The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-08-28

thisg," / exclaimed. Il set to worn
aud developed them at once. 1t VIII
pass the time nicely"
The first plate developed was 3 fall
ure. Why, 1 don't know, for 1 i'm
n~ediately threw it away ane eom-
menced another. All" l thought,
-this one is something ike a photo
graph" Truly. it was a most wonder
full photo. OF lightning; the wayy lines
of fr-there were four, springing
Nm one stem-streamirg down from
the dark and angry heavens right on
TO the earth. where the trees OF the New
Forest in the background weFe sharp
" silhouetted against the tongues Of
fire, from which little side-streams
spread out in all directions. felt, and
still feel. proud Of that photograph, for
il caused no little excitement in the sci
entihc world. The next plate was 4 bit
OF a mystery to me. for il was a negative
OF the landscape in front OF Jul house,
and l wondered when ii was taken,
until 1 remembered that Donald had
asked NE TO take il as q fiaSh-light land
scape view with the last plate on that
memorable evening CT the storm. As
development proceeded and the OBJ
jects became more and more distinct l
was surprised TO see several human fig
ureS portrayed in II. With 4 magnify
ing glass l gave it 4 closer examination,
the result OF which made me tremble
with excitement.
Good heavens" l exclaimed; this
is a photo. OF tie murder of Solenski."
and indeed ii was: taken at the iden-
teal moment that the crime vas com-
mitted. There was the whole scene IN
erringly depicted OF the plate by that
brilliant fash OF lightning. examined
the plate more infinitely. and the result
was startling in the extreme; there was
the murderer in the very act Of plung-
ing the knife into Solerski's breast!
The faces of both men were plainly
distinguishable, and-that of the MUIR
derer was not Gerald Merrilees. but
OF a short. thick-set man with a heavy
beard: and there. farther in the back
ground. was an inanimate form. with
upturEed face. lying upon the earth.
Good heavens" l again exclaimed.
$50 Merriiees is innocent, after all!
How wonderful hat We should have
taken this photograph. and thus be able
10 prove his innocence: Tomorrow l
will go TO Winchester with il, and pro-
cure his release"
Suddenly l ree.ed as if shot To
morrow did l say? Why. tomorrow
s the day Of his execution, 1t is TO-
morrow now. for it is after three
O'Clock. In five hours all viii be over;
another victim sacrificed 20 miscarriage
OF justice" What was l 10 DO? Twen-
II miles from Winchester: with no
means OF communicating with the au-
thorities TO avert the tragedy which
would 500 be eracted-here was l with
evidence that would save an innocent
mans life; and that man a DEAF friead,
:oo.
What could I do? Igroaned aloud in
my anguish, and great beads OF pers-
piration dropped from my brow.
just then nv wife and son returned.
and were alarmed TO see my ag;tated
state. but upon explaining matters. my
wite's ready wit suggested that l should
ride TO Winchester on my bicycle. The
very thing. 1 jumped with joy, and
soon after started on my dark and
drearv. but fateful ride. with ire price
less negative carefully packed to avoid
the risk Of breaking and its terrible
consequences.
l viii not go into details OF that ride,
for only those who rave ridden over
strange crossroads on z pitch-dark
night. when . frieEd's life depends upon
their speed and dispatch, can sympa-
thIze witk me.
Az Gas that same morning l rode UP
10 Winchester gaol. and demanded 10
10 see the governor Immediately: and
upon being admitted TO his presence
showed him the Heaven-sent witness,
which he deemed OF such Importance
that he teiegraphed at once &c the home
secretary, giving him details OF my
marvellous photograph. with the result
that in this eleventh hour Gerald Mer-
rilees was reprieved-he was saved.
The nature OF the evidence hat IS.
tabIished Nerri.ees' innocence. and all
particulars concerning il. were kept
strictly secret by the police, who had
my negative enlarged. and sent copies
OF the Observation-Disclosures the
features of the murderer were clearly
portrayed-to all the police stations in
the kingdom, with the result that with
in ten days the real culprit was arrested
in the foreign quarter OF Soho, and upon
being charged with the murder on
fessed his guilt. stating that Solenski
was an a~bsconding nihilist. who had
fed to England to avoid carrying out
a horrible task imposed IN him by the
particular rules of that dreaded So
BY so doing his life became forfeited,
and to the murderer was allotted the
of carrying out the society's VEN
geace. Hoping TO escape. Solenski had
in retirement in our village. but
was tracked by his memorable execu-
who stated that on the night Of
the great storm he had come across the
and senseless form of Mer-
from whom he took everything
,ro;IobIa ;rrIuJipr tho Earal Info