The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-05-25

E u Rim CETO n U'N TON
aaye been better for you, my flne fol
low, if you'd done the same
We were taken up to the magistrates
Office, Coralie, unveiled and clinpinp
to me, was stared at by the crowd.
The news of the arrest for ATTEMPTED
abduction Of q slave-girl was limited
about, and public attention and Curl
osity were divided between us and the
victims of the accident, who were now
being brought ashore on stretchers
from the hospital. Hundreds of men
and boys followed us up the street, and
the magistrate office, the passage and
the stairway were thronged. I saw
threatening looks directed toward me-.
and heard the words muttered: "Yan-
kee," and ''slave-stealer.''
4 Il CHAPTER XIV, gS#
- -. IN SUSPENSE.
I entered that room with Coralic
and took a seat within the railing.
The crowd, eager for my condemna-
ton, and cruel as any mob, pointed
at us and whispered. I sat down,
hopeless and sullen. In fifteen min
utes events had so shaped themselves
that hope was somewhat revived-at
least, l knew that the expected blow
was averted for the present. :s&
The judge came in and heard the
accusation. He was a portly, fne-look-
ing man, and I thought looked with
some compassion at me. ".@.,
'"rhis is very serious charge, young
man. Where are you from?"
"New Hampshire, SIR 2-'a a~a
"Is it possible that SO young per
son as you has come down here in this
nefarious business of decoying away
our property?"
"No, sir; have not
1.-THE complainant charges that you
were trying to abduct his slave. What
do you say?"
My recollection of what Coralie's
father and LIE Fevre had said, told me
that I was guilty of just that offense,
no matter what my motives were.
Still, did not wish to confess it. NV
heart swelled with Indignation against
the assertion; could only keep silence.
"Where is the slave?" the Judge
asked.
Coralie was pointed out to him. He
looked at her with surprise. "a.
THAT person." he said. Can it be
possible?" 80
''She was the born slave of the late
Pierce Bostock, of La Fourche inte-
rior,'' put in the lawyer whom Conrad
had brought with him. my client in
herited her, with the other slaves and
property. This young fellow has been
caught in an attempt to run her off to
the north. That is, in brief, the whole
case" . 5=.
"Well, sir, have you nothing to say?"
the judge asked, with some sternness.
There was much that could say
without any admission Of the charge.
I said it in brief sentences. !, -.
''Pierce Bostock was my friend-the,
schoolmate of my father before me- I
was visiting in his family for months
before his death. This lady is his
daughter. 1t is necessary for me to
state that we were engaged to be mar
ried, with the approval of her father.
We were on our way to the river for
that purpose. That is my side of the
story" 49, ,....
Coralie nodded, and took one of nv
hands in both of hers. E.%
'Stuff and nonsenser' growled Con-
rad. .
"A very pretty story" sneered the
lawyer. "But your honor knows that
under our law the consent of the slave
cannot at all affect the guilt Of her
abductor''
THAT is true,'' observed the Judge;
land this is time when a clearly
proved attempt of the nature here
charged must be punished with all
the rigor known to the law Our
southern institutions must be upheld,
and dangerous fanatics from the north
must be taught to respect them While
this is true, there seems to be some ex-
traordinary features about this case.
The accused is young and has not the
appearance of a common slave stealer.
His statement is a curious one. He
ought to have counsel. Is there any
gentleman of the bar here who will
advise with him?''
A rosy, specialized man near the
bench said: "Your honor, I should de-
cline to appear for the defense in any
common case of this kind, but have
become much interested in these per-
sons from what have seen and heard
here, and I agree with the court that
there must be something extraordinary
about the matter. If may retire with
r;
g (.mi5U