Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-04-23

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knock at the front door. Mr.. Pen
dleton arose from the table to an
swer the summons, and on opening
the door was confronted by deputy
sheriff, who stepped forward and
slipped pair of handouts on his
wrists.
Pendleton was, of course, greatly
surprised, and asked what it meant.
You are charged with the muir
der Of Guy Hinton" Capt. Bennett
replied. ellis body has been found
in skirt of woods on the Bastrop
Bayou. There is much damaging
testimony against you. ] advise
you not to talk until you consult a
lawyer"
Pendleton was dumbfounded, not
so much at the charge against him,
for he thought'he could easily clear
himself,) as he was at the news of
Hinton's death.
Tho unfortunate man, however,
had no conception of the array of
circumstantial evidence he would be
compelled to face.
On preliminary examination it was
shown that the body Of a man had
been found in the woods skirting
Bastrop Bayou with n bullet through
his head, and that the body, although
somewhat deComposed, had been
identified as that of Hinton's; that
Pendleton and Hinton had left Liv-
erpool together one morning some
two weeks before; that Hinton,
when he left home, wore his gold
watch; that couple Of boys out
hunting that afternoon had seen
Pendleton and Hinton standing un-
der a tree talking; that after the
boys had passed out of sight they
had heard a gun or pistol fire in the
direction they had seen the two
men; that Pendleton returned to
Liverpool that evening wearing Hin
toms gold watch; that Hinton had
never since been seen alive, and that
the body had been found under the
very tree where he and Pendleton
were seen by the boys.
The law in Texas seals defend
ants lips. He cannot testify in his
own behalf, and having no way to
disprove the case the State had made
against him Pendleton was COM
mitted to jail without bail.
On final trial he was convicted and
sentenced to the penitentiary for
life.
Mrs. Pendleton was present at the
trial, and, strange to say, after hear
ing the testimony, believed her hus-
band guilty, but says now she can
not see how she ever could have be-
lieved it, since she knew him to be
brave and honest.
About two years after that Mrs.
Pendleton secured divorce and was
married to Mr.. Dwit. Shortly af-
ter her marriage to Dwit she sold all
the property formally owned by
Pendleton, which had been awarded
to her by the divorce court, and re-
moved with her husband to Atlanta,
Ga.
Pendleton had been in the peni.
Tertiary about two and a-haIf years
when letter bearing his address and
South American post-mark arrived
at the Liverpool postoffice. 1t was
forwarded to the penitentiary au-
thorities at Huntsville, and on being
opened was found to be from Guy
Hinton, the man for whom Pendle-
ton was serving out life sentence
for having killed.
Pendleton Immediately wrote Hin
ton what strait he was in. Hinton |
on receiving this letter took passage
for Galveston, and in due time ar
rived in BraZoria county.
OF course the Governor pardoned
Pendleton as soon as the facts were
presented to him. On his release
Pendleton returned to Liverpool.-l
HnI Il
upon him, and the news of his wife's |
divorce, marriage and removal to
Georgia, threw him into a violent
spell OF brain fever.
On his recovery he left his former
home, the scenes of his Joy and his |
great misfortune, and sought the |
home of his former wife, now the
wife of another, with the purpose of
having his boy at any cost.
The news of Hinton's return and
Pendleton's consequent pardon had
preceded him to Georgia. 1t was too
much for Mrs. Pendleton, or rather
Mrs. Dwit. She felt herself biga-
mist. She Immediately left DWit
and week before Pendleton arrived
at Atlanta she became raving ma
nldC anu ndu 10 10 Sent 10 the aSy-
lum.
Pendleton secured his boy and
worked his way to California. Be-
ing man of fertile resources he
soon got another start in the world,
and is now a very prosperous fruit
grower.
Mr.. Pendleton's son George was
too young when the events above re-
corded occurred to remember much
about his mother, and his father
carefully kept the facts of this awful
drama in real life, in which no one
was to blame, but all the victims of
the iron hand of fate. from him un-
til he arrived at his majority.
On the boys reaching the age of
twenty-one years the father told him
of the said romance OF their lives.
George was anxious to learn what
had become of his mother, and OBJ
tanning his fathers permission to do
so visited Georgia. Upon inquiry
at the asylum he learned that she
had been discharged years before as
cured, and that she had gone to live
with brother then residing at some
place in North Carolina. In North
Carolina he learned that the brother
with whom Mrs. Dwit was living
had moved to this, Winston county,
Ala. The young man arrived here
about two months ago and sought
out his parent. The meeting of the
mother and son, so long parted, was