The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-04-26
STORY BY THE JUDGE

New YORK city the other day, discuss
ing famous poisoning case, the one
called judge inquired: "Sbould law
yer defend a man charged with muir
der when he knows the man TO be
guilty?" This question led to an ami
mated discussion, which, after some
two hours was brought to an end by
the judge suddenly exclaiming: "Do
you see that man?''
The benchers turned their faces in
the direction indicated by the speaker
just in time to see tall, lank man in
shabby attire leave the building.
] Before word was spoken by any of
the curious benchers the judge said, as
though musing to himself, though in a
tone loud enough for the others TO hear:
"Strange that / should see that man
just at this moment, and when we
were discussing question that he
could have answered. His life, like
mine, has been a failure, but thank
Godl my regrets, though many, can
never be as bitter as his are. He ruin
ed his career as a lawyer by defending
a man who had confessed that he was
guilty OF murder
"TeIl US the story" exclaimed the
one known as the proctor.
"He was ruined,n began the judge,
"by his ambition"
Ambition" /" suggested the solicitor,
with q genial smile or mis- kindly,
clean-shaven face, sis responsible for
much good and much evil. 1t is ambi-
ton that has made wrecks, legal drift
wood of many of US. We have dream
ed Of great deeds in our profession, we
have builded fairy castles in the air,
while others have by hard work sue
ceeded. for one-u
''The story the storyp' exclaimed
several Of the benchers.
The judge, thus urged, told his story:
''SOme fifty years ago it was that /
entered the small courthouse in a small
town in the western section of New
York. Court was in session, and the
hush that bad fallen upon the crowd in
the room was oppressive. Nothing was
heard at that time but the ticking of
the clock and the breathing of the
spectators. The presiding judge was
looking up some legal question in the
law books before him. The rapt atteI.-
ton of the jurors and the eagerness of
the counsel caused me to realize that
trial Of more than ordinary interest
and importance was in progress.
asked a bystsnder what the cause on
trial was. He gazed at me in-surprise
for moment, and then exclaimed,
"You must be a stranger in these
parts?7
81 am replied. 81 have just come
here from New York city to file COM
plaint in an action of ejectnent.
This" replied my informant, sis
murder trial, and there, he pointed in
the direction was to look, sis the man
who will certainly hang"
''I looked at the prisoner at the bar.
He was good-lcoking young fellow of
about twenty-five years of age. There
was something in the expression of his
pale face that convinced me of his
guilt.
"While the trial judge turned over
page after page of the law books,
learned the details of the crime.
''I learned that in his house on the
outskirts of the town, one morning,
two months before the day of the trial,
John Peterkin, wealthy old man who
had been, il was said, in the habit Of
keeping large sums Of money in his
house, was found murdered, shot in the
back. The murdered man had been
seated when he was shot, for his chair
was overturned just as he had fallen
from it. Peterkin, who was about six
ty-seven years old, lived alone with his
niece, pretty girl about eighteen years
old. She it was who discovered the
murder. When she had sufficiently re-
covered from her alarm, the niece,
Mary Peterkin, aroused the neighbors.
"At first it was thought that the mo-
tive Of the crime had been robbery, but
when the police discovered that the
safe, the door Of which was unlocked
and halfway open, contained Sl.T50,
aud that the old mans watch had not
been taken, that theory had to be sban-
dOled. For several days the case was
a mystery. Then it came to the knowl-
eige of the chief OF police that Hasdall
Rsnidder, the only son OF widow,
whose father had been postmaster of
the little town, had been seen around
the house and had spoken unkindly OF
old Peterkin. Reindeer was arrested.
"When had learned this much,r
said the judge, "the trial judge, whom
we viii call Blank, looked up from the
legal books aud said: al will admit the
testimony objected to-"
"While Judge Blank was reviewing
the law questions I looked at Mary Pc
terkin. She was seated IN the rear of
the courtroom, and was an exceedingly |
pretty young woman, the pallor Of her
refined face ilIumined By large blue
eyes. She was in deep mourning,
which but enhanced her beauty.
Proceed, [" exclaimed Judge Blank.
"The witness on the stand-a police
officer-then testified that he had found
a small revolver with an ivory handle
in some bushes jasi outside of the win
dow Of the room where the crime had
been committed.
"Were there any marks on that re-
volver?n asked Horace Dash. counsel
for the prisoner-the man | just point
ed out to you.
"Yes," replied the witness.
What were the marks ?p