Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-08-04
CHATTER VII. Continued,


poor lads death, even by accident
That's a comforting theory, at all
events, III YOU a bring Yourself 10
believe IT," remarked Stephen. drily;
but tell you. plainly, you'll scarcely
yet anyone else TO swallow il, and |
think, We're | you, I'd keep II to my
self. All you have TO do IL TO get well
as quickly as you can. face this formal
ity OF a trial and receive the sympathy
ard congratulations OF your friends
A panied look crossed Oscars face.
His brothers fiippant cynicism Jared
every fiber of his sensitive nature.
Nor did he again refer to the subject
until the question of instructing his
lawyers fur his defense ciI,e uD for
discussion.
The good people of Winchester were
somewhat disappointed with the long
expected trial when 1t actually came
of. and although the London report.
ers specially sent down. contriyed 10
fill several columns with fairly inter
csting copy, there was little of a ensa-
fi0nal character 10 chronicle that ssa
no already public property.
Oscar. WHO was still too weak to
stand for any length of time. was al
lowed q chair in the dock. and pleaded
Not guilty in loud, clear tones, that
All might hear. And then counsel for
the Crown followed the line marked out
for him. The prisoner, he told the
Jury might deem himself fortunate III
that he stood before them charged on
ly with m~anslaughter. What were the
facts which he tthe learned cou..selb
would presently ~substantiate by nu-
mcrouS witnesses2
First of all. the prisoner was the de-
ccased's first cousin, and next, after
him. in succession to II baronetcy and
estates with i rent-roll of some ill.,
eco per year. Secondly. II would be
shown that the prisoner and deceased
We're upon extremely bad terms. so
much so that, 1T least upon onc occa-
sion. they had nearly come to blows.
Thirdly, they were discovered lying
almost side by side in a lonely wood.
the youthful heir shot through the
heart and the prisoner insensible from
tie effects Of a blow.
IL would be proved that the right
barrel of the prisoners gun was found
10 have been discharged, and that the
size OF the pellets extracted from the
body Of the deceased correspondent
with hat of the pellets remaining in
the. other barrel. And it woull fur
thermore be proved that the nature
and direction of the fatal wound, the
relative positions OF the two bodies
when discovered. aud Of the prisoners
gun, pointed most clearly TO the con-
clnsion that the prisoner hads shot the
deceased at almost point-blak dis
lance.
For tue defense, doubtless, great
stress would be laid upon the difficulty
of understanding how the prisoner
could possibly have fired his gun after
receiving n blow upon his head which
well-nigh killed him. and. at the first
blush. that did appear an impossible
~. Doubtless the doctors would have
something TO say IN this subject. But
he 1.-THE learned COUNSEL could cutie
conceive of a man having a sufficient
glimmering of reason left, W after n
murderous blow, to pull a trigger.
Finally, the jury would have TO ask
themselves. III all the evidence aiduced
failed to convince them that the pris
oner fired the fatal shot, "H0w came
Dere Deane by his death? And this
question, in til eeyes of any reasonable
man, surely left no loophole of escape
for the prisoner. The latter. he would
remind them, was not on trial for his
life. The Crown was satisfied with
the more merciful view that there had
been a fresh quarrel between the cou-
sins, that Dcrek Deane had dubbed
the p~risoIer, who had retaliated by
shooting him ait the same instant. And
III they accepted this lcnient and prob
able explanation of the tragic event,
they would bring Ina a verdict OF
Guilty against the prisoner, Oscar
Deane.
ono story is generally good until an
other Is told. and the prosecuting coun-
sells address caused some sensation In
court. the general opinion being that
matters were looking rather black for
the Major. Nor was this impression
weakened by the evidence given by
the witnesses, until DR.. Rowan and the
London specialist came under cross
examination.
Oscars counsel Ito whom Stephen
acted as junier) elected from both a
most emphatic denial of the possibilr
Nv that Oscar should have Willingly
fired after he had been struck. From
the nature OF the injury inflicted. such
s~upposltion was, they asserted, ut
terIy absurd. And when the court adj
for luncheon, the opinion was
gaining ground that the prisoner would
get Oft after all.
The defense ran upon lines within
very narrow limits. Counsel ridiculed
his learned friends suggestion that the
prisoner might deem himself fortunate
In merely being charged with man
The unfortunate gentleman,
|ic ayerred, would have been
at all but for the gross stl,-
ptdity OF the coroner's jury.
AS for the relationship between hih
,nd the deceased, and their quarrelings
nIy0n which mach stress had been laidl
these were points utterly irrelevant TO
Itie case, because they implied motive,
and motive was wholly inconsistent
With manslaughter-as his lordship
would doubtless tell them, later ON.
They were thus reduced 10 the bare
rnding Of the bodies aud TO the reason
lille differences that might be derived
Iherefr0m. There were no witnesses
o that bloody drama In Bramham
Woods. Que OF the actors I'm II was
n.xl psl.. nfnnr. thn ,.riensar xvua la