The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-01-18

courtesy, and, acting on his advice,
wrote to Butterton, my legal man, and
TO half dozen friends I knew could
rely upon if they were in town. was
then conducted to cherries cell. On
my way thither passed the body Of the
murdered woman, now lying upon
stretcher and covered with a sheet. This
sight completed the unstringjng of my
nerves, and I passed the night feverish-
ly pacing my room, never even trying
to court sleep.
AS 1 walked to and fro between the
cold, bleak walls on that horrible night
my feelings might indeed be better i'm
agined than described. Event had fol-
lowed event with sickening rapidity,
and now, to crown all, was the neigh
Dor Of thieves and rogues, under lock
and key at police station. The papers
of the morning would tell the whole
world Of my arrest. The .,ews would
carry CONSERVATION to the heartsof my
relatives, and my friends would be
aghast at the tidings Some there were
vino would be ready to believe the
worst, but there were others l knew
who could not doubt my innocence. One
dear heart would bleed for me. That
such an event should happen at all was
bad enough, but that it should occur on
tne night when a world Of bliss had
seemingly opened for us both was hor-
rible indeed. And the awfulness lay in
the fact that my innocence could alone
be proved by evidence Of George Fen
toms guilt.
George Fenton murderer! The
thought was terrible. What in heavens
name could have impelled him to such
deed of blackness? And who was the
woman? Stopl Of course it must be.
Why had I not guessed it before? She
was in all probability the one who mad
caused so much heartburning in the Fen
ton family. The unfortunate fellow had
fallen in love with girl much below
him in station-one who was, in fact, in
domestic service. His infatuation had
been discovered at home, but all the
protests and entreaties Of his family had
failed to induce him to take sane view
Of matters He loved her and would not
give her up. Then why had be murder
ed her? Indeed what grounds had for
thinking this was the wornan2 Ny
thoughts were in a hopeless tumble.
They crowded one on the other in des-
perate confusion, and l felt as it were
going mad. 1t last, and not too soon,
relief came. AS the dawn was breaking
nature could no longer hold out under
the strain, and sank on the coarse mat
tress in fitful sleep.
The first to greet me in the morning
was Butterton. He had hurried to me
directly he had read the news in the
papers, and before my letter had reached
him. A few words were enough to ex-
plain my position to him, and he left
me to do what he could tc procure my
release.
The police had been active overnight.
The result of their inquiries at De We're
Gardens bore out my statement; but,
above all, traces Of the murderer were
not wanting. 1t appears that the un-
happy man only left me to be pursued.
He tried to get rid of the broken hilt,
but it was picked up on the pavement.
He managed to outdistance his pursuers;
he was heard of afterward in Oxford
street, and there, for the nonce, the
trace was lost These incidents were
circumstartial evidence of my inno-
cence Indeed all against me was the
word of questionable character who
had disappeared. The testimony OF my
old chief, Admiral Yeo, and the other
influential friends who hurried to my
call was hardly necessary to complete
the evidence in my favor.
So before noon left the station 8 free
man, but returned to my hotel with
the terrible consciousness that the mur-
derer of this as yet unknown woman
was George Fenton, the brother of the
girl who, only few hours before, had
promised to be my wife.
TO BE CONTINUED