The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-11-28

> CA Illdu, anu llC '" ''So S>J
were building, and was told that it
was the gallows for Hawke-Eye John
son. He ordered his bed wheeled to
the window. and watched the work
with fascinated eyes.
:'All that afternoon and the next
day he looked on, despite the persua-
sions of the old woman who was his
nurse, and grew more and more rest
less and excited, until at last the old
woman dispatched messenger for me.
at once ordered the bed moved from
the window, but the evil had already
been wrought, the patient was in
state of nervous excitement not easily
to be controlled. He strained his ears
to catch the sound OF the hammering,
and looked at me with strange an
guished eyes. | remained with him
several hours, and returned again in
the evening. but he grew rapidly worse.
Towards midnight he began to sink,
and knew the end was not far away.
He must have read this in my face,
for be struggled up on his elbow and
panted:--
"'Am l going to die. Doctor? Tell
the the truth, is there no hope!
"'There is always hope, Mr. Whit
man, began, but he twisted his head
impatiently, and | bent to hear him
Whisper
"'No professional lies, if you please,
Doctor. | will be a dead man by
morning. Am | right, yes or no!
Give me plain answer, Doctor
"Yes,' l answered, as gently as l
could.
"He lay silent for some moments,
then he said:-
"'Doctor, take that pen and write
what tell you, and Jennie stand here
and listen closely. Hawke-Eye john
son must he set free. He is innocent,
he did not kill Ira killed him, am
the murderer The old woman cried
out and | dropped the pen.
"sWrite. write! There is no time TO
| lose. and the man mist he saved.
| There, that's right, set it down. |
always hate Ira. He had money,
and ! needed it to save the Fairy.
He was only Il burden on the earth,
the town was we'll rid of him, very well
rid of him
His voice came in easps but his
eyes commanded me to 60 on, and l
wrote what he dictated.
"'lt is terrible confession to make
-now-but | do it to save lfe-and
soul. The other life cannot-be
given back. May God forgive INT! l
took Hawke-Eyes axe that night; it
was just inside the window. 1t was
about three o'clock in the morning
when | reached Ira 5 house. Icrawled
in at the window; Ira was asleep.
struck him on the head with the axe.
Then l looked for the money, but
could not find it. | was afraid some
one would come. threw the axe in
the bushes Then l went home
Again he raised himself.
"'You have it ali! Then let me sign
it. Holl me, Jennie. There
"By supreme effort he signed his
name, firmly and legibly, then he fell
back utterly exhausted | raised him
on the pillow, but his lips moved, and
he pointed to the table. | understood,
and rapidly attached my signature to
the paper and bade Jennie do the same.
lie never took his eyes from the paper
until Jennie finished her laborious
scrawl, then he lay quiet and satisfied.
After a while he said:-
"I could not die in peace. Tell
Hawke-Eye he must he better man
when is free. He must not go back to
his old ways Tell him hat / said 80. ,
"a boy came to call me to see sick
Child, and as my patient was resting
somewhat easier, | left him. The
father of the child happened to be the
Commonwealth's 5 attorney in the Whit
man cas". and to him delivered the
confession and related the circum-
stances attending it.
"Whrn in the gray early morning |
returned to Whitmans bedside was
amaz al to find him sleeping quietly,
naturally The old nurse told me that
he 'lrad been sleeping for an hour.
knew that it meant life, and cautioned
her on no account to disturb him
Nv hen next saw my patient, about
noon. | knew that his recovery was
only matter of time The long sleep,
consequent upon the ease of mind pro-
ducel by his confession, and coming
at the crisis of the disease, had saved