The Forrest City times., 1898-09-02

ingra.iate himself with the rec,o, hv visiting him and regularly attending upon the services. This also proved the way to Miss Pincton's esteem. and soon he was regular caller at her house, working with her upon the plans for rectory and parsonage that were to be built with her money after she could no longer have the pleasure of hoardiEg it. Brown was also a fa- vorite with the judge, as he was with all the rest of the people of the village. for he gave fish and game to the housewives, gave pennies to the ba- bies and taught the little boys to swim.
 One evening the community was mortified on discovering that the miserly old woman had been stran- gled. The judge alone knew what must be done and sent hurriedly for the sheriff and the coroner. Investi- gation developed that there had not only been murder. but robbery. The carefully kept books showed that the old lady had a trihe over three-quar- ters of million in coin and bills. Half the amount was gone, while the other half was undisturbed. The last man known to have visited her was Brown, and he had disappeared. When the sheriff and deputies had secured the country in vain, detectives from the large eastern cities were stimu- lated by the offer of big reward, but their shrewdness and industry accom- plished nothing. Meantime the village absolutely refused to render a verdict against Brown, the judge, the rector and the landlord being particularly strong in his defense. They were laughed at by the detectives and roundly abused by the sheriff. but they insisted that Brown was utterly iE- capable of such crime.
 By the time that the outside world had forgotten the tragedy, the judge was called to his door one evening by knock and confronted Brown. Inside of an hour the judge had listened to a strange story, the thought never en- tering his mind that he might have to sit in judgment and pass sentence upon the man who was confiding in him.
 "This woman's father" related Brown. was my grandfather's part ner in fine mercantile business. P1ncton proved rascal. robbed my grandfather of every dollar he had and left the Browns in poverty. Grand father died because he did not have the courage to live; grandmother soon followed him. and my father, who seemed to have been stricken by the same blow. never did more than sup port his family. Pincton, who after ward showed that he must have some sort of a conscience, because he made away with himself, brought ill luck to our family for at least three genera tions. His wealth was left to his only daughter. and she added to it with no other thought than of appeasing the wrath of heaven by giving every thing to the church. After working rntil my health was impaired. and with three sisters depending upon me when they should have had plenty, determined to collect the money of which we had been robbed, together with what it had since made 1 con suited able lawyers, but they regard ed only the law and laughed at my pretepsions. based my rights upon equity and determined to vindicate them. Half of that money belonged to us. and was tound to have it.
 "E~en if you had to commit mur- der?"
 II never brought myself face to face with that contingency, but believe that there was no extreme to which would not have been justified in go- ing had more moderate means failed me. l came here, ingratiated myself with the woman and finally told her the whole story. She knew it to be true, but clung to the idea that she could buy the future happiness of her father through the church. Either that or she so gloated over the hoard ed wealth that she would part with ronc of it. I worried her conscience unceasingly and 1 believe that she took the same cowardly recourse as did her father"
 The doctor says not. He is positive that she was murdered. and all the evidence goes to fasten the crime upon you"
 II found her lying dead upon the floor, a handkerchief twisted tightly about her neck. 1 looked upon her death as providential intervention on my behalf, broke open her secre- tary, scrupulously divided the money and fled in order to place it beyond recovery. When I read that l was charged witt. murder. l came back to vindicate myself. l have always lived up to the best suggestions of my con- science and all that I have done is in accord with the most perfect equity. It is one of those cases in which the law is so unfortunate as to be wrong"
 The judge could do nothing but turn Brown over to the -ustody of con- stable while awaiting the sheriff. Next morning the prisoner " gone. and .l~ local vafarinarv said that fhe