Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-12-24
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led, too, how it ended, how the crowd
that had gathered melted away again.
The miserable evening that followed dis
solved as the crowd had done, while the
little stranger, whose heirship and hon
ars had been so brief, lay in state, as it
we're, upstairs But Ned Burton, under
sentence Of ejectment that morning, was
that night the heir to Abbeylands once
more.
Mrs. Burt0ns denunciation was rot
/ mere empty air; but the neighbors were
! scarcely prepared for the scene that
/ speedily followed With the next day
came the coroner. This proceeding might
/ have been made mere Formally: but it
was known that "the bereaved family"
required end desired that no step Of the
/ kind should be omitted
| 4 regular jury, on which was Mr..
Cherries Hunter. was empanneled, and
witnesses examined. The first was a
CHASTITY figure, with his head sunk down,
| and standing like a criminal in the dock
( With much emotion he told the whole
story, simply and naturally. The child
was trying to crawl along the floor. and
he was helping it. Suddenly there $, is
the noise in the corridor he just lrn,d
his head, and when he looked again the
shutters had opened and the child gone.
AS he was explaining how all this hap
pened, figure pushed her way through
the crowd and stood near him. When lie
had finished the coroner, a mild, respec-
table country officSI, bowed his head
with much sympathy.
1T was careless to LET n child go so
near an open window, and the fault
seems to rest with the nurse However,
with two people in the room. it might
seem there was not much danger 1t was
a most unfortunate business. and every
one would deeply sympathize with the
afflicted family, and he must say also
with Major Burton, who was to be
pitied."
Suddenly Mrs. Burton rose UP and
flung back her veil.
And is this the easy-going way in
which the matter is to be treated? Do
you call this proper investigation of
the death OF my poor infantY'
Every one was confounded at her ex-
cited voice and manner. but every one
could make allowance for mother thus
bereaved
The official tried to soothe her with
some commonplace, but she turned on
him haughtily.
Let there be no making matters pleas
ant for the family, as you call it, Your
duty here is to investigate what has tax
en- place in n solemn and exact manner:
and l call upon you now to proceed with
that investigation"
But we have investigated You are
excited, and we can make every allow
ance. What do you desire to be done 2"
ITO bring home the murder to that
man.
But. on the evidence given, it really
seems to have been an accident. Ii has
all the air Of being such If you fave
any other grounds for supposing other
wise---'
Let me be sworn"' was her answer.
This man, she went on, in a low. steady
voice, only last night quarreled with us,
and in his anger threatened me. He
babe me take care, that and my c'ild
were not very secure. They all heard
him-my brother-my husband He
dare not deny it. Ever since il was de-
cided that he and his family We're to
leave. his rage and fury have known no
bounds l have been insulted again and
again; threatened by him and his son.
And, gentlemen, think of this, too This
is an old grudge against me, even from
the time of my marriage, when he trav-
eled about the world hunting up degrad-
ing stories against me, poisoning my hus-
bands mind. My good husband did not
believe him. and as time passed ON. and
we had no children, he was allowed to
esta blish himself here. He thought that
he and his family were secure for life
When he found himself disappointed in
this. and the marriage that he had settled
for his son broken of, he himself obliged
to 80 away--when he found that he was
stepped in debt, without a farthing to pay
it, and when we had insisted that he
should account TO us for the large sums
he had wasted, he watches for this OPP
portunity and sets himself right by muir
dering my poor little infant. Sets him
self right mind: for the estate is entail
ed, and now, do what we may, it must
go To him and to his children
The result of this address was extra
ordinary. Ii had the effect of speech 10
the jury, and Ned Burton and his family
felt that almost everything stated in it
was true. All the neighbors and friends
| of the family were present, and the Of
feet ON them was as complete as though
some grave counsel for the Crown had
summed up all the facts, and were ask
ing for the conviction of the prisoner mt
the bar" From Tint hour there was an
impression abroad, right or wrong, that
Ned Burton had murdered his nephew
Even the most indulgeut could only hook
grave, aud say that he was certainly she
most Lnlucky of men. Strange 10 say
| what seemed the most convincing proof of
all was the fact that 1t WIS impossible to
| keep The estate from going to Ned Eur
| ten. OF at least TO his son. In differ
| ent case it might have looked like n
simple act of revenge. utterly prohtl1ss
| and the whole would have been set aside
as even mdicrously improbable. But at
/ that moment Ned Burton was restored to
what he conceived To he his hirthri. chs.
4 few years of the life Of his brother.
/ who was a delicate elderly man. was be
/ tween him and it, while the woman who
/ had been his exulting enemy J. $ batiled
at his feet. 1t was very ugly looking
| business for Ned Burton though the cor
oner's jury found "A verdict of accidental
death.
The excitement caused in the neighhur-
hood by these incidents may he couceiv-
ell. In 50 duh district, such news was
almost welcome. snA every ore was IN
gagged in discussing it yehemently. The
elements of the coroner the jury. etc
lent a mclodramntic air To the whole
With such strong circumstances Of sus-
picion, il was only natural that public
opinion was dead" against Ned Burton,
and the untimely fate of the poor little
/ baby" won the Sympathips of all r,ofhrf.s