Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-01-29
SAVED BY A CONFEDERATE

O. HERE had been a daring case Of
burglary at farmhouse in Ches-
- hire. Three men had tied down
and gagged the farmer and his two
maid servants, and had rified the house
at their leisure.
There were two cIews. In the strug-
gle one of the men had left a button
from his coat behind, and he had also
lad his face so severely scratched by
ore of the maids that the girl said she
was sure she had left her mark upon
1im"
Weeks passed without any arrest be-
ing made, and people began to forget
che burglary, until one day man was
arrested at Liverpool. He had with
aim a bundle containing some of the
D!Under of the farmhouse. His face
bore traces of scratching, and, to clinch
the matter, his coat wanted a button,
and the buttons on it correspondent ex-
actly with that picked up at the scene
of the burglary.
His defense was very flimsy. "He
knew nothing about the burglary, but
had bOugnt the coat and things very
cheap off a man in the street" He &C
counted for the scratches by saying
Ehat he was a sailor. and had in that
capacity much rough work to do.
There was no defense; the jury found
IA verdict of guilty" without leaving
the box, and the prisoner was asked if
be had anything to say.
"Well, cap'n." he said, its hard to
be convicted for nOth'n'. I know no
more of this burglary than a baby;
when it happened 1 was fghtin the
elavers on the Gold Coast"
There was something in the mans
manner that impressed the judge, so be
said. not unllindly:
But surely, prisoner, if your story is
true, you must have friends and com
~ades with whom you could have com
municated? 1t is too late now"
''You's right, cap'n; it's too late.
couldn't communicate with them any
snow, for | don't know where they are
Tn,y'may De in America, " they may
.Je at the Cape"
But" urged the judge. the court
Llss no wish to convict a man who may
Je innocent. Is there no one who could
speak for you?"
The prisoner looked in 4 hopeless sort
OF way round the court.
No he began; but just then his eye
lighted on a man in the court Yes"
he added, pointing to him, there is Il
gentleman who might speak for me if
he would" The judge looked in the
direction of the individual pointed at
DO you know the prisoner he
asked.
No, my lord" was the reply. y
1ever saw him before in my life"
well, Captain Sharpe" said the
prisoner, Il know You we'll enough"
is your name Captain Sharper"
asked the Judge. Yes. my lord, came
she reply.
''Well. the prisoner seems to recog-
nizo you, so l VII ask you to step into
the witness box and be sworn, that Re
may ask you questions"
The captain went into the box, and
ehe following dialogue ensued:
Are you Captain Sharpe of the war
ship Vulture?" asked the prisoner
Yes"
Were you IN command of her on the
slave coast this sITring?"
Il was
And wasn't I one of the crew."
Most certainly not"
"But. cap'n, don't you remember the
slave ship that you boardcd:"
Yes"
And you yourself led the boarders?"
'Oh, yes; but all that is nothing-you
may easily have heard of or read all
about that
We'll. but Cap'n, once more-don't
vou remember the big black SLAYER who
was almost cutting you down? Don't
you remember the one man who stood
between you and death. and what he
got for it? Don't you remember that?"
and, brushing back his hair the pris-
oner showed 4 great scar down one side
OF his head
The whole court looked OF breath
less as the captain stared at the scar
and at the man till his eyes seemed
starting from his head. At length. rs
i in dream, he muttered 10 himself:
Good heavens, is ii pOSSible:"
Then slowly and deliberately he GOT
ous of the witness box and ciGmbered
Unto the dock. where he seized the priS-
oaer's hand and, turning TO the judge,
SAID: My lord. this was the beS- man
1u uy crew and he saved my life. PROV
.Goute has sent me here TO. save him.
He is So changed by Illness that could
lot recognize him. Blu, there : no
mistake now. II You imQc.Son the old
ro'sUD Of the Nultuce You must take
-ae captain with him
Amid cheers and SobS thar no one
cared 10 suppress the judge briefly III
re~jcj the jury 10 reconsider their yer
diet, which they at once did, finding a
unanimous Not guilty"
As they left the town Captain sharpe
might have been heard addressing his
Sompan.on somewhat rs follows:
We'll, old man. We pulled through
that business pretty Well. I think. It
was 4 near shave. though"
Captain sharpe" was nothing less
chan. 4 confederate. and he had as
sumed the part Of captain 10 save his
companion in cvime.-Loudon Evening
SSews.