The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-01-24
MI A RY The The i %A!D OF
a Story of English
Life.
BY JOSEPH HATTON.

| HnBnam was one OF tne HloSl eAClliHS
events of the March Assizes for the
East Riding of Yorkshire. Richard
Parker was known by several aliases;
his training and education, his courtly
had all been themes of admiration even
occasionally with the ladies whose
coaches he had stopped. 1t was also
known that it was his boast that he
had not only never shed blood, but had
vowed he never would except in the
last extremity of self-defense. At the
same time he was known to he mixed
up with gang Of plunderers who were
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 Inn, 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
it's most dramatic interest.
IL
ows, Jacks mother, and brother, a
equity old fellow of GO, were 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 a 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 Bellingham,
there were other charges, which only
awaited the result of the verdict in this
case to be formulated against him as
the authorities might think necessary
or desirable.
It 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
the tragic story of Bellinghams 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 if 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
Foster in the neighborhood; the con-
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 flight until
he had seen and said good-by to Mary
Lockwood; together with his arrest at
he ~ bn Ctar 10
and his saying goodby to her not as
he had hoped free man, but pris-
oner in the hands of the constable of
Krkstall 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 Witness fearless obstinacy. and
his examination in chief gradually as
sumed the offensive character of the
severe cross-eXamlnation of not only
an unwilling, but an untruthful wit
ness.
Having taken the witness through
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?"
esquire Bellingham," said the wit
ness.
YES" said the learned counsel; The
was well known in the district"
Yes"
known to be rich?''
Yes"
"Rich and eccentric?"
81 don't know as to that"
He carried large sums of money
about him."
1--WE heard So"
WAS not afraid of highwaymen?"
HE was a brave man." said Jack.