The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-12

her when she was told that had muir
dered Albert.
I was a slim young man. weighing
12o pounds. How had I managed TO
carry the body of a man Weighing 155
pounds clear of the town? They got
around that question by saying that
had dragged it over the snow, and two
wonderful condolences suddenly bobbed
to the surface. Across the alley in the
rear of the store was barn From that
barn a halter rope had been missing
since that fateful night. The owner OF
the Barn was a volunteer witness, and
he seemed to really enjoy the situation
The rope was even then attached to his
boys hand-sled, having been taken from
the barn for that purpose
Another reputable citizen sWore to
having seen a curious trail in the alley
next morning. as if a bag of oats had
been drawn over the snow. No one else
saw it, but his testimony was evidence
that had dragged the body out by way
of the alley.
There were three witesses who COM
mitted perjury In a small town a wit
ness in a murder trial is lionized. To
secure a share of public admiration
three young men swore to having heard
me threaten Albert Whites life. They
recalled my exact words and the day
and hour.
When arrested I was locked up by the
town marshal. I didn't think the man
wanted to do me a bad turn but be-
mind must be guilty. He was the hero
OF the hour of course, and of course he
had a good deal to say about how
looked and acted and what I said, every
thing going to prove my guilt never
believed he realized what he was say
ing when he took the stand and sWore
that [ said: Wei, it has all come out,
when he locked me up. He added that
on two different occasions I seemed
about to make a clean breast of it, but
he reDulsed me.
And now what has become OF Albert
White2 All the searching had failed TO
get trace of him. After I had been held
to the higher court certain incidents oc-
CURED to me for the first time. I re-
menbered that White carried a basket
of groceries as he came into the store.
I remembered that he said he must go
straight home when he left. He lived
mile beyond the saloon where he had
stopped. but he could shorten the dis
lance by cutting across a field. I had
never crossed this field. but felt sure
there were three or four old shafts scat
tered about. I thought it all over as I
lay on my cot in jail one nighr, and next
day my employer was directing a
search. At the bottom of a 30-foot shaft
which was not over $50 feet from Mrs.
Whites front door. and the mouth of
which was almost concealed by q snow
drift, they found Albert. This was the
seventeenth day after my arrest. He
had attempted a short cut going home.
6HIlQCu DX the StOIII ne ildQ lSdtiClA Tito
the pit. The five or six feet of snow at
the bottom had broken his fall In his
4 basket was loaf of bread. two or three
/ pounds of beef. some sugar. and a dozen
eggs. He had consumed everything and
was a very hungry young man when
finally discovered. He had figured that
the saloon keeper would give notice OF
/ his leaving there at 1913, because both
had remarked the time. He. reasoned
that search would be made and that the
old pits would speedily be examined.
was at once restored to liberty, as
a matter of course, but 7 want you to
note a curious phase of human nature
! Neither the prosecutor nor the town
marshal took me by the hand and ut
tered a word of congratulation Not one
single witness who had testified against
me evinced the slightest desire to re
/ ioice So far as I could Judge, at Least
one-half the population of the town felt
a grudge against me for spelling the
case This feeling also extended tc
White After he had been murdered and
a good case made out against me it was
dog gone mean to come to life and spOi
it ALI Strancest of all the girl went
back on him with the crowd. and was
shortly after married to a chap who hao
| never taken the trouble to run after her
Circumstantial evidence is good ant
Just and legal evidence, I repeat, but i
must truthful evidence and without
bias or the defendant may be terribly
wronged. Copyright, 1903, by r. D
MarShan9