The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1902-08-21
"a Fair Chance.

IT WAS drowsily warm that day,
is and though a murder case was in
course of trial at the county seat, it
had aroused no particular excitement
in the minds of the inhabitants of
Willsborough. The courtroom had
hardly more than its usual contin-
gent of idlers and loungers.
For one thing the case had no COM
plications or sensational features,
and there was nothing sentimentally
interesting in the character of the
parties concerned. It was just a coun-
try fellow, a iny-woodsman, who had
killed his step-brother, and then
seemed able to give no explanation
for his deed but, Gle deviled me till
done it," The two, it appeared,
had had words" and suddenly Al
pheus White picked up an adj
and struck Jim Jordan terrible blow
on the head that killed him Instant
ly. The step-mother and step-sis-
tiers of the accused and several of
their s'kn," witnessed against AL
pheus, and bore voluble testimony
to the fact that he had always been
'sfull of pyore meanness;" whereas,
"Jim had been beliked by all that
knowed him." According to them Al
pheus had ga gredge" against Jim for
years, had always been jealous of
him, and "spited" him whenever he
could ..s9sFs si ss5s.szzzs3.'sssslaS
Alpheus had previously borne the
reputation of a harmless, peaceable
man,snot "overly bright, >. but steady
andssober; yet the fact remained that
he had killed a man, seemingly up
on slight .provocation. He did not
attempt to deny his crime, or seven
to excuse it; appearing Ndazed into
submission to his fate. There was
nothing in his appearance to excite
the sympathy of those sentimental
souls who fill the cells of murderers
with bouquets. He was just a tall,
thin countryman, awkwardly put to-
gether, with a freckled face, hair al
most colorless, and long, sunburnt
neck amply displayed by the turn
down collar of his checked cotton
shirt. Only in. his. pale, blue eyes
there was a sad, puzzled, rebuffed
look one sees in the eyes oftsome poor
homeless dog that everybody kicks
andsabuses and drives away.
The case had been one easily dis
posed of. The lawyer appointed by
the court had pleaded somewhat
lulsewarmly, the cause of murder.
Then followed the district attorney,
who referred to the prisoner as d
fratricide, ikened him to Cain, and
became eloquently impassioned upon
thesduty of Conviction "a. s4ss
The jury retired to deliberate.
Alpheus sat with his chin sunken
upon his breast, in a sort of mental
and physical torpor. The wind
brought warm puffs Of perfume
through the windows from the bloom
ing China trees in the courtyard; "a
sloWoxwagon crawled creakily along
Main street, and some pigs grunted
and scuffled in the dust.
cts astonishing how near being
animals those piny-woods people are,','
whispered the district attorney to
another lawyer. 'That fellow is ac-
tuaily too dull and dense even when
hisSlife hangs in the balance"
But Alpheus was not quite so dull
and dense. He did not know what
fratricide meant. however, he under
stood dimly that the district attorney
had been 'stalkin' agin him." A
A vague thought came to his mind
that it he had money or influence,
things might go easier. with him.
The deliberation of the jury did not
last long. .{s1. sss
Atsthe verdict, "Guilty,"' sort Of
murmur ran around the room; for
there! must always. be a moment of
emotion in hearing sentence ,of death
pronounced even upon the most II.
significant Of human beings. @S
The prisoner still remained seated.
sonsS one took him by the arm and
helped him mp, and as he stumbled
to his feet he spoke for the first
time that day
sI-nuver-hed a-fair- chanst."