The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-08-19
CHAPTER XVIII


Notwithstanding the fact that the bank
er had there been stricken to death, this
room had been his favorite, and his daugh-
ter found fond memories clustered aboat
it. 1t was apparent that the young heiress
had been weeping, and little wonder. For
three days she had been seated in the
court house listening to the evidence that
she felt to most minds condemned the man
she loved as the murderer of her father.
She had listened to the evidence of Her
man Craven and reluctantly had spoken
words that substantiated his statements.
She had noted with feelings better i'm
agined than described that the stern, fixed
features of the jurors seemed TO admit of
little doubt as 10 what would be their YER
dict.
The statement of the prisoner, unsub-
stantiated as il was, seemed TO bear little
weight
The States Attorney dispelled that ut
tie in his long argument for CONVICTION.
lie drew a terrible picture of the crime
enacted in the room IN which she was
seated, and stated that the evidence was
sucn as not to admit of a single doubt as
to who committed the horrible murder.
NO other living soul.' he exclaimed, as
he pointed his shaking finger at the prls-
oner, mad motive. This man mad
Where was it? Ask him. Where Is the
bag of coin he that night Obtained at the
express Office? How did he obtain that
Cancelled note? The dead banker cannot
answer you, and the statements of his
assassin should weigh not against the
overwhelming evidence against him. HIS
assertions are cunningly contriyed; but
would Il wretcn-guilty of such crime
hesitate to save his worthless neck from
the halter by false statements! You have,
gentlemen, the evidence of the murdered
bankers nephew, his trusted friend, III
whom he had such confidence that, I'M
known 10 him, he had already named him
the administrator Of his will and the
guardian of his daughter Yes, and left
him besides fortune in his own right. He
has told you, though reluctantly and after
being pressed by the counsel for the de
fenSc that the dead banker had expressed
to him Il desire to live TO see the nephew
and his loved daughter man and wife. In
all this, gentlemen of the jury, the laugh
tcr's evidence corroborates that of the
PRINCIPAL witness, with the exception that
she had no knowledge of the fact that her
father hoped one day to see her welded to
the young man who is now president of
The Cape Fear Bank Her father had
never expressed that wish to her. Why,
gentlemen of the jury? Because of her
tender years. May there not, gentlemen,
have been also a motive here on the part
Of the prisoner for the removal of the
murdered man. Did he not fear the bank
cr, living, would thwart him i'll his design
to make the daughter his wife: Rcmem-
Der, gentlemen, that if Herman Craven
and Miss DcRoSette had been one moment
later in entering the library they would
have found before them nauSht but the
lifclcsS body of the murdered banker. The
fcnd that murdered him would have made
his exit from the house. And who shall
say, not without Il hope, nay, Il belief, that
the nephew would stand before the bar of
Justice, charged with his murder: Muir
der. SO palpable and plain that even Lang
SelIarS, the great Southern detective,
whom he had urged to take his case, aban-
doncd him"
There was amaZement throughout the
court room at the calm appearance of the
! prisoner during the TRADE of the prose
! cutting attorney.
! Not an exclamation left his lips. He sat
| pale and silent with clenched hands and
| tightly compressed lips, until Lawyer
| Robbins had taken his seat.
Arthur Dobbs plead long and we'll for
| the life of his client; but no denuncia-
! tions Of Herman Craven left his lips.
The ground he dwelt on was that no liv-
! ing soul had seen the blade of the sheath
! knife driven home to the bankers heart,
| and that the evidence against the prisoner
was entirely circumStantial
| In his closing plea the district attorney,
! an old and experienced lawyer, ridicuIeG
! the idea of the proof being of a circum-
stantial nature, and in closing his address
used these words:
There he sits, gentlemen, There in
! the prisoners boN-caught red-handed in
| his murdcrous act. Do your duty, and
| free the Old North State of 4 tend unpar-
! aleled. Take the case
/ The judges charge had occupied an
| hour. and it was apparent that he enter
! tanned no doubt of the prisoners guilt.
! Not half an hour previous to the time
/ we find Miss Hattie seated in the library.
! and after the jury had retired from the
court room, had she left the court house.
! and then only after the Judge had an
! bounced that the verdict would be deliv-
cred in open court at 10 o'clock the fol
/ lowing day.
| nat Is Sa!d MS honor' II the jury
! agree, and lhey undoubtedly Will. trust,
he added. mat you VIII not be uncom-
lortahte IN the jury room; but owing to
illness IN my family, | am unable to re-
main and take your verdict tonight
Il would have said more, much more
! thought Miss Hattie, as she pondered over
the matter but for the caution of Mr..
| Sellars. | would have denounced Her
man craven. would have accused him
OF having visited the atuc. L would
Her thoughts We're interrupted by the
entrance Of her cousin.
My dear Hattie. l find You alone
cried Herman. as he seated himself on the
sofa beside her. ~ on have been weep
ihS- l DO not wonder. The three past
days nave been terrible to you; but the
grave VIII soon open TO receive the body
| OF Your fathers murderer.
! II trust 50. said Hattie. with sob