New-York tribune., 1899-06-11

lv discontented prematurey aged and jealous;
and the temptress, young. smiling as heart
Iessly potent Of evil as in the oden days when
she dwelt in the village Of Sorek.
williams was tried for shooting his wife 10
death. a cowardly assassination. OF which he
alone could be the beneficiary. He had boast
ed Of what he would do, and Of how his money
and noltlcal influence would protect him, and
the result had followed. He was ably and un-
scrupulously defended The few and simple
facts proved by the prosecution were fairly
buried under a Of testimony sworn TO
bv fifty different witnesses, establishing an
alibi The Squire in closing the case for the
people made the speech OF his life For thrty-
six hours he swung the hammer or Ihor IN
terrific denuncation which left not loophoe OK
escape And yet, after decorous delay the
Jury reported that they were unable 70 agree.
standing eleven to one for acquittal and Will
Jams passed out OF court on nominal bail, With
an evil smile on his face.
"I say. Squire" said Judge Marchmont III
you had talked for another day | think you
would have convinced the twelfth man.
Six years passed and Williams again stood
in court, but this time livid and trembling. as
Mr. Slaughter, special counsel for the state, at
the conclusion Of a second trial moved that
defendant. In the interim he never for one
moment had desisted from a grim determina-
ton to bring the criminal to justice. Il is said
that in his secret. patient tracing Of the mach
nations by which that volume Of perjury
had been piled up, he had spent $1,000 Of his
own money II this was So you may be sure
that he never regretted the cost He had smit-
ten his enemies hip and thigh. The defendant
was hanged his counsel was disbarred his wit
nesses were either fugitiyes or convicted felons
Mr. Slaughter acted on this occasion as
special counsel for the state" it will be noted;
for at the expiration Of his term as District
Attorney he had been reegatel into private
life by the almost unanimous voice Of his fellow
citizens True he pluckiy ran again and made
a vigorous campaign. but his opponent, NOM
mated by coalition Of the two parties, had
majority greater than the votes which he re-
ceived.
Hard to beat indeed was Mr.. Slaughter; and
yet a delicate little hand once laid him low. II
was while he was preparing the Grammont Will
case as counsel for the contestants, that the
wife OF Charley Grammont. the proponent, car
ried off a bundle OF letters and papers, fataI 20
her husbands cause. from under the Squre's
very nose She had gained access 10 him. II
seems in the guise Of book agent, ana a rifn
figure a sympathetic voice and pair OF orgh'
eyes did the rest. ! make haste To pass over so
humliating an incident, and recall 1t solely
because it was connected With the one and
only time in my memory when the hon was 100
depressed to roar.
1t was about an hour after this fair decelVer
had made what proved TO be her last vlslt ana
| had followed her demure passage through the
middle room with eyes OF respectful admlra-
ton that l thought heard my name family
called and, much astounded thereby nurrlea
into Mr.. Slaughters office
There sat the Squire at his plain, hat-topped
desk but no legal tones. spread wide apare
bore testimony to his industry. All was con-
fusion. with files torn open, drawers dumped
out tin boxes turned upside down, and papers
rumpled and helter skelter. Evidently the fatal
loss had just been discovered
And the ogre about 10 crunch-where now
were his fiery glances and the thin red line AZ
Waterloo? His locks were fattened 70 his head
by the hands that so tightly clasped II; his eyes
dropped with modification and shame
Il don't feel well; bring me a glass OF cider.
please" he sighed. ! bounded down the STAIRS
and into a nearby hosiery ! procured
draught OF the headiest cider. which laced"
with considerably more than a dash Of brandy.
In another moment | was back again by the
side of my stricken chief who had so paintivey
cried "a NOR to me. He quaffed the insdious
mixture in a gulp. An expression of surprise
and then of comprehension passed over his race
He smacked his lips Il do believe he mur-
mured that you are not as big fool as you
look"
The next day the Squire shouting in the
same old way to the imaginary man across the
river.