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

L.
ed face and with the blade of a
large knife buried deep in his heart.
lay the corpse of Ivan Solenski.
the handsome young tenant of the
Hermitage and suitor for the heart
and hand of the lovely Marie Deve
reux Of Forest Hall. While tne con-
stable guarded the body hurried
for the doctor. who, upon his ar
rival, declared that life had been ex.
tinct for some hours.
Good heavens!" he calculated.
"This knife belongs to Gerald Mer-
rileesi See, here are his initiale,''
And there, on the silver mounted
handle, were the letters "G. NJ"
That evening Gerald Merrilees.
the handsome, well built young own
er OF the Home farm and Solensh's
rival for the affections of the beau
terds Marie Devarenx, waa arreeted
on charge Of murder, upon the
sworn information of the butler OF
Forest Hall, who deposed that, on
the previous evening, Merrilees had
had q stormy interview with Miss
Devereux, in which Solenski's name
was mentioned several times, and
that Merrilees had suddenly dashed
out Of the house, muttering: "I'll
kill him! I'll kill himr' Upon this
evidence, and that Of the knife
found in the dead mans breast,
Merrilees was committed for trial
at the forthcoming assizes about to
be held at the guildhall, Winches-
ter.
Doubtless the reader remembers
the account Of the trial, which was
published SO fully in the daily pa
pers Of the time, but in case he may
not recall ie to mind I might here
briefly give Merrilees' defense. In
spite of the strong proofs OF his
guilt, he persistently declared him
self innocent and pleaded not guilty.
He fully admitted the truth of the
evidence of the butler Of Forest
Hall, and his counsel explained that
he had that evening proposed for
the hand of Miss Devereux, but had
been rejected, upon which he had
accused her OF favoring the suit of
Solepski, and when she admitted
that she had that day accepted So
lenski his jealousy and rage over
powered him-being very hot
tempered fellow-causing him to
rush from the house, muttering the
terribly discriminating threats now
used as evidence against him. After
leaving Forest Hal-his counsel
continued-reason gradually pre-
vailed, and he proceeded to 20
home. his path lying across the
common in front Of my house.
Being anxious to arrive there be-
fore the threatening storm broke
and partly to cool his fiery temper,
he ran, but his foot catching in the
stump Of a furze bush caused him
to fall heavily TO the ground, and
with such force as to render him
unconscious.
He declared that his pockets must
have been rifled by some malicious
passerby while he lay in that state,
for whereas he fell on his face.
when he recovered consciousness he
was lying on his back. He reached
home toc weak and dazed 10 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 accus-
ed was not the culprit, but that
when lying unconscious the real
murderer robbed him, taking, among
other things, the knife used with
such fatal effect upon Solenski-
whose pockets he also rified-leav-
ing the murderous weapon in the
dead mans. breast. to divert suspi-
cion from himself to its innocent
owner. 81
For further details, I must refer
the reader to the very full reports
Of the trial which appeared in the
local papers at the time, merely
contenting MYSELF with stating that
the jury smiled. in that aupsrcilious,
superior sort Of way common to the
British juror, at the palpab1e weak
ness 6f she defense. and. having sat
isfied themselves as to the nriscne-'s
guilt, after q shore consideration
they returned their awful verdict
'of guiltyl. Gerald MarriIees was
TO death. s.
Soms time aftsr the foregoing
events I was sitting up awaiting the
arrival Of my wife and aon, who
were returning from London by o
midnight train-or, rather, an early
morning one reaching Dean Sta
hon-at a. M, after which they
had to drive the intervening Eve
S,a5Io oc hov,No -. ~. D