Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-11-01
MARSDEN MUST SWING,

A Speedy Conviction the Nor
combe Murderer's Fate.
DETECTIVE DARRENTs TRIUMPH.
Dramatic Scene In Court-Condemn-
cd Mans Sweetheart Declares Her
Belief In His Innocence Would
Marry Him II He Were Free.
The headlines Jared upon him Whyi
The detectives triumph It was til.
umph-every one said so-and yet new
er had he succeeded in case that had
left behind such an unsettled feeling.
such degree Of uncertainty and doubt
as to whether he was really right after
all He could not understand it him.
self Everything had seemed to be as
clear us daylight, and the judge and
jury-aye. the very spectators-had
shared the view that his deductions had
led him to form long ago-that Astray
Marsden was the culprit.
"All for effect. he muttered again
to himself, his mind still on the final
scene in the court, with the last ray Of
sunlight falling full on the woman's
face as she avowed before all her unal.
terable belief in the innocence of Astray
Marsden Theatrical; that was all
And yet somehow he could not shake of
remembrance of that final scene.
Whether it was acting or not, it had
made deep impression on Herbert Oar.
rent
Shouldn't wonder If it has a good
result for him; rouses sensation and
sympathy, and they may get up petit
ton for life imprisonment. It's clever
dodge. He called it "a dodge to
shake his own doubts and yet he could
not help feeling that there was no col
fusion in that last scene of all. Still, il
is best to try to delude ones conscience
at such times as these Dull it, stifle it
II it wants to speak and disturb that
supremely happy feeling Of self satisfac.
ton that is so pleasant to experience.
To be emotional in this nineteenth
century is to be weak. or, worse than
anything. old fashioned If something
happens in the course of ones daily life
that is keen and painful enough to
wiring ones heart. the formula is-give
sympathy stunning blow and call the
whole thing ga dodge" and then go on
with life exactly as before Yes; that
Is the wiser, the better and very fire.
quently the cheaper way. It's only
dodge; that's all. Pass on and forget it.
Having stigmatized the dramatic de-
nouement Of the trial as "a dodge" in
sufficiently stern q voice to brighten
away, for the time being at any rate,
all his inner promptings. Darrent picked
up the paper ag AIN and began reading
an editorial-the trial again, of course
1t was headed 1.-THE American Lee
cog, and it set forth with abundant
praise the ability, the zeal. the acumen,
of one Herbert Darrent, detective-set
it forth in such aorid high flown style
that the subject of these commentators
would have flushed. except that his
inner self had not yet recovered from
the stunning blow that had been dealt
1t by modern cynicism
Then the article went on to refer to
the emotional scene ut the conclusion of
inc trlaL
"Astra niger scene, 1t remarked, "it
has never been our lot to witness"
And Darrent. startled from his habitual
composure. jumped to his feet. with an
exclamation of surprise.
Perhaps the compositor engaged upon
setting up that editorial had been car
ried away by the sensationalism Of the
trial or perhaps by something else. but
In setting that line he had made Pc
culiar mistake. which had been passed
by the proofreader and now appeared
In every issue OF that day 8 paper. He
nao misplaced tne spacing which should
nave made the DIVISION between the
words "A ana stranger, and the
sentence which mad SO startled Herbert
Darrent read Astra niger scene 1T has
never been our lot to witness.
Inc second combination OF letters,
niger might nave been portion OF
cryptogram, II was 80 meaningless
Inc nrst. Astra, had q meaning for
Oarrent tnas set his brain wildly at
WORK ana caused heavy feeling at his
neart-
It was strange coincidence that the
editorial on the trial should contain
such glaring error. Emotional people
would have called it 1.-THE finger Of
Providence. but Of course it was not
1t was simply the error Of q compositor
who perhaps had had too much to drink
or at any rate was not at the instant
thinking of what he was doing.
Let us account for all things natural
~ If we can. Weabominate superstition
IN the nineteenth century and really
never care to discuss "the finger Of
Providence" at all
"A-s-t-r-a-A stranger, OAR
rent muttered Suppose old Marsden