The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-01
Seleft Storp.
A STRANGE CONFESSION.
From Frank Leslie's Popular NJ,

The Doctor examined the bowl of hi
pipe and leaned back in his chair.
"Well, he said, "you shall have tn,
story, Courtney 1t has always rem aimed
puzzle to me- I will see what you make
| of it.
"When l settled 10 Slvertown the place
was new, snowy, typically western. The
great man of the town was Arnold J.
Whitman, mine ns-ownsr, banker and phi.
lanthropist. He had built fine public
school, endowed the Silvertown Library,
founded the Miners Home, was interested
in dozen different enterprises, and la
bored unweariedly in his efforts at prison
reform. Whitman had scores of times
declared that he hated no creature in the
wide world except his half brother, q
poor, miserly creature whose wretched
shanty stood at the edge of the town.
"Early one spring the town was much
excited over two sensations, Arnold Whit
mans mine, the Little Fairy, was re-
ported to be failing, and Ira Whitman, the
miser, had been found dead in his cabin,
with his head battered in, Hawke Eye
johnson, a notorious rough, was arrested
for the murder
"Hawke- Eye vehemently protested his
innocence, but circumstances were against
him. He had been seen last in the neigh
borhood of the hovel, tracks of his shoes
were found under the window, when ar
rested he had in his possession consider
able sum of money, and lastly, the bloody
axe found in the bushes was positively
identified as his. HawkeEye explained
with tears in his eyes that he had only
had friendly chat with old Ira under his
window, and that his axe had been stolen
from him the day before the murder. He
had not been seen in town on the night in
question, so could not prove AN alibi, but
swore that he had been in bed with the
toothache. He could not satisfactorily
account for the money.
1t was clear case against the fellow,
and little sympathy was manifested for
him, he having already figured in some
two dozen cutting and shooting scrapes.
Arnold Whitman, however, worked hard
to save Hawke-Eye, and when the jury
brought in unanimous verdict of guilty,
was much more perturbed than when be
had viewed his brother dead body.
"Hawke-Eye was sentenced to hang
and was given three weeks to prepare fol
death.
"On the day after the trial Arnold
Whitman was taken i'll, and l was called
in to attend him. Something seemed to
be constantly troubling him, and he did
not improve.
"Hawke-E Eye johnson was to be exc
cuted on Herring Hill, which was in plair
view of the Whitman house. One still
summer afternoon the sound of hammer
and saw foated in to the sick man, and h'
inquired what they were building and wal
told that it was the gallows for Hawke-Ey'
johnson. He ordered his bed wheeled tt
the window, and watched the work witt
fascinated eyes.
sAll that afternoon and the next day
he looked on, despite the persuasions O.
the old woman who was his nurse, anc
grew more and more restless and excited
until at last the old woman dispatched 1
messenger for me. | at once ordered thu
bed moved from the window, but the evi
had already been wrought, the patient wa
in state of nervous excitement not easily
to be controlled. He strained his ears tt
catch the sound of the hammering, an(
looked at me with strange anguished eyes
| remained with him several hours, ant
returned again in the evening, but he grew
rapidly worse. Towards midnight he be
gan to sink, and | knew the end was no
far away. He must have read this in m,
face, for he struggled up on his elbow ant
painted -
"'Am l going to die, Doctor? Tel
me the truth, is there no hope P
o'There is always hope, Mr.. Whitman,
[ began, but he twisted his head impa
tiently, and l bent to hear him Whisper
"sNo professional lies, if you please
Doctor. Twill be dead man by morning
Am right, yes or no? Give me plail
answer, Doctor.
I" Yes l answered, as gently as
could
s'He lay silent for some moments, theI
he said =
Doctor, take that pen and write wha
I tell you and Jennie stand here and lis
ten closely. Hawk-Eye johnson must b.
set Free He is innocent, he did not Kill
Ira. [ killed him, | am the murderer
The old woman cried out and [ dropped
the pen.
" Write, write There is no time tt
lose, and the man must be saved. There
that right, set it down. I always hatec
Ira. He had money, and | needed it t.
save the Fairy He was only burder
on the earth, the town was well rid of him
very well rid of him.
Ellis voice came in gasps but his eye:
commanded me to go on, and wrote wha
he dictated.
cit is a terrible confession to make
now-but I do it to save life-and {
soul. The other life cannot-be given
back May God forgive me | took
Hawke Eyes axe that night; it was just
inside the window 1t was about three