The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1902-05-01
THE PHANTOM Voice.


Sitting on the VeraQQa OF HIS Suul-
: 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, Il was made
prosecuting attorney, accepting the
honor as a deserved tribute to my
superior abilities. But you must bear
in mind that this was good many
Z years ago in a little valley town in
Pennsylvania, where we were hemmed
in by the mountains and had few with
whom to compare in the matter OF
Intelligence or attainments.
sIn the criminal annals Of the county
there were the evidences of a we'll
disposed community; and it came as a
: startling sensation when Farmer Jen-
kins, driving home late one night.
was beaten to insensibility and robbed
Z Of a large sum of money. Here was
work for me, and went at it with the
S 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 tall, well
dressed young man with dark mus
tache and an angry red scar across his
left cheek.
why, l. seed that air critter,' de-
.elared Constable Joe Huskey, L kim
OF him sudden like Yesterday when l
was ishin' at Punkey Holler crick.
TIL feller war in swimmin' and tole
me he war jist outen the city fur
1eetle 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
5 the arrest and while was working on
the case, a 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-
Tulsing sobs, assured me that terri
BILE mistake had been made. Harry
was her son, her only support, and she
"a 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 II. 1t was a physical
as we'll 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 l had an
other caller; we'll dressed man who
walked with 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
q very bad record. He declared that
Z he had full confession of that very
crime from thep risoner who had re-
lied upon the cripple as loyal friend
sfmnsss- 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. l gained a 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 1 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
crime committed in New York. This
was help from an unexpected source,
and IsQon had it before the jury that
the ugly scar on Winters cheek was
made by a man defending his home
against burglars. There was not
weak link in the chain of evidence
: that had been coiled about him.
"0n his behalf the testimony of the
weeping mother made deep impress
sion, but was confident that the spell
. she had put upon the II men sitting
in judgment would yield to the cool de-
hberations 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 1 must confess that l re-
{ joiced at the anticipated confusion of
the defense.
1tBut there was most unaccounta.
tle intervention. No sooner was the
oath administered to the witness than
voice from overhead solemnly
warned him to remember that he had
made the sacred promise before his
Maker to tell nothing but the truth.
The prisoner dropped heavily into
his chair, the jurymen went white as
ghosts and the Judge cast a troubled
look about the ceiling as if to detect
the bold offender. Order in the
court was gruffiy demanded and the
case proceeded. The first material
question asked was as to the charac.
ter Of the prisoner. and that same
phantom voice this time from the rear
of the judge, called the collapsed wit
ness, by name and said in measured
tones: Remember that the pains and
penalties of perjury are not inflicted
in this world alone, but are imposed
through all eternity
.'The court whirled and gasped with
terror that his pride sought vainly
to conceal. An unknown dread was
upon me and jurymen were stricken
. with fright. Hardheaded and practi-
Cal old farmers as they were, the su-
perstition that had lain dormant and
dying through generations was quick
ened into life. But it was the wit
ness who cringed and stared as