The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-12-04
|. "May 1 ask II

that is going o., said. May ask II
you are engaged on itf"
mo" no answered. "But IL is curl
Gus case A man, clerk dismissed from
his employment, is accused of numbering
the cashier of the firm. The evidence
against him Is entirely circumstantial, but
the defense broke down at the most crit
ical point, and the case looks very black
for the prisoner"
The train was now slackening speed, and
there was general rising to go. rose
too.
"Are you going to get out here?" Mr..
Haywood asked, opening the door as we
glided into the station. 'Have you come
down so early on business
Eyes" I said, wishing to goodness
knew what the immediate business was.
Nothing very urgent, though" added,
half to myself, as got out.
'If you have the time to spare you had
better turn in and hear the end Of the
trial." said Haywood 1.-THE court will be
crowded with ladies, no doubt but 1 can
smuggle you into corner"
Not knowing in the very least what
should do with myself for the next two
hours, 1 accepted the offer with gratitude.
was soon seated in an obscure corner of
a dingy, i'll lighted, i'll ventilated court
house, which would have been iii smelling,
too, had 1t not been for the scent waited
from the numerous ladies who were pres
emit.
One of these buxom female obstruc-
ton who ought to have known better, was
just in front of me and blocked my view
with an enormous bonnet. / could not see
the prisoner or his counsel, or even the
clock over his head, at which the people
kept looking eagerly as the hour for the
recommencement of the trial approached.
At last there was stir and hustle,
caused by the persons invisible to me,
then call of "silenoe," and after few
preliminaries the summing up commenced.
l listened the more attentively because 1
could see nothing. The telling sentences
cut deep into my consciousness. How con-
vincing 1t all was! How all those minute
facts, the minute testimony of footmarks
and the like arranged and distributed by
that powerful intellect grouped themselves
into the damning proof of guilt cared
nothing for the prisoner-had no personal
interest in the trial-but my mind was
wonderfully fascinated by the tale of hor.
ror.
At length the weighty tones ceased and
a murmur of relief and expectation ran
round the assembly. At this moment the
woman with the huge bonnet shifted her
sent, and 1 obtained full view of the pris-
oner. 1 started involuntarily. Where had
seen that face before? The jury returned
after a short absence. The verdict was
"Guilty," accompanied with a recommend
alton to mercy. Once again the judges
solemn tones resounded throughout the
court; once again they ceased. There was
a dead silence. sprang to my feet, as If
impelled to do so by some unseen power,
and looked steadily at the prisoner.
His face was averted from me at tho
moment, but the looks of the people
showed that he was about to speak. Slow
ly he turned about and in voice whose
Deep earnest tones could be heard all over
the assembly he said:
"There lives but one man who can prove
me innocent, and there he standsr'
With white face and outstretched arm
he pointed-at me- l gazed at him with
sudden flash of recognition. 1t was the
man l had seen under the lamp. and, by
strange coincidence, at this moment the
church clock struck H.
The plea that had been set up by the de-
Tense was an alibi. But there was space
of two hours that could not be accounted
for, and the theory of the prosecution was
that the crime had been committed during
that time. My evidence supplied the miss
ing link, for the place In which had seen
the man was so far distant from the scene
of the murder that it was impossible for
him to have been anywhere near at the
time of its commission.
And the dreamP Only coincidence,
you will say, perhaps, or fit of indiges-
ton, or my timber contract. Nevertheless,
as 1 have told it you, so it happened. Ex-
plain it away who can.-Spare Moments.