The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-04-20

=, while several Of the old court
benGhers were in the county court
=, g6u9e in New York city, the other day,
disca assing a famous poisoning case,
the s.one called Judge inquired:
'sSE5uld alawyer defend man charged
with: murde: whe1 he knows the man
e.. to be guilty?" This question led to
m al imated discussion, which. after
::;zomeltwo hours, was brought to an
end by the Judge suddenly ezclain.
:. ing: 'tDo you see that man?'
=. EhS benchers turned their faces in
%SIthsSll lrection indicated by the speaker
=; nst ia time to see tall, lank man in
-: ~shaSRv attire leave the building.
- Ee5ore word was spoken by any
:: If tie curious henchers the Judge
said. as though musing to himself,
-: thoush in tone-loud enough for the
others to hear:
:. .tstrange that ] should see that
x. man iast at this moment and when we
Ware discussing, a:question that he
;" 49,: c,ull have answered. His life, like
:. nine Ehas been failure, but thank
=. Cod my regrets, though many, car
-, -. n nevar be as bitter as his are. He
- -. luinelfhis. career as a lawyer By de-
- fenSini a man who had confessed that
--s:.s:she 'was s1guilty of murder.
Jus the story. exclaimed the
: = Mn as the. proctor. .....
=. was rai ned, began the Judge,
= :, :. ambition. .-:.= #
bizioa. Suggested the solicitor,
sA genial smile on his. kindly,
Is = haven face, is responsible fo-
bod and much evil, i is am.
; :. 6itson. ehas Aas made wrecks. illegal
:. 'driftwoA A, Of many Of us. We:have
dreamed Of great deeds in cut plofes-
!: : sion; We have builded fairy castles in
=. the ''air willie others have by hard
j.. work sr:cceeaed:.. fcr, one -
- THE story! the story exc!aimel
80: several of the benohers
The judge, thus urged. told his
- story: =. K.
=: t.s::ttSome. 40 years ago it was that
-: sntered the small courthouse in a
small town in the western section Of
:: New York. Court was in session, and
:. the husA that had fallen upon the
:. crowd IN the room was oppressive
- Sothingi was heard at that time but
:: the ticki hg Of the clock and the breath
): ing Of tile spectators. The presiding
Judge was looking up some legal ques
~. ticn in the law books before him. The
=. rapt, attention cf the Jurors and the
=. eagerne$s CT tie counsel caused me to
=. realize the., a trial Of more than crdi-
-. - +nary interest and importance was in
- nrogressl I asked a, Ovstander what
=: the caus o. trial was. He gazed st
~ nae in su Fpr:se for nnomentt and then
:: exclaimed: You must be. a stranger
= in these Earts?''
{ = 81 a!p.' replied. J have just
= come hefe from New York city to file
= 8 compld dint in,an action Of ejectment.
r 8 This, replied my Informant, is a
: murder trial, and there. he pointed in
the. direcf Zion I was to look. is the man
:; who will {certainly hang. {:
= =. ~ looked at the prisoner at the
bar. He was good looking young
fellow Of tabout 25 years Of age. There
was something in the expression Of
=. his pale face that convinced me Of his
:, .::WhiS Se the trial Judge turned over
page aft4r page of the law books I
learned the details OF the crime.
: II LEARNED that in his house on the
,outskirtsIof the town, enc morning
two months before the day Of the trial.
.. John Peaerkin, a wealthy old man who
had beenl It was said, in the habit OF
keeping large sums of money in his
house, wRs found murdered. shot in
the back} The murdered man had
been seated when he was shot, for his
chair was overturned ;Ust as he had
fallen from it. Pe,erkin, who was
about 81 years old, lived alone with
his niece5 pretty girl about IS years
old. ShAit was who discovered the
murder. When she had sufficiently re-
. covered from her alarm, the niece,
Mary etfrkin, aroused the neighbors,
. ':At f4st it was thought that the
motive of@he crime had been robbery,
but when the police discovered that
the;safe, }the door Of which was IN
locked anAd halfway open, contained
). $3.50 an@ that the old mans W atch
= had not been taken. that theory4had
: to be aba hdoned. For several days
the case Was mystery. Ihen>it came
to the knoS Swledge Of the chief Of police
that Rasd8l II Reindeer, the only sen OF
widow, Whose father had been post:
master Of I the little town, had been
seen aroQ3d the house and had spoken
unkindly oSf old Peterkin. Reindeer
was arrest4 4ed.
:. 'Wheng I had learned this much
=. saio the j1&dee sstbe trial i11dee. whom
|. we:will CAP Blank, looked up from the
legal bookSs and said: 4 will admit
the testim$ny objected to-
i while Sudge Blank was reviewing
! the law q#estions I looked at Mary
Ps'sFkin' She was 'estsa in the rear