The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-11-06

was abont to expose the sixth and last plate
he said ''Why don't you take fash
light photo of the common with that one,
Illuminated by the celestial electric light,
you know? Point the camera toward the
center Of the common, just for fun I'd
like 60 see how it comes out.
acted upon his suggestion, and no
sooner had got the camera in position
than fash of lightning, so vivid and bril-
liant in its intensity as to momentarily
blind us and wiring from us fearsome and
terrified ''Oh p imprinted the scene on
the sensitive plate.
s'I' III glad that's s the last plate said
Donald when the deafening peal of thun-
der allowed him to make himself heard,
for | should not care to stand at the
window during another such flash as that.
Shall we develop the plates tonight p
mot if | know it, II replied Be
off to bed now, and we II do them the first
thing in the morning.
But we didn' t, for we were awakened
early by violent ringing Of the bell, and
upon going down in my dressing gown and
opening the door I beheld the village con-
stable with white, haggard face, on which
fear was strongly marked in every line.
"Oh, sir he gasped, twill you come
over on the common with me There's
the corpse of man lying there, and | fear
he's been murdered, for there's knife
stuck in his breast | want you to come
as witness before | touch the body.
Lying on the common Murdered !
Impossible r said. ''But wait mo-
ment till | have dressed, and I'll come
with you.
The constable's tale was only too true,
for there, lying on the damp grass, his
hair and clothes sodden with last night
rain, with upturned face and with the
blade of large knife buried deep in his
heart, lay the corpse of Ivan Solenski,
the handsome young tenant of the Hermi-
tage and suitor 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 ar
rival, declared that life had been extinct
for some hours.
'sGood heavensr' he calculated. ''This
knife belongs to Gerald Merrilees See,
here are his initials p And there, on the
silver mounted handle, were the letters
&c. NJ"
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 Dever-
eux, was arrested on charge of murder,
upon the sworn information of the butler
of Forest Hall, who deposed that, on the
previous evening, Merrilees had had a
stormy interview with Miss Devereux, in
which Solenski name was mentioned sew
eral times, and that Merrilees had sud
denly dashed out of the house, muttering:
"I'll kill him I'll him y Upon this
evidence, and that of the knife found in
the dead man. S breast, Merrilees was com
mitted for trial at the forthcoming assizes
about to be held at the guildhall, Winches
ter
Doubtless the reader remembers the ac-
count of the trial, which was published 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 persistently declared himself innocent
and pleaded not guilty. He fully admit
ted the truth of the evidence of the butler
of Forest Hall, and his counsel ex-
planned that he had that evening proposed
for the hand of Miss Devereux, but had
been rejected upon which he had accused
her of fayoring the suit of Solenski, and
when she admitted that she had that day
accepted Solenski his jealousy and rage
overpowered him-being a very hot temp
cred fellow-causng him to rush from the
house, muttering the terribly incriminat
inc threats now used as evidence against
him. After leaving Forest Hall-his
counsel continued reason gradually pre-
vailed, and he proceeded to 90 home, his
path lying across the common in front of
my house.
Being anxious to arrive there before
the threatening storm broke and partly to
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 render him un-
conscious.
He declared that his pockets must have
been riAed by some malicious passerby
| while he Law in that state, for whereas he
fell on his face, when he recovered con
sciousness he was lying on his back. He
reached home too weak and dazed to
think or observe, but great was his sur
prise the next morning to find his pockets
empty Watch, chain, purse, loose cash,
hunting knife-which he always carried
and everything, all gone.
Counsel dwelt strongly upon this fact,
and maintained that the accused was not
the culprit, but that when lying uncon-
scious the real murderer robbed him, tax
ing, among other things the knife used
with such fatal effect upon Solenski-
whose pockets he also rihed-leaving the
murderous weapon in the dead mans
breast, to divert suspicion from himself to
its innocent owner.
For further details, | must refer the
reader to the very tull reports OF the trlal
which appeared in the local papers at the
time, merely cOntenting myself with stat
ing that the jury smiled, in that superci
lious, superior sort of way common to the
British juror, at the palpable weakness of
the defense, and, having satisfied them
selves as to the prisoners guilt, after
short consideration they returned their
awful verdict of guilty Gerald Merrilees
was sentenced to death.
Some time after the foregoing events |
was sitting up awaiting the arrival of my
wife and son, who were returning from
London by a midnight train-or, rather,
an early morning one-reaching Dean
Station at 3 IA. M, after which they had
to drive the intervening five miles home.
1t was weary work waiting. had
finished reading nay novel and was looking
about for something to do, when | sud
denly thought of the plates we had ex-
posed on the night of the thunderstorm
and had lain undeveloped and forgotten
.;l noun lsTba parv thinuFi / exclaimed