Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-01-06

it is heinous one and the public ha
made up its mind that he is guilty
They somehow can't quite forgive hin
for disappointing tt em. In my case tn
chief of police even had the impudenc'
to say to me:
"Well, my man, it SEEMS that some
how you have slipped the halter of
your neck, but let me warn you that
shall have AN eye upon your future
movements. I presume you will leave
town very soon?''
"I shall leave when I get ready to,
was my blunt and perhaps impuden
reply.
"No talking back, sirl have th'
power to warn suspicious characters II
leave town and to lock them up If the,
hesitate to CO."
"Well, sir, go ahead on any oourst
that suits you. I know how greatly yor
are disappointed, but it is all owing II
your lack of sense in handling the cas-
at the start"
He fumed and clustered; but, having
burned his fingers once, he did not pro
ceed to extreme measures. Some ont
spread the report that had been twice
arrested in Liverpool, and had
pretty clear idea as to where the gossip
started from. Lord Dudley, as soon al
sending for the police, had offered re-
ward of e1 900 for the arrest and con
viction of the murderer. had certainly
been the means of his arrest, and be-
tween Mary Williams and myself the
prosecutor had all the evidence neces
sary to convict. After I had been dis
charged from custody his lordship SEM
for me. He received me very kindly,
expressed his qualification that I hao
come out of the case with flying colort
and referred to the matter of the re-
ward. refused to accept penny Of 1t,
to his great establishment, but later on
] could not we'll refuse the gold watch,
telescope, chronometer and other gifts
he sent me by his chief steward, together
with his best wishes for my future well
fare.
AS Ben johnson was held to the
assizes, the girl and must be detained
as witnesses; so the chief Of police could
not have driven me away if he had SET
about it. We had to give bonds, and il
was Lord Dudley himself who furnished
them. 1t so happened, however, that
the term was close at hand, and the
case would be disposed Of by the time
the Hindu had been overhauled. This
would let me out Of a bad scrape, but
nevertheless Captain CLARK felt it his
duty to growl at me:
Nov, Ralph, you see the conse-
quences Of a sailor man idling about on
land, and I hope.it will be warning to
you for the rest of your life. "
"But one must see his old mother
now and then," protested.
"Aye, if she be living within stones
throw of the sea, but otherwise she
must not expect it. The land, Ralph,
was created for corn and tees and
hedges and villains, and no true sailor
who fears God and wants to live an
honest life has any business outside of
a seaport. I hope I shall get no wicked
ness throush.-this trip up sIeI1 S,-tI
feel shaky. wouldn't hav6 - 1
pen for a e10 note"
On his trial in the higher court Ben
Johnson was impudent and defiant and
perfectly reckless as to consequences.
He threatened my life in open court,
and he made determined effort to as
sault his old sweetheart with his fists
Had he been a different man, the jury
would have dealt more leniently with
him, no doubt. There were those who
said that he would only. have been pun
ished for attempted robbery. AS it was,
he made everybody around him realize
that he was a desperate and revengeful
man who ought to be put away for life,
and that was his sentence-transporta-
tion to the penal colony in Australia for
the term of his natural life.
you'll never get me half way
therel" he shouted when the judge pro-
nounced sentence. II warn you, judge,
jury, lawyers, witnesses and all, that
for every week I'm a prisoner I'll have
lifel'
They had given him the full extent
and could do no more, and everybody
felt relieved when it was known that
he was handcuffed and shackled and
chained to the wall Of his cell.
Lord Dudley g sister had come to pre-
side at the castle, and both were per-
fectly willing to have Mary Williams
take her old place. The girl would not
20 back, however. With all the gossip
of the country roundabout, and with the
columns of stuff printed in the newspa-
pers, she felt disgraced for life and was
anxious to get out of the country. Her
parents felt the same way, and one day
her father came down to Uncle John
Hampton's inn to nuke some inquiries
of ME regarding Australia. l had made
three voyages to that country and re-
turn and had picked up smart bit OF
information. When I had told him all
I could, he said:
Mother and me might stay on and
live it down, but Mary would grieve
herself to death. She was proved as in.
nocent as babe, but she knows She II
be pointed out for years to come, and
that certain people will always be fling
ing out, and so we'll pull up stakes and
CO."
When Lord Dudley heard Of this re-
solve. he called upon Farmer Williams
and paid him fair price for his land
and stock, and it's my belief that he
also paid the passage of the three out tc
Australia besides. They had only de-