Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-06-11

Die 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 troubled
look about the ceiling as if to detect
the bold offender Order in the
court was gruffly 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
a terror that his pride sought vainly
to conceal. An unknown dread was
upon me and jurymen We're stricken
with fright Hafdheaded and practi-
Cal old farmers as they were, the SUI
perstition that had lain dormant and
dying through generations was quick
ered into life. But it was the wit
ness who cringed and stared as
though in the presence of death. He
admitted bitter enmity toward the
prisoner whose liberty he had meant
to swear away, though called in his
behalf, and wound up by not only
swearing, that Winter was a model
young man. but that he was seen
Walking with his mother by the wit
ness on the night in question.
Il felt the ground slipping from
under me, but the dramatic climax was
yet to come. From an, open door into
Cne of the small adjacent rooms hur
lied an excited man with striking feat
ures and blazing eyes. He rushed to
the prisoner, embracing him as fa-
ther might have done, and then de-
manded, rather than requested, that
his evidence might be taken. 1t was
to the effect that he had been a cap
tain In the Mexican war, that Winter,
then mere boy, was drummer
whom the captain loved as father;
that when he was shot from his horse
in charge, the boy gallantly fought
back the murderous MeXicans TIL
stronger assistance could come, and
that there he had received the wound
which left such a ghastly scar. The
impetuous witness even got in a state
ment that there must be some vile
conspiracy against Winter and wanted
to confront the private detective. But
he had disappeared. The jury ac-
Quilted without retiring, and thought
their verdict righteous one.
"One evening some years later when
south on business, found time heavy
on my hands and dropped into Il place
OF amusement l was indifferently in
terested until lhat voice of the court
room, which still haunted my mem
ory, came from an upper corner of the
hall. | felt like running, but turning
to the stage, | saw my hero of the
Mexican war. He tipped me rec
ognition, and later went with me to
the hotel. There, under pledge of Sc
crecy, he gave me the inside facts of
that mysterious trial.
THE alleged mother, the alleged de-
tective, the alleged captain, the Grip
pie and Winter We're all members of
shrewd gang of crooks operating in
the east. Winter had committed the
robbery and his pals had put up an
elaborate scheme which saved him.
They enjoyed many laugh over the
manner in which they had done the
'Rubes' up in my country. Winter
was then doing life sentence. The
mother was dead. the detective fed
from the country and the cripple went
with him. The captain was one of
the best ventriloquists of the day. and
had become professor who made an
Honest living. 1t was his voice,
thrown at will, that left us simple
folks thinking that we had encoun-
tered the supernatural" ."-Waverly
Magazine.