The Washington times., 1901-09-08
2[ j
81 A SHOT THAT TOLD f
IIITIfIITTTIIIIIIII ILL ITIIIQITIIIITlITII1IS

to his sense of contest more than any
other ever had done. He thought Of IL
| night and day. The more he thought the
/ more difficult e seemed; thes harder It
seemed the more II pleased hiln, and the
/ more determined he was to viii
The consequence was that the day OF
the trial found him with no expedient az
yet in his mind. and bent beyond all reas-
on upon victory practically impossible
The State put In It's evidence-a mass of
little circumstances had been scraped to-
gether and strongly corroborated the
main grounds Of the charge.
For the first time in his practice. O'Shea
felt himself weak.
we must prove suicide said he to
Mrs. Grove. II can go on the stand my
self and have Staines argue; aud my tes-
timony as to your husband expressed
intent viii clear you
No." she said. 1T isn't worth while
really. You see. II anything happens to
me. the children will be taken care Of
somehow, probably better than 1 have
been able to do. and as for me. 1 shall
live in comfort or not at all. It's worth
trying for. and don't mind the risk"
Stubborn, still set to win.- more than
ever at loss, o Shea faced the jury He
heard whispered comments among his Ie-
Sai brethren. who took a keen delight In
his evidently helpless situation He saw
that glazed look on the countenances Of
the jury that means; Go on. like to
hear you talk; it doesn't bother me-" He
saw the judge raise one eyebrowSquizzi-
cally.
He poured out all the thunder OF his
eioquence over the widow AID her
wrongs.
A little turyman grinned at his neigh
bor. his neighbor winked back. O. Shea
felt that there was just one thing In life
that he could not bear-namely. to lose
that case.
in an impressive pause. which failed to
Impress. he heard one lawyer whisper to
another: Never knew o Shea to come in
to court without something up his sleeve
before. What's our astute brother think
ing OFF,
1t was that chance remark-and the
sight of an object on the table-that gave
him sudden luminous idea.
Those who would crown an unhappy
life with the harshest sentence known to
our law" said ne, have told you that
this can be the result of no accident
They have insisted hard upon your be-
lieving that. and cunningly; for on that
belief. and on that alone. depends what
they so eagerly. so savagely, strive for
the conviction and condemnation of one
innocent, unhappy. helpless womani'
The jury looked a little less skeptical
There might, for all they knew, be some
thing in this.
The attorney for the prosecution moved
uneasily. He knew there was nothing in
1t but words, but he could not tell what
O'Shea might be leading up to. and wish
ed he had insisted less on the impossi-
bility of accident.
mo chance of accident?' cried O'Shea-
Now. gentlemen. let us see?" His voice
had a triumphant danger note; he step
ped forward to the table, where lay.
among scattered papers, thing used by
the prosecution to bring the crime more
forcibly to the minds of the jury-thc re-
volver that had been found in Groves
left hand.
o'Shsa took it I'D and held 1t high
above his head.
Look. now. at this little instrument Of
death. Who shall say what chances of
destruction are latent in that intricate
and devilish mechanism
He stopped and watched the jury and u,
knew he had them; had them by the i'm
aginatiSn. Their eyes were gloating on
the weapon with a morbid interest.
Let me suggest to you few of these .
chances-oniy few. For instance
O'Shea went through various evolutions
with the revolver. supposed to illustrate
possible cases of accident like that he
claimed for Grove, talking fast the while
in explanation which the jury could not
follow. but which they took for granted:
for he was leading them now; fact WIS
deposed and fancy ruled their minds
Suddenly there was a crash and ne fell
The smoke rose over him as he lay, fill
ing the room with the smell of gum
powder. There was moments stiffness
then an uproar.
Two lawyers raised him and laid him
ut length on the table. He had strength
enough TO lift his head; voice enough to
say: lone word morei II seems-such
accidents occur-albeit incredible. Gem
tlemen-Your Honor--I have done"
His head fell back on the table. An
ambulance arrived and he was borne
away: but not before obseryant persons
had time to note that he was wounded
nearly as Grove had been. and in tire
same place. and that he held the re-
yolver clutched In his left hand.
When. after some delay. the court pro-
ceeded with that case, the jury listened
to the argument for the State and to the
judges charge as men in dream. They
could think only of what they had seen;
and when at last they went out IL was
not for long. They returned with an ac-
quittal.
Il was sure said an old lawyer. that
o'shea had something back
DO you really think" a younger man
ventured to ask. that he
Sir" said the elder. I know the man!
He would rather have died, far rather
have died as he did. than have lost that
suit. I've felt SO myself-twice-and with
him to feel was TO do. o."-Francis Dana in
the Buffalo Express.