The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-01
/" You have it all Then let me sign
. Hold me, Jennie. There I

4
to the table. l understood, and rapidly
attached my signature to the paper and
babe Jennie do the same. He never took
his eyes from the paper until Jennie fin
ished her laborious scrawl, then he lay
quiet and satisfied After a while he
| said -
"'I could not die in peace Tell
Hawke Eye he must be better man when
he is free He must not go back to his
old ways. Tell him that said SO.
"A boy came to call me to see sick
child, and as my patient was resting some-
what easier, l left him. The father of
the child happened to be the Common :
wealh' S attorney in the Whitman case, and
to him I delivered the confession and re-
lated the circumstances attending it.
"When in the gray early morning l
returned to Whitman's bedside was
amazed to find him sleeping quietly, nat.
urally. The old nurse told me that he
had been sleeping for an hour. knew
that it meant life, and cautioned her on
no account to disturb him.
"When next I saw my patient, about
noon, knew that his recovery was only
matter of time. The long sleep, conse-
quent upon the ease of mind produced by
his confession, and coming at the crisis of
the disease, had saved his life
''He did recover, and was arrested for
the murder of Ira Whitman, but was i'm
mediately released on bond Hawke Eye
was still confined in the JAIL but confident
ly expected to be cleared at the trial.
Whitman, however, had no notion of al
lowing his confession to stand.
''On the opening day the courtroom
was densely packed, and men twisted their
necks to see the two principals in this
strange drama, the man accused by the
people and the man accused by himself
''Then began bitter fight for life be
tween the two men.
''There was only circumstantial evil
dence to convict Hawke Eye; there was his
own confession to establish Whitman S
guilt. Temporary insanity was Whitman $
explanation of his confession. [ testified
that he was of sound mind and perfectly
lucid while debating and signing the con-
fession. Jennie Watson his nurse, re-
luctantly admitted that my testimony was
true so far as she could Judge.
aWhitman's attorneys pulled the con-
fession to pieces; it was the hallucination of
dying man; it was caused by the sight
of the gallows. the sound of the hammers,
the excitement of the trial working on a
diseased brain, causing an abnormal imag
ination, temporary insanity. Celebrated
authorities on the subject gave their opin-
ions in favor of this supposition.
ssIt was shown that Whitman father
had at one time been insane. Then again,
what could have been the motive for the
crime? Whitman mine, the Little
Fairy, was at that time failing, but he
had dozen other resources. Money could
not have been the object. Hawke Eye
stated that his axe had been stolen the day
before the murder. Whitman confes-
sion said that he took it from inside the
window that night
"Whitman stated on the stand that,
believing himself to be a dying man, he
thought to save Hawke-Eye and perhaps
win him to better life, by confession,
which could injure nothing but the name
of a dead man. He did not believe in
capital punishment, and Hawke-Eye s
guilt had been established on circumstan-
tial evidence only Had he been in good
health he would never have made such a
false statement, therefore his brain must
have been affected.
''Whitman's appearance while testify
ing was not calculated to inspire one with
confidence in the man. He seemed to have
lost all the dignity Of bearing that had
formerly distinguished him, and stood
trembling, aged, irresolute, yet with a
fierce love of life written plainly on his
drawn features.
'sThe attorneys dwelt most emphatical
ly upon the difference between the two
men; upon Hawke-Eye's record of blood
shed and brutality, and upon Whitman s
noble, upright character, his benevolence,
his generosity, his kindliness. Neverthe-
less, the jury, after long wrangling, found
Whitman guilty.
''The case was appealed and carried into
the higher courts, and was there fought
stubbornly step by step to the end. 1t
cost Whitman fortune, but at last the
law declared him to be an innocent man,
and he was Free Hawke-Eye johnson
was hunged for the murder just two years
after the crime had been committed at Sill
vertown,"
The Doctor paused.
"By all the powers, chat shows what
money will do, cried Courtney. 'In the
name of reason and common sense, Of
course Whitman was the-''
The Doctor quietly filed his pipe.
"sWait a moment, he said. 81 hav
en- t finished yet. just before Hawke
Eye mounted the scaffold he confessed that
he had killed Ira Whitman. He told
where he had buried the money, and it was
unearthed by the Sheriff an hour after the
hanging
An editor in North Dakota stated In
his paper that he had been kissed by one
Il