Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-01-14

ITCfuSCd to accept q penny OF 1t.
moro especially magnificent diamond
necklace, was in the safe that night
The cold blooded villain went still far
ther. He declared that she had left a
gas jet lighted for his convenience, and
that she had suggested chloroforming
Lady Dudley to give him full swing
He even declared that che commanded
him to kill the woman when she arose
from her he'd and discovered them.
Those who heard Ben Johnson's testi-
mony said that he looked the judge
straight In the eye and never hesitated
or blundered. When he was through,
nine tenths Of the people in the court.
room regarded her as the more guilty Of
the two Then came the defense and
the reaction. Lord Dudley himself tes-
tilted to her long and loyal services. He
said the key of the safe happened to be
in his own pocket that night and for
three days and nights previously, as he
had taken the necklace to jeweler for
repairs and was waiting for its return.
There was no money in the safe, and
indeed but little jewelry. There was no
gas in the room, as her ladyship objected
to it, There were marks OH the sash to
prove that the catch had been sprung
from the outside There was no chloro-
form about the house, nor could Mary
have got any at the drug store without
an order. The servants at once denied
what they had said regarding Mary. and
she was promptly discharged from Gus
tody. The police evinced their disap-
pointment and chagrin at the outcome
of the case, but were probably solaced
by the fact that had no lord to testify
in my behalf.
You have guessed my line Of defense,
and you know that I had half dozen
witnesses. 1t shouldn't have been sur
prise to the police but it certainly was.
This was due to the bold faced lying OF
the villain johnson. The story he told
when put into the witness box against
me made me pinch my legs to see if l
was awake or dreaming, and his man
ner Of telling it almost satisfied me that
/ was an accessory. Such calm. cold
nerve was never seen before. He began
by stating that he had met me in Liver
pOOl u OtAO2c uuu NOAA AAC VI
the "job' and that had readily agreed
to join him. He claimed that had
been in Dudley three days; that he was
the ono who entered the castle while l
kept watch outside; that as we were
making our escape by boat charged
him with playing me false and struck
him down before he could defend him
self-all this and much more, and q
man telling the solemn truth could not
have assumed q more honest demeanor.
We showed, Of course, that the Hindu
was still at sea on the date he gave and
in all other ways upset his yarn, but he
was taken to Jail declaring that every
| word he had spoken was gospel truth.
No sane man could dispute my inno-
cence, but presently found that the
public looked at me askance. I have
been told that there is always a bit OF
| feeling against the man who proves that
| be had nothing to do with the crime for
which he was arrested, particularly if
| it is heinous one and the public has
made up it's mind that he is guilty.
| They somehow can't quite forgive him
for disappointing them. In my case the
chief of police even had the impudence
to say to me:
"Well, my man, it seems that some
| how YOU have slipped the halter of