The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-29

uONek Win nay the DO0Y Irum the WOmhn I
view. As he did 90 his hand struck . hard OBJ
ject. He pulled IL out. The men uttered or
CARNATIONS OF horror. Any woman might have
tainted At the sight Of the murderous weapon.
But Mrs. Burns had New England nerves; she
stolldly watched the constable take the Ratchet.
inspect It ~ginRerly. and then hand IL over to the
doctor. The edge OF the Ratchet correspondent
TO the longth OF the cash. and d~lsmembered
gray hair on the blade matched that OF the vic
tim. So far, the circumstances ~ the crime
were as plain as tho barn floor. One could al.
most see the fatal blows fall.
II don't think there is anything more here TO
do" The constable spoke slowly. w can
safely leave the body where Il Is. and lock the
barn for tho night. Bring the. hatchet along,
Doctor; and II you have no objections, Mrs.
wife. and we viii ask you a few " Questions be-.
The Minister took the widow, arm with ten
Burns chen rchcarscd the facts quietly.
1T, was about 0 o'clock-Just an hour ,aro;"
went out about \. 10 do some chores and lock
up as usual. thought heard a cry, and being
nnss'Sl Ills / rs eye Sut were o loand and ,i'% ! he %nsf Rim ne SAY is
distinctly, Williams. Hc tried to speak fur.
tther. but he passed away without another word:
any living soul"
Let vs. see" said the clergyman, with what
linms2"
The men exchanged grave glances. Thomas
didn't vel on well with folks, YOU know. re.
member he came to words with George, VIII
Iains because he put potatoes into a damp
place in the cellar. That was In March, and
George left on the spot, saying, that he never
Would work f9r US again. l shouldn't think
Any one else by that name out of the
The widow shook her head after some DELHI.
crate thought. Then the Deacon's wife came in
and carried her friend away from the shocked
Everybody in Broadhelds knew George VII.
liams., He was a farm hand who had ,drifted
crops were heavy. OF him there, was little
known. except that he was a good worker, but
EnRlishman. and he was rs hard to deal with
ne most of the lower class OF his countrymeu
had expressed no wonder when he failed to
hitch. horses with old, man Burns. The
emano lpated islander could Ill brook authority
IA gruf as his own resentment. But there Ia
n long step between surliness and murder, and
the old orthodox .churchgoers were slow to
.Georse!. Why. everybody knows George
Williams"
wa nSit%ed' i! Snf his sS MIND ""n The %' profe sadd'S pS dst
tective might not remember this. but common
sense and common charity must.
Broadtields gosslped quickly, but moved
fast when the impromp:u jury met for the
second time in the Burns mansion. The under
the premises resembled n miniature camp
nnS many peams m mers hi aS6et. h talbi ana 1 undsr
breath. The distant clarg Ct a blacksmIthIs
h ham nIr, so5I ID ID 1%piousiy; i was s, as If he
1T can't be. him. :" said the minister with the
easy disregard of grammar that ZONES from
he'd done it, he'd have run away. He's In my
orchard now trimming trees; He's been there
about him with benign triumph.
Then I will go and get him." began tho dea-
Ne" said the minister with gentle hrmness.
II will go. 1t is a terrible blot on a mans char
acter even to connect him with q crime like
The blacksmith Seemed to be about the only
person In the town undisturbed by the moral
ate Of action. and cool Of speech. a contrast to
his fussy forge. He was. moreover. a free
thinker. the only one in :he broad valley. and
slightly feared as such, as plausible rationalists
are apt to be by ignorant believers. He was a
disciple of Emerson. the philosophic arcad OF
the minister dared not cross swords with the
only, respectable man in town who belonged to
forge to accept an improved statement as a
fact. No one ever knew him to lose his temper.
No one ever knew him to he otherwise than
delighted in dry. intellectual disputes. and in
GETTING his opponents angry; His fayoritc top.
W S~s i Known Tat I" look upon 'e George Williams with
eIitsxcf f It %ss ne % Ens not W Sn AhsEiSsni hsSie
never.rt to let any one else suspect that he was
e eSser to give St him. fhs n' Therefore ' he ne sseff had T the
detestable custom of interrupting ~tellers of
stories just before the point was reached: This
self possession gave him the reputation of beng q
good listener; It also gave him a real advantage
In a conversation. Of which he was not slow to
make use with native adrottness.
Therefore, when on the morning after the
murder the village gossip stopped eagerly be;
not even raise his eyes from the shoe he was
fitting with expert care.
''WeliP" said Worthely. dryly, willing to
crafty his neighbor's eaSerness to impart ex-
"..WMfSv a,9t you heardf"
HE was murdered last night. They suspect
George Williams. Here's the minister bringing
him down the road. He looks scared enough
The blacksmith dropped the horses hoof
easily from his leather apron and went to the
wide door. BY this time every one seemed to
have OWNED the minister's mission. Looks OF
The BLACKSMITH looked. at the Tnglishman,
and aD sS%t 6 be t R,pe c S%i . 81 n,s m Se Said, dryly.
ITS a serious business" he continued loudly
so as to be overheard BY several Others. ito ac-
The minister looked up at the speaker with a
gratifsd nod. Amen to that. he said solemn
Cling. The blacksmith gazed after them in
tently until they turned into snrns,s yard.
IL nothing unusual had Happened. But there
had his pipe was out.
Suspicious. sullen. frightened, defiant.
George Williams Glared from one to the other,
as the minister, with a whispered word of en-
couragemcnt, ushered the farm hand into the
presence of the constable. the doctor, and the
storekeeper. The teacher Of the Town Acad-
envy had been added that morning to the i'm
promptu Coroner's jury, and he suggested that
Williams should he taken To the barn.
II don't see why I should go. What have |
to do with IT." pleaded the unfortunate man.
The five turned pale and Judged each other
neryously: That fndehnabh instinct, which
Is the gift OF great detectives, and which in
cisively points out the guilty person with oc-
cult force. possessed each bystander. This
feeling increased when Williams hung back.
pale and trembling, upon the pastors encour-
aging arm. The good man had now serious
doubts, but his Christianity forbade him to
express them TO the mans face.
When Williams was brought into the pres
ence of the dead man. by, all the recognized
laws of circumstantial evidence he hopelessly
incriminated himself before a question had
been asked.
II didn't do It," he cried. why am |
brought hercI ! am innocent. Before God, l
am Innocent"
constable. rather coolly. We have. proof
ma