The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-11-08

Do with MN, Qnu L was now arresIcn on
suspicion Of his murder. A search Of the
premises was Immediately instituted.
The watch was found In the drawer In
which l had placed it and was Identified
Us the property Of the murdered man.
His horse, too was found In my stable.
for the animal I had Just put there was
none other. recognized him myself
when ] saw him In the light. What
said I know not My confusion was
taken as additional evidence. And when
at length did command language tn give
an ineligible statement II was received
with sneers and lncredulity.
The mob spirit Is inherent In man-at
least in crowds Of men. It may not al.
ways manifest itself In physical violence.
II sometimes contents itaelf with lynch
ing a character. But whatever Its form,
il Is always relentless pitiless, cruel.
"As the proofs OF my guilt one after
another ceme to light low mutterings
gradually grew into u clamor for venge-
nnce. and but for the Grmness OF one
man, the officer who Ind me In charge,
I would doubtless have paid the penalty
Of my supposed ofense on the spot. It
was not sympathy that actuEted my pro-
tector. His heart was as hard as his
the law and took a sort OF grim pride In
the position. AS much under the glance
Of his eye as before the muzsle Of bis
pistol, the cowardly cIumorers drew back.
Perhaps they were not sufficiently nu-
merous to feel the fun effect Of that
mysterious reflex influence which makes
q crowd Of men so much worse, and at
times so much better, than any one of
them singiy.
"At then end Of some months my trial
came. 1t could have but one result. Cir
cumstances too plainly declared my
guilt. I knew they lied. The absence OF
the jury was very brief. To their YER
dict paid but little heed. 1t was sin.
gle hideous word, but had long antici-
pated it and II made no impression. AZ
little impression was made by the words
Of the Judge which followed II. and his
solemn invocation that God might have
that mercy upon me which man was too
just to vouchsafe sounded like the BOZ
lowest Of hollow mocAeries. 1t may be
hard for the condemned criminal 10 meet
death; II is still harder for him who IL
innocent. The one, when the first shock
Is over. acQuiesces in his doom and gives
himself to repentnuce; the heart Of the
other. filed with rebellion against mans
injustice. can scarcely bring itself to ask
pardon Of God. I had gradually over
come this feeling In spite Of the good
clergyman's irritating efforts. which were
mainly directed toward extracting a COD.
fession, without which, he assured me,
he had no hope to offer.
"On the morning of the day fixed fof
my execution felt mcasurably resigned. |
! had 80 long stood face to face with
death, had so accustomed myself to look
upon II as merely momentary pang, that
l no longer felt sosicitous save that my
memory should one day be indicated
She for whom I had gone to prepare a
homo had already found one In heaven |
The tidings OF my calamity had broken !
her heart. She alone Of all tho world
believed me innocent. and she hnd died |
with prayer upon her lips that the
truth might yet be brought to light. All
this had heard, and Il had socthed. a.
II sweet Incense. my troubled spirit. /
Death, however unweicome the shape. |
was now portal beyond which could
see one angel waiting to receive me. ! |
heard the sound OF approaching footsteps. |
and nerved myself to rneri the expected |
summons The door Of my cell opened |
and the sheriff and his attendants EN- |
NStC0" hAS heIu Iuhu u puptE IL
was doubtless my death warrant. he |
began to read It. My thoughts were
busted elsewhere The words full and |
free pardon were the first to strike my |
preoccupied senses. They affected the |
bystanders more than myself Yet so Il |
was: was pardoned for IN offense had
never committedl
"The real culprtt. none other, II Is need |
les 10 say, than he who had sought and |
abused my hospitality. Ind been mortall5
wounded In q recent affray in q diston, |
city. but had iivcd long enough to make |
O disclosure. which had been laid before |
the governor barely 10 time to save mt
from a shameful death, and condemn me |
to cherries and burdensome life. This |
is my experience My judgment. as yours
In the case before us. leads 10 but one
conclusion. that Of the prisoners guilt |
but not less confident ard apparently I'm. |
erring was the judgment that falsely pro,
nounced my own"
We 10 longer lrrpprtuned our fellow !
Juror. bnt patiently awaited our dis.
charge on the ground of inability Il
agree. which came 1T last
The prisoner was tried and convicted 81
a subsequent term, and 1T the last mo-
n!ent confessed his crime on the scat
foId