The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-09-25

fearsome and terrified "Oh!" imprinted
the scene.on the sensitiveplate. AZ
Pm glad that's the last plate" ssid
| Donald, when the deafening peal OF
| thunder allowed him to make himself
heard, "for 1 should not care to stand
at the window, during, another such
flash as that. Shall we develop the
plates to-night?"
"Not if know it," replied. "Be of
TO bed now, and We'll do them the first
thing in the morning" 20 Ugfst
III.
But we didn't; for wewereawakenetl
early by violent ringing of the bell,
and upon going down in my dressing
gown and opening the door 1 beheld the
! village constable, with white, haggard
in every line.
"Oh, sir!" he gasped, twill you come
over on the common with'me? There's
/ the corpse of a man lying there, and I
fear he's been murdered, for there's a
knife stuck in his breast. I want you
to come as a witness before touch the
body"
Lying on the common! Murdered!
ImpossibleTI said. s'sBut wait a mo-
ment till 7 have dressed and I'll come
with you" sssea ,s'as s-s,s s,-es.-3'
The constable's tale was only too true,
for there, lying on the damp grass--his
hair and clothes .sodden with last
nights rain; with upturned face, and
with the blade Of large knife buried
deep in his heart-lay the corpse of
Ivan SolensM, the handsome young ten
ant of "The Hermitage" and sutton for
the heart and hand Of the lovely Marie
Devereux, of "Forest Hail. While the
constable guarded the body / hurried
for the doctor, who upon his arrival de-
clared that life had been extinct for
some hours. sss7 " assi-' = i'es-s
8 "Good heavens!"'' he calculated, "this
knife belongs to Gerald Merrilees! See,
hereare his .initials!~' and there, on the
silver-mounted handle, were the letters
&c. NJ" g. a'S., p. ~, ~. 80. -. -
That evening Gerald Merrilees, the
handsome, well-built young owner of
"The Home Farm" and Solenski's rival
for the affections Of the beauteous
Marie Deyereux, was arrested on a
charge Of murder, upon the sworn in
formation of the butler of "Forest
Hail." who deposed. that. on the pre-
vious evening Merrilees had had a
stormy interview with Miss Devereux,
in which Solenski's name was men
toned several times, and that Merrilees
had suddenly dashed out of the house,
muttering: "ITl kin him! I'll kill
him!" Upon this evidence and that
of the knife found in the dead, mans
breast Merrilees. was. committed for.
trial at the forthcoming assizes about
to be held atthe Guildhall, Winchester.
tJaos EnS> $500 t.aa Il
- ct III.
Doubtless the reader remembers the
account Of the trial, which was pub
lished so fully in the daily papers of
the time, but in case he may not recall
it to mind l might here briefly give
Merrilees' defense. In. spite of the
strong proofs of his guilt he persistent
ly declared himself innocent and
pleaded mot guilty." He fully admit
ted the truth of the evidence of the but
lcr Of Forest Hail." and his counsel
explained that ne had thatevening pro-
posed for the hand of Miss Devereux,
but had been rejected, upon which he
had accused her Of favoring the suit of
Solenski, and whenSshe admitted that
she had that day accepted Solensk his
jealousy and. rage overpowered him
being very hot-tempered fellow
causing him to rush from the house,
the terribly discriminating
threats now used as evidence against
him. After leaving "Forest Hall" This
counsel continued) reason gradually
prevailed, and he proceeded to go home,
his path lying across the common in
front OF my house. a,ar isisrf
Being anxious to arrive there before
the threatened storm broke, and partly |
10 cool his fiery temper, he ran; but, his
foot catching in the stump of furze
bush, caused him to fall heavily to the
ground, and with such force as to rem
Ter him unconscious - 7aiiis ~
He declared that his pockets must
have been rif1ed by some malicious
while he lay in that state,
or whereas he fell on his face, when
,e recovered consciousness he was lying
IN his back. He reached home, too weak
md dazed to think or observe, but great
vas his surprise the next morning to
ind his pockets empty; watch, chain,
purse, loose cash, hunting knife (Which
re always carried). and everything, all
rome. i,a.rfy 4Y r.af ..slo5
Counsel dwelt strongly upon this
act, and maintained that the accused
vas not the culprit, but that when lying
unconscious the real murderer robbed
i'm, TALKING, amongst other things, the
'nife nsed with such fatal effect upon
'oleuski-whose pockets he also rifled
-Ioex H. -