The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-04


fairest city. and approached the scene
OF my daily labor. 1t was n beautiful
morning. well calculated to dlspel my
lurking feelings OF melancholia. and as
tripped UP the broad steps can dis
tInctly remember the whstllng the
merry strains OF 1.-THE Mocking Bird
with all the energy at my command.
At the door OF my private office n
scene awaited me OF which / little
dreamed, and had I but known the con-
sequences Of my action. doubt not
that / would hive fed az fIym the
wrath OF God. But I was Innocent and
,,nconsclous or danger. Innocence!
Bah-it Is mockery. a man Is innocent
so long as he i@ believed to be so-let
the people think him guilty and 1t avails
him nothing.
A burly footIran stood at my door.
and as attempted to pass him. barred
the way. AS cast an inQulring Slanceat
the man, I noticed that he was laboring
under come powerful agitation, us his
whole frame seemed to CULVER and his
eyes rolled In Il manner that iritated
me.
'"Well, what ans you?" I demanded.
rather sharply. The fellow held up n
shaking finger In n manner that begged
for silence, and In an almost inaudible
whisper, said:
SSH. You bettah git. Mastah Frank.
Dey wants You. sfinah. ! means It.,
Master Frank. SuntllIn' awful has hap
Dened In your room. and dey's lookin
for you, pow'fll bad"
As regained my scattered wits. was
seized with boiling Indignation that
l could not repress. and l ordered the
man aside I stepped boldly into the
room, scarce knowing what to expect.
My eye feb on n number Of employees
GROUPED about my private desk. and
among them l discerned the suggestive
uniform OF en- officer OF the law
.What means this?" / demanded. in
n voice that contained the best OF my
wrath, At the words the group fell
back, and stared at me as II might
be some lost spirit from another world.
Their blank looks and the thought that
they we're invading my private matters
rekindled my blazing Indignation. and
! could barely refrain from leaping at
the throat OF the nearest fellow, who
stared at me as II In mortal terror.
what does this mean, say?
The blue coated minion pointed to n
spot In front OF the desk, and following
the direction Indicated my eyes rested
on n sight that fully accounted for their
peculiar demeanor. Stretched ut full
length on the gllstening tiles lay the
body OF Harry Canton: the chief clerk.
and from CHASTITY wound in his throat
n tiny stream Of life blood wendell its
way beneath the heavy desk. Just be-
yond was another form. which recoS-
nized as that of workman. Watkins
by name. As gazed in speeches. hor-
ror at the sight the dishereled head of
the workman turned in my direction.
and as his CLASSY eyes lit on me the
man broke forth in paroSysm of
idiotic rage.
"Ah, ha! There you are! All. ha!
ha. ha. Why did you do It? Why-oh,
God-ha! ha! ha-a-a-a."
He fell back exhausted. his accusing
finger dropping liLnply into the pool or
fast-clotting blood while could do
nothing but stare blindly Ut. &c scene
before me.
AS stood there. the center Of that
little group, looked into the faces OF
my friends (were they my friendso
bu, saw no answering CLEAN Of hope
in a single eye. I felt the whitening
consciousness that IL. Frank Beth
une, was suspected of this crime.
How long stood there cannot tell.
but was recalled to 4 sense OF my sur
roundlngs by feeling hand laid rough
ly on my shoulder as grufr voice grated
in my ear:
We'll, is 1t sufficient"
I turned and met the gaze OF the Of
ficer, who smiled (there was murder in
my heart at that momenD as he held
out the iron cuffs. into which mechan-
ically thrust my wrists.
Snapi The sharp click aroused my be-
numbed sense OF self-preservation all
100 late. and 7 cursed myself Cor the
seeming alacrity with which l had con-
eeuted TO be made a prisoner. Yes, and
worse-a self-confessed murderer. The
thought. completed my agonE and I
launched out into panic Of hysterical
expostula;!on.
| protested my innocence and they.
the men with whom had associated
for years, shrugged their shoulders and
drew farther aloct. plead for mercy
they seemed 10 laugh at my anguish.
l struck
When recovered consciousness I
was In cell, and my head was throb-
bling as II It would burst. Pressing my
hand to my forehead felt a banlage.
A man with huge bunch OF keys peer
ed tAf0GSh the OATS, anu TIC siSHt Oh
his ugly. inGuisItve features sent an
instructive thrill OF horror through me.
'Ho, ho. my young friend. Thought
you'd fight. did ye?"
felt TOO weak to make reply, and he
continued:
Say. ye'rc plucky one. lad. but I'm
sorry for ye. Ye see. tn evidence is dea!
aEin ye" He paused rs II expecting
an answer. but I covered the closer 10
mg miserable pillow.
Won't ye. talk AZ all? Well. et ye
don't there's one thing sure. yell have
n chance on tn scaffold."
The fellows insulting words and man
ncr burned deeply. and could 30; re-
sist the temptation TO fling back the
words that though true, felt were all
too weak.
Il am innocent" vase
oh, so ye are! Well. We can tell that
TO the jury. but between you'n me. young
IN. yell have hard time maxim 'em
think go
Despite the pains that racked me.
spraug at the fellow. and but for the
heavy bars I could have torn him as Il
beast does Its victims. Ny fury only
brough. smile from the leerlng face as
he passed out OF sight: presently
dropped into a troubled sleep on tho
beSgar!y cot.
was awakened at length by hearing
mr namq called. listened and present.