Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-05-21
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THE PHANTOM VOICE.
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Sitting on the veranda of his sum-
mer residence by an inland lake IN
Michigan, surrounded by his family
and guests, the venerable Judge Wat
ties told the strangest story OF his
professional caree:.
.Immediately following my admis
sion to the bar" he said, "I was made
prosecuting attorney, accepting the
honor as deserved tribute to my
superior abilities. But you must bear
in mind that this was good many
years ago in little valley town in
Pennsylvania, where we were hemmeo
in by the mountains and had few with
whom to compare in the matter OF
intelligence or attainments.
'In the criminal annals of the county
there were the evidences of a well
disposed community; and it came as
startling sensation when Farmer Jen-
kins, driving home late one night.
was beaten to insensibility and robbed
of a large sum of money. Here was
work for me, and went at it with che
zeal of an ambitious beginner. Jen-
kins insisted that he would be able
to identify his assailant, seen in the
dim moonlight that sifted through the
trees,s describing him as tall, we'll
dressed young man with dark mus
tache arI an angry red scar across his
left cheek.
Why, seed that air critter,' de-
clarsd Constable Joe Huskey, I kim
on him sudden like Yesterday when |
was fishin' at Punkey Holler crick.
Th' feller war in swimmin' and tole
me he war jist outen the city fur a
leetle recreation. I'd know him
'nongst thousan'.'
"By employing competent assistance
from Philadelphia, we ran down our
man, Jenkins and Huskey both recog-
nized him at sight. A few days after
the arrest and while / was working on
the case, a handsome, matronly ap-
pearing woman walked into the Office,
introducing herself as the mother of
the prisoner, who had given the name
of Harry Winter. She bore the unmis-
taxable marks of refinement, and in a
brief statement, punctuated by con-
yulsing> >sobs, assured me that terri.
BILE mistake had been made. Harry
was her son, her only support, and she
a widow. He was the soul Of honor
and had never given her an hours
n,,.f.:, n.,f:.- He was with her the night
of the assault and ..robbery They had
walked for an hoxzs;sn the evening,
after which he rea ST. going to
his room at II. .s,by bysicssl !
as we'll as moral imp6ssf1lIity Tor
him to have done the great wrong laid
at his door. Her story greatly i'm
pressed me, but there was the positive
Identification by Jenkins and the con-
stable.
LESS than a week later I had an
other caller; a addressed man who
walked with limp and who said he
had been subpoenaed by the defence
to show Winters good reputation. But
nothing could have surprised him
more, for he knew the accused to have
very bad record He declared that
he had full confession of that very
crime from thep risoner who had re-
lied upon the cripple as loyal friend
simply because they had met occasion.
ally at the mothers house. This
swept away the doubts that she had
created, convincing me that her cling.
Ing love had overcome her regard for
the; truth. gained promise from the
cripple that he would say nothing till
called to the stand by the other side.
When the prosecution had made
his case at the trial l was, entirely
satisfied. Just after Jenkins and Hus.
key had sworn point blank as 1 knew
they would, word reached me that
there was aprivate detective in the
court room who wanted Winter for
crime committed in New York. This
was help from an unexpected source,
and / soon had it before the jury that
the ugly scar on. Winters cheek was
made by man defending his home
against burglars. There was not
weak link in the chain of evidence
that had been coiled about him.
"On his behalf the testimony of the
weeping mother made deep impress
sion, but was confident that the spell
she had put upon the IL men sitting
in Judgment would yield to the cool de-
liberatio1s Of the jury room. After
several unknown witnesses had given
testimony tending to show that Winter
had led reputable life. the man who
had called upon me limped to the
stand, and must confess that I re-
joiced at the anticipated confusion of
the defense.
"But there was most unaccounta.
ble Intervention. No sooner was the
oath administered to the witness TN
a voice from overhead Zen cleo
warned him to rememh c+o+ec. nac
made the sacred pre-. Oea.e his
Maker to tell nothiy wou::1it ffs.uth.
The prisoner drop and as,ily into
his chair, the jurymt :; .. ..ent white as
ghosts and the Judg cast troubled
look about the ceiling as if to detect
the bold offender. Order in the
court was gruffly demanded and the
case proceeded. The first material
question asked was as to the charac.
ter of the prisoner, and that same
phantom voice this time from the rear
of the judge, called the collapsed wit
ness, by name and said in measured
tones: Remember that the pains and
penalties Of perjury are not inflicted
in this world alone, but are imposed
through all eternity
'aThe court whirled and gasped with
a terror that his pride sought vainly
to conceal. An unknown dread was
upon me and jurymen were stricken
win fright. Hardheaded and practi-