The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1899-03-23
STOPPED IN TIME


living 10 ssclasion 10 small tovn about
Is niles lofth Of London. rss engaged
10 rs,hsr large literary undertaking -ir
fsei, VI. writing novel. 30 ensrossed
vel siih my ts,k ihs, tad 90 iiue Va
reed even . newspaper and ss qo'is
isnorsti Of sbsi vas soipg 90 10 ihs
world. llsas . little after 8 o'clock ons
creuius 10 April thsl halsbsd tue sesond .
yolams Of my WORK iput op nv hs. snd
cost and started ca Tor 40 evening stroll
bad 90 soontr stepped into the street
than boz socosled one with bundle oi
papers nndsr bis arm snd the request,
Boy 40 evening paper. sirf bought one,
put il 10 my pocket aud resumed my
wsik.
Aftfr my retorn | opened ny psper
lsisurely -nsy, lsxily. Presently my eye
caught the following paragraph heading
la upsndiDs Execution Of the Clniord
Murderer.
There Is . morbid fascination for most
people 10 sn eIeca.ion. and so. yielding
to The feeling. proceeded to read the par
ssrsph;
The murderer OF the unfortunate Jimes
Rebtres will be hanged tomorrow morn
ing 81 3 O'Clock. The wretcbed msp,
whose name Charles Fentbutst is nos
10 every body's mouth, still persists 10 bis
plea OF innocence.
Here became deeply Interested. The
name Fenthurst vas most familiar TO me.
bad formed deep friendship for man
OF that name. He was . good 10 years my
senior and had died about two years prev
iously. | knew be bad q son named
named Charles. . youog fellow Who bad
emigrated to South Africa early 10 liie
snd who was generally supposed to be
working 1t the dismond mines. Could
this te the same msn2 read on:
II will be rememb bsred that ut the trial
the strongest circumstintI,l evidence was
brough, to bear upon Fentburst. The
murder took place in a house on the ont
skirts OF the small town OF Cliniol1. 1t
was proved that Fepthufst was 10 The
habit Of lrequenting B,nirss's prsmises'
and that apparently he WAS expected on
the evening in question. He was seen
Dear the place coon after the crime was
committed, aad several other proofs oil
strongly condemnatory character we're
slso laid sgsinst bin. He has persisted
from the first, however. in maintaining
that be was absent from Clinfold st the
very time the murder took place. This
was shout seven O'clock 10 the evening |
At that hour, be says, be was returning
from London, where be had Teen
spending part Of the day. Ooly one wit
nese, be Gays, could prove this, aid that
is an individual who travelled with him
ss far ss P and entered into converse
tiou with him. Advertisements have besn n
inserted 10 all the papers by Fenthurst's
legal advisers. for the purpose OF discover
ing the individual in question. but s no
answer has been forthcoming, il 10 general
iy believed that the whole story Is myth
At any rate there seems bat small chance
Of the sliti being proved st the last mo
ment. The murder was committed Feb
ruary 6. Since his condem nation the mur
derer has been confined in Silkminister
jail. where the execution will take place.
Astopishment and dismay confronted
me ss laid down the paper. was the
missing witness they had SO vsinly sought
| distinctly remem bered early 10 Febru
sry, running up 10 town rather late 10 the
afternoon, spending just bali 40 hour
there, and returning bS the first train
could cstch Ny lsndIady didn't even
know thst bad been out Tor longer
walk than usual had ertsred irto con
on the return journey with the
only Other occupant Of The compartment,
. Young man with small black bag on
which we're painted the letters g. F."
RENE u bered oil this distinctly. Ia order
10 make sure snstcbed up my oi,ry and
quickly turned to the date OF the murder.
February 6 There vas ibe entry Ban up
10 town lhi. sf.trl oon. Ioquired concern
log material for chapter T. Saw B. for
hslf hour, R-turned BY 6.42 trsio.
The tor or Of the situation row h"hed
upon me A msn's life the life OF so {
old hi .pd's con depended upon me.
looked q, my watch. II was iu.t II
clock. Hnrnedly | dragged on my
boots, thinking the while whst should
do. My first impulse wss to rush to the
tiiice Then with dismay re
mem bered that II vas shut for the night
alter s O'clock al J that the postmaster
took the s 80 train to the large tosn oi
F., about fse miles 81, where be lived.
leaving the ofll,e for the night 10 the
charge Of care t,ker, and returning by
90 early train the 1ext morning.
II vas impossible 10 Telegraph. Then
thought OF going 10 the police (,here
vere inst two con tables aud sergeant 10
our little tow bpt what could they do
more than II Conusry police are pfoverb
al Tor the leisersly routine msnuer 10
which they %, about tbs inquiry aud Il
would never do 10 trust them, vas 10
iespaiI.