The Ravalli Republican., 1898-10-19

landscape IN mont or our nOuoo al4u.
I wondered when it was taken, un-
til remembered that Donald had
asked me to take it as a f1ashlight
landscape view with the last plate
on that memorable evening Of the
storm. AS development proceeded,
and the objects became more and
more distinct, Twas surprised to SEQ
several human figures portrayed in
it. With 1nngnifying glass I gave
it a closer examination, the result
Of which made me tremble with
excitement ~...r M....==.
Good heavens p / exclaimed.
"This is a photo of the murder Of
Solenski!'' And indeed it was, taken
at the identical moment that the
crime was committed. There was
tho whole scene unerringly depicted
on the plate by that brilliant flash
of lightning. I examined the plate
moro minutely, and the result was
startling in the extreme. There was
the murderer in the very act OF
plunging the knife into Solenski's
| breast cM~ s@ .-"z
The faces of both men were plain
ly distinguishable and-that of the
murderer was not Gerald Merrilees,
/ but of short, thickset man with
heavy beard, and there, farther in
| the background was an inanimate
form, with upturned face, lying
upon the earth.
GOOD heavensi'' again exclaim-
ed. $50 Mcrrilees is innocent, after
ALL How wonderful that we should
have taken this photograph, and
thus be able to prove his innocence!
Tomorrow l will go to Winchester
with it and procure his release"
Suddenly l reeled as if shot.
"'Tomorrow, did says Why, to-
morrow is tho day of his execution!
It is tomorrow now, for it is after
8 o'clock! In five hours all will be
over; another victim sacrificed to
miscarriage of justice. What was
I to do2 Twenty miles from Win
chester, with no means of commu-
nicating with the authorities to
avert the tragedy which would so
soon be enacted, here was l with
evidence that would save an inno-
cent mans life, and that man a
very dear friend too. u.r4.. T. Ivy
What could do? groaned aloud
in my anguish and great beads Of
perspiration dropped from my brow
Just then my wife and SON return
cd and were alarmed to see my agi-
tated state, but upon explaining
matters, my wife's ready wit sug-
gested that l should ride to Win
chester on my bicycle. The very
thing l jumped with Joy, and soon
after started on my dark and dreary,
but fateful, ride, with the priceless
negative carefully packed to avoid
r the risk of breakage and it's terrible
consequences.
| will not 60 into details Of that
ride, for only those who have ridden
over strange crossroads Oh pitch
dark night, when a friends life de-
pends upon their speed and dispatch
can sylnpathize with me.
At G:45 that same morning rode
up to Winchester jail and demanded
to see the governor Immediately
and upon being admitted to hi
presence showed him the heave1
sent witness, which he deemed Q
: such Importance that he telegraphe'
5 at once to the home secretary, Civ
+, ing him details OF my marvelou
] photograph, with the result that il
!, this eleventh hour Gerald Merrilee
was rep1 tov ed-he was saved.
S The nature OF the evidence tha
: established Merrilees' innocence an
t all particulars concerning it wer
l kept strictly secret by the police
9 who had'my negative enlarged an
b sent copies Of the photograph
: whereon the features of the mul
: derer were clearly poptrayed-to a
9 tho police stations in:the kingdom
l. with the result that Within ten day
It the real culprit was arrested in th
foreign quarter Of Soho, and upo
T being charged with the murder col
IS fessed his guilt, stating that sole'
10 eki was an absconding nihilist, wi
y had fed to England to avoid carr.
At ing out horrible task imposed {
S. him by the peculiar rules Of tn;
10 dreaded society.
< By SO doing his life became fo
t. feited and to the murderer was a
s lotted the duty of carrying out Il
N society's vengeance. Hoping to e
ct cape, Solenski had lived in retir
as ment in our village, but was track
49, by his inexorable executioner, WI
70 stated that on the night of the gre
~ storm he had come across the pro
trate and senseless form Of Me
J., 1ilees, from whom he took ever
~ thing available, including the fat
~, knife with which he stabbed
~ victim-whom he accidentally II: