The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-07

III remembered that Donald had
asked me to take it as a fiashlight
landscape view with the last plate
on that memorable evening OF the
storm. AS development proceeded,
and the objects became more and
moro distinct, Twas surprised to see
several human figures portrayed in
it. With magnifying glass I gave
1T closer examination, the result
of which made me tremble with
excitement.
"Gocd heavensI'' / exclaimed.
"Thit is photo of the murder of
SolcnHkir And indeed it was, taken
at the Identical moment that the
crime was committed. There was
the whole scene unerringly depicted
on the plate by that brilliant flash
of lightning. I examined the plate
moro minutely, and the result was
stt;r ting IL the extreme. There was
the murderer in the very act Of
plunging the knife into Golenslzi's
breast.
The faces Of both men were plain
~ distinguishable, and-that Of the
murderer was not Gerald Merrilees,
but Of short, thickset man with q
heavy beard, and there, farther in
the background was an jnanimate
form. with upturned face, lying
upon the earth.
GOOD heavens" I again exolaim-
ed. $50 Merrilees is innocent, after
ALL How wonderful that we should
have taken this photograph, anu
thus bo able to prove his innooenoel
Tomorrow will go to Winchester
with it and procure his release"
Suddenly I reeled as if shot.
Tomorrow did I sayi Why. to-
morrow Is the day Of his executioni
It is tomorrow now, for it is after
3 o'clock! In five hours all will be
over; another victim sacrificed to
miscarriage Of justice" What was
I to doe Twenty miles from Win
chester, with no means of commu.
nicating with the authorities to
avert the tragedy which would 30
soon be enacted, here was I with
evidence mat would save an inno-
cent mans life, and that man
very dear friend too.
What could 7 doa groaned aloud
in my anguish and great beads Of
perspifation dropped from my brow.
Just then my wife and son return
ed and were alarmed to see my agi-
tated state. but upon explaining
matters, my wife's ready wit sug-
gested that should ride to Win
chester on my bicycle. The very
thingl jumped with Joy, and soon
after started on my dark and dreary,
but fateful, ride. with the priceless
negative carefully packed to avoid
the risk Of breakage and its terrible
consequences
Twill not go into details Of that
! ride, for only those who have ridden
over strange crossroads on a pitch
dark night, whe, : friends life de-
pends upon their speed and dispatch,
can sympathize with me.
| At 6:45 that same morning rode
up to Winchester Jail and demanded
to 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 telegraphed
at once to the home secretary, civ.
in, him details Of my marvellous
photograph, with the result that in
this eleventh hour Gerald Merrilees
was reprissYed-he was saved.
The nature Of the evidence that
established Merxilees' innocence and
all particulars concerning it were
kept strictly secret by the police,
who had my negative enlarged and
sent copies cf the photograph
whereon the features of the MUIR
derer were clearly portrayed-to all
the police stations in the kingdom,
with the result that within ten days
the real oulprit was arrested Ia the
foreign quarter Of Soho, and upon
being charged with the murder con-
fessed his guilt, stating that Solen-
aAi was an absconding nihilist, who
had fed to England to avoid carry
ing out horrible task imposed on
him by the peculiar rules Of that
dreaded society.
By 30 doing his life became for
feited and to the murderer was al
sotteia tths duty os carrying out tho
society vengeance. Hoping to 90.
cape, Solenaki had lived in retire
ment In cur village, but was tracked
by his inexorable execueionsr, who
stated that on the night Of the great
storm he had come ACROSS the pros
trate and aenseless form Of Mer-
Iilees, from whom he took every.
thing available, including the fatal
knife with which he stabbed his
victiI. whom he accidentally met
Immediately after leaving Me1rilees