Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-11
THE PHANTOM VOICE. F.,

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 career,
Immediately following my admis
sion to the bar" he said 81 was made
prosecuting attorney accepting the
honor as a deserved tribute to my
superior abilities. But you must bear
in mind that this was a good many
years ago in little valley town in
Pennsylvania, where we We're hemmed
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 We're the evidences of 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 the
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, describing him as a tall, well
dressed young man with dark mus
tache and an angry red scar across his
left cheek.
"'Why, seed that air critter,' de-
clared Constable Joe Huskey, 4 kim
op him sudden like Yesterday when |
was fshin' at Punkey Holler crick.
TIL feller war in swimmin' and tola
me he war jist outen the city fur a
leetle recreation. I'd know him
'mongst 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, Il 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
brief statement, punctuated by con
vulsing sobs, assured me that a terri
BILE mistake had been made Harry
was her son, her only support and she
widow. He was the soul of honor
and had never given her an hours
anxiety. He was with her the night
of the assault and robbery. They had
walked for an hour in the evening,
after which he read to her, going to
his room at IL. 1t was a physical
as well as a moral impossibility for
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 | had an
other caller; a well dressed man who
walked with a 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
a very bad record. He declared that
he had a full confession of that very
crime from thep risoner who had re
lied upon the cripple as q 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 ! was entirely
satisfied. Just after jenkins and Hus-
key had sworn point blank as | knew
they would, word reached me that
there was a private detective In the
court room who wanted Winter for g
crime committed in New York. This
was help from an unexpected source,
and | soon had it before the jury that
the ugly scar Oh Winters cheek was
made by man defending his home
against burglars. There was not
weak link iii the chain of eyideace
that had been coiled about him,
On his behalf the testimony OF the
weeping mother made a 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-
liberations 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 | re-
joiced at the anticipated confusion of
the defense.