Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-10-13
I'm UNFORTUNATE SENTENCE.

Blake" shouted the conductor as they
/ approached d little station.
"That Is the uame Of the FIRST man |
ever sent 10 the callows." said the judge.
The figure by his side gave a slight
start.
Who was he, and what was his
I crinGegR she asked
"Oh. il is moi much Of a story" re-
/ piled her husband You see, when |
was a Young man, long before | moved 10
I Washington. l practiced law cut in Kan
sas which was then frontier state.
Friends get me appointed judge and
before ! had been on the beach a week
! Dick Blake
4 Dick Blake?"
/ Yes; that was his name. He was
/ charged with murder and convicted. The
evidence against him was purely circum-
stantial, but the jury found verdict u
guilty and had % sentence him"
4 You Senteaccd him to death p
"Certainiy did 1t was my first OK
4 peFiencc IN that line and | gave the pris-
| oner a very impressive talk and wound
4 up by sentencing him TO be hanged by the
neck until he was dead, and when | ask
I ed God 70 have mercy on his soul ! put
I so much solemn emphasis into my voice
I that Blake turned pale and trembled Ike
( a leaf.
Il felt sorry for the poor fellow He
/ had a good face ana looked like a gentle
man, hut the evidence was against him.
and | had to do my duty"
/ WAS he executed" The question came
/ In n tremuous tone.
Yes; ne died on the galows." said the
! Judge, lie protested his innocence to
! the last, and his conduct all the way
through was that of a brave man"
/ The bride, with averted face, was look
] ing through the window into the dark
ness. and il was easy TO see that she was
greatly agitated.
"The worst Of it is" continued the
Judge. 'Blake was innocent"
innocent you say?'
"Undoubtedlv After his death the real
murderer turned up and confessed. The
! boys lynched him before | had a chance
to try him.
| The girl looked steadily through the
window. and the judge thought that he
heard suppressed sob.
He almost regretted that he had told
her such sad story, but it was too late
to undo the mischief
ibid you ever find out anything about
Blake!D asked his listener.
Not very much" was the response. II
heard that he belonged to good family
somewhere in the south. He was splen-
did looking man, not over 30, with pierre
ing gray eyes and hair like gold. His
love of adventure carried him to the from
tier, and when he was tried in my court
his case was badly managed | believe
that he left wife and child in his old
home. but | have forgotten where be
lived"
Still the listener maintained her droop-
ing attitude. Apparently she was very
much interested in the story, or perhaps
she was fatigued or ILL.,
The Judge began to think that the
hanging episode was not exactly the
thing TO tell young and tender hearted
! woman.
1.-The law occasionally makes a mis-
| take" he said, ''and this was one. But il
! is better for an innocent man to suffer
once in awhile than to administer justice
| too loosely. Besides, for all / know,
| Blake may have been a bad man. II his
life had been spared. he might have de-
veloped into the worst kind Of despera-
| do. The case has never given me any
mental distress. After all, one life more
| or less is small matter"
| Not a word came from the shrinking
woman at the window.
The Judge grew restless. 1t was very
| dull sitting there with "a pretty bride who
would not talk.
| At last he rose and said that he would
90 into the smoking car for few mo-
ments. An old friend was there, he said,
and he wanted TO say a word to him on
business
The girl merely nodded and said some
| thing in a low tone which the judge con
strued into assent
The solitary traveller remained motion
less for some time after the departure If
her companion. There were few passen-
gers in the car. and she was not acquaint-
ed with any of them
As the train rushed onward through
the darkness she quickly matured her
plan and made up her mind to carry "
out at all hazards. Drawing a notebook
from her satchel, she penciled few
words and pinned the paper on the
judges oyercoat. which hung over the
back Of the seat.
Just then the train stopped. The girl
knew the place well 1t was the juno
ton. and at this point she could in half
an hour take train which would carry
her back to the village where her uncle
lived
The drowsy passengers saw nothing.
aud even the conductor failed TO see
slight form passing through the car and
stepping On the station platform.
The judge had a jolly time with his
friend in the smoking car. and before he
knew it an hour had slipped by.
With some regrets and computations
he made his way back to his seat.
II was vacant, and there was no sign
Of the bride.
The judge picked up the note pinned
TO his ovcrcoat and read this brief mes
sage:
Judge-Riehard Blake was my father. After his
death took the name Of my uncle and lived with
him from my early childhood until my marriage
1t would have been well for us both II we had
known each others history. | 80 to my uncle's
home to remain there and most earnestly re-
quest you never to cross my path again. ] cannot
bear the sight Of the who sent my father TO
the gallows. get OF at the junction " b.
The judge read the note through and
snt the remainder OF the night with his