a hours away. already the Eallows
becn erected in the Jail yard. and J
ing more encouraging than that
president lad taken the case unde
yisrmcnt had been heard from v
tngton.
CHAPTER H.