The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-08-16
"A Fair Chance.

IT WAS drowsily warm that day,
/ and though q 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 it's 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. 1t was just a coun-
try fellow, piny-woodsman, who had
killed his step-brother, and then
seemed able to give no explanation
for his deed but, .He deviled me till
I 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
~. The step-mother and step-sis-
tiers of the accused and several of
their kim" witnessed against AL
pheus, and bore voluble testimony
to the fact that he had always been
"full of -pyore meanness;" whereas,
"Jim had been beliked by all that
knowed him." According to them AL
pheus had "a gredge" against jun for
years, had always been jealous of
him, and "spited" him whenever he
could.
Alpheus had previously borne the
reputation of a harmless, peaceable
man, not "overly bright" but steady
and sober; yet the fact remained that
he had killed man, seemingly up
on slight provocation. He did not
attempt to deny his crime, or even
to excuse it.; appearing dazed 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 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 of some poor
homeless dog that everybody kicks
and abuses and drives away.
The case had been one easily dis
posed of. The lawyer appointed by
the court had pleaded somewhat
lukewarmly, the cause OF murder.
Then followed the district attorney,
who referred to the prisoner as a
fratricide, likened him to Cain, and
became eloSuently impassioned upon
the duty of conviction.
The jury retired to deliberate.
Alpheus sat with his chin sunken
upon his breast, in 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
slow oxwagon crawled creakily along
Main street, and some pigs grunted
and scuffled in the dust.
.It's astonishing how near being
animals those piny-woods people are
whispered the district attorney to
another lawyer. THAT fellow is &C
tually too dull and dense even wher
his life hangs in the balance"
But AlpneuS WAS HOt quito 30 Jul
and dense. He did not know what
fratricide meant, however, he under
stood dimly that the district attorney
had been "tallin' agin him."
A vague thought came to his mint
that If he had money or influence
things might go easier with him.
The elaboration of the jury did not
last long.
At the verdict, Guilty" sort o.
murmur ran around the room; fol
there must always be moment Of
emotion in hearing sentence of dealt
pronounced even upon the most in
significant Of human beings.
The prisoner still remained seated
Some one took him by the arm ant
helped him up, and as he stumbled
to his feet he spoke for the frs
time that day.
"I-nuver-hed = a-fair-chanst,