The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-04-25

ID was ruined, began the judge
''by his ambiticA."
ambition, suggested the solicitor,
with genial smile on his kindly, clear
shaven face, sis responsible for much
good and much evil. 1t is ambition
that has made wrecks, legal driftwood.
of many of us. We have dreamed Of
great deeds in our profession; we have
builded fairy castles in the air, while
others have by hard work succeeded. ]
for one
1.-The story, the storyl' exclaimed
several of the benchers.
The judge, thus urged, told his story
"Some 40 years ago it was that / en-
tered the small courthouse in a small
town in the western section of New
York. Court was in session, and the
hush that had fallen upon the crowd in
the room was oppressive. Nothing was
heard at that time but the ticking OF
the clock and the breathing of the spec
tators. The presiding judge was look
ing up some legal question in the law
books before him. The rapt attention
of the Jurors and the eagerness of the
counsel caused me to realize that a trial
of more than ordinary interest and i'm
p~ortance was in progress. l asked a by
stander what the case on trial was. He
gaZed at me in surprise for a moment
and then exclaimed, You must be a
stranger in these parish
"'I am, 1 replied. sIhave just come
here from New York city to file a com
plant in an action of ejectment.
This, replied my informant, is a
murder trial, and there, he pointed in
the direction l was to look, is the man
who will certainly hang.
81 looked at the prisoner at the bar.
He was a good looking young fellow
about 20 years of age. There was some
thing in the expression of his pale face
that convinced me Of his guilt.
"While the trial judge turned over
page after page of the law books l learn
ed the details of the crime"
Here the story teller took a nip from
the flask the proctor handed to him
and then resumed:
81 learned that in his house ON the
outskirts Of the town, one morning two
months before the day of the trial,
John Peterkin, a wealthy old man, who
had been. it was said. in the habit of
keeping large sums of money in his
house, was found murdered, shot in the
back. The murdered man had been
seated when he was shot, for his chair
was overturned just as he had fallen
from it. Peterkin, who was about 81
years old, lived alone with his niece, a
pretty girl about 18 years old. She it
was who discovered the murder. When
she had sufficiently recovered from her
alarm. the niece. Mary Peterkin, aroused
the neighbors.
cat first it was thought that the
motive Of the crime had been robbery,
but when the police discovered that the
safe, the door of which was unlocked
and half way open, contained 81, 75O,
and that the old mans watch had not
been taken, that theory had to be aban-
doned. For several days the case was a
mystery. Then it came to the knowl-
edge of the chief of police that Hascall
Reindeer, the only SOL of a widow,
whose father had been postmaster Of
the little town, had been seen around
the house and had spoken unkindly of
old Peterkin. Reindeer was put under
arrest.
"When / had learned this much, =
said the judge, ''the trial judge, whom
we will call Blank, looked up from the
legal books and said, L will admit the
testimony objected to-
"While Judge Blank was reviewing
the law questions / looked at Mary
Peterkin. She was seated in the rear of
the courtroom and was an exceedingly
pretty young woman, the pallor of her
refined face illumined by large blue
eyes. She was in deep mourning, which
but enhanced her beauty.
Proceed, exclaimed Judge Blank.
"The witness on the stand-a police
oficer-then testified that he had found
a small revolver with an ivory handle
in some bushes just outside of the win
dow of the room where the crime had
been committed.
Were there any marks on that re-
volver2' asked Horace Dash, counsel for
the prisoner. the nan I just pointed
out to you.
Eyes replied the witness.
What were the marks?'
The initials M. p replied the
witness.
Did you ascertain who owned that
pistol2' asked Lawyer Dash.
Eyes; Mary Peterkin.'
"An exclamation of surprise went
around that little courtroom. Mary
Peterkin started up in bewilderment
and then fell back into her chair.
Silence in the courtrooml' ex-
claimed Judge Blank.
"With a face paler than that of Ell
Their the prisoner or the niece of the
murdered man. Lawyer Horace Dash,
counsel for the prisoner, said to the wit
ness, Step down..
1.-THE next witness called was q woI-
an who had formerly been employed by
old Peterkin as a housekeeper. She was
exceedingly nervous, and her voice
trembled when she swore to tell the
truth. There was a malignant express
sion ON the face of the counsel for the
prisoner when he asked the witness:
do you know Mary PeterkinT
"'I do, was the reply.
She is the niece of the murdered
man9'
She is, replied the woman in a
whisper.
"sYou once lived with the dead man
and his Nicer
i" I did.
Did uncle and niece ever quarrel 2
Must / answer that2' asked the
old woman. turning toward Judge
Blank.
"'You must, sternly replied the
judge.
eyes. They quarreled, faltered
the witness.
What aboutS' asked the counsel
for the prisoner.
'She-Mary-wanted to marry a
nan her uncle did not approve of.
''All eyes were turned toward Mary
Peterkin, who, with an expression of
horror on her face, sat crouched up in
her chair. Every one in that courtroom
seemed to realize that the testimony al
ready adduced against the prisoner at
the bar was as nothing compared with
that just brought out against the girl.
The prisoner at the bar was pale and
trembling and, l thought. an object Of
abiect misery. Then the thought fash
ed across my mind that he might be in
nocent. It was evident that Lawyer
Dash was etruo0Iino with himself when