Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-01-23
M AIRY The The iaA... OF
A Story of English
By JOSEPH HATTON.

| less scrupulous than he; and many
deeds of desperation were laid to their
charge, and more particularly to the
charge of the confederate Foster, whose
completely with the abbey murder was
now matter of public notoriety.
Locally the affair had many points
Of absorbing interest. Mary, the Maid
ofthe Ina. was pathetic figure in the
story. and the name of Jack Meadows
was on every lip. 1t had been rumored
that his conduct in the awful business
was more or less compromising.
The fact that the principal witness
against Parker was his sweetheart
Mary (who would have gladly laid her
life down for him rather than COM
promised his safety, gave to the trial
| its most dramatic interest.
Mary. her uncle. Morley. Jack Mead
ows, Jacks mother. and brother, a
equity old fellow of 60, were a party by
themselves in charge of the clerk to
the solicitor who had got up the de-
| Tense. and they were accommodated at
little inn near the river. whence they
| had picturesque, but, to them, very
| gloomy view of the castle where Rich
ard Parker was imprisoned. where he
would also be tried, and where in all
| probability he would be hanged; for,
| apart from the murder of Bellirgham,
there were other charges, which only
awaited the result of the verdict in this
| 20 he tno t ac
the authorities might think necessary
| or desirable.
1t was not likely that the prisoner
who had captured poor Mary's heart
would leave the Castle of York alive.
Meanwhile Richard Parker had been
| placed at the bar. Counsel had told
the tragic story of Bellingham's death,
and indicated the nature of the evil
dence that would be sworn against the
| prisoner. and had further called upon
the jury to dismiss from their minds
any romantic or prejudiced influence
which might have taken possession of
them arising out of the stories which
had been circulated in connection with
this case. and the attachment that had
sprung up between the prisoner and
the young woman. who. as IL by the
interposition of Divine providence. had
been made the chief witness against
him.
Then witnesses had been called
touching the murder, the discovery OF
the body. the appearance of Parker and
| EActar in, fha oh he
duct of Mary Lockwood on the night OF
the murder; her interview with Mead
ows; his presence at the Heather-bell
Inn, in company with Foster and Par
ker; what the landlord overheard, and
the strange, obstinate refusal of the
prisoner to seek safety in fight until
he had seen and said good-by to Mary
Lockwood; together with his arrest at
the very door of the Star and Garter
and his saying good-by to her not as
he had hoped free man, but pris-
oner in the hands of the constable OF
Kirkstall and his assistants.
AT this point of the case, John
Meadows was called. He was consid-
erably harassed by the learned counsel
for the prosecution, who was more than
once reminded even by the court that
he had no right to treat his own wit
ness as hostile; but the learned coun-
sells ire had been raised somehow by
the witnesses fearless obstinacy, and
his examination in chief gradually as
sumed the offensive character of the
severe eross-examination of not only
an unwilling, but an untruthful wit
ness.
Having taken the witness through a
brief narrative of his first seeing the
prisoner at the Star and Garter. and
getting from him an account of his
having seen Stephen Bellingham, the
murdered man, there, the examination
proceeded as follows:
You knew the victim of this cruel
murder"
Squire Bellingham." said the wit
ness.
yes" said the learned counsel; che
was well known in the district"
yes"
known to be rich?"
Yes"
"Rich and eccentric?"
IL don't know as to that"
HE carried large sums of money
about h,m?"
1--WE heard So"
Was not afraid of highwaymen?"
"He was brave man." said Jack.
Yes. he was a brave man and rich
| to
Yes"
"And you saw him at the Star and
Garter the night when the man Foster
of whom we have heard, and the pris.
oner at the bar arrived at Kirkstall? p
Il saw him. but not them: I heard
OF them the next day."
Eyes, we cannot take that; but 1t Is
of no consequence. You saw the wit.
ness. Mary Lockwood. ON the night o.
the murder"
81 don't know as 1t was en- the might
of the murder"
What night was it?"
81 forget"
You forget?"
YES"
did she not give you a message t.
the prisoner"
"A messenger" echoed the witness.
Eyes. message. Are you deaf?"
well. not particularly" Meadows re
piled.
ION the Goth of October did not Mary
Lockwood give you a message to thu
prisoner at the barr"