The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-03-06
CONTROL OF
CIRCUMSTANCES

copyright, 1902, by the s. S. Mcclure
Company.l
Billy Burton, alias "Kid' Burton,
was facing a situation that even he,
was unpleasant Indicted for murder
in the first degree, with chain of cir
cumstantial evidence that was without
flaw, locked securely In a newly
built jail, with no means of escape and
no pal within a thousand miles to fur
nish such means, 1t was but natural
that he should mutter to himself that
he had "gone de pace and must walk
de plank fer it." Yet he accepted his
fate with stoicism that was admira-
BILE. Always expecting arrest and
dreading detection, he had come to
consider that the events which consti-
tuted his life must naturally and nee
essarily terminate upon the gallows.
And now that the blow had fallen he
accepted it resignedly.
The door swung open, and John Mar
vail, attorney at law, stepped inside.
The warden locked the door and left
them together.
For moment each man stood meas
uring the other Narvall saw man
of great physical strength, whose bet
ter nature had been warped by cir
cumstances. Burton saw slight, ath-
letic man of perhaps twenty-three or
twenty-four, with pale, aristocratic fea-
lures and an inscrutable countenance.
Burton was in the presence of supe-
rior and realized it.
These two were representatives of
the extremes of society.
81 sent fer you, gunner, to see what
you could do fer me. You see, it's like
desc: I'm slightly up against it dis
time and"- began Burton, but Mar
vail stopped him.
"Wait and let me state your case to
you. You are indicted for murder in
the first degree. The evidence is all
against you, and you haven't single
witness. The indictment states that
you administered poison to your late
employer, Mr.. Hartford The poison
was nitric acid, and the prosecuting at
torneys have in their possession half
bottle of the acid left which will be
introduced as evidence"
Oats straight, guv'ner"
And, now, will you pay me $4,000
if have you acquitted?"
Don't jolly me, gunner. You know
it can't be did. I've got de swag all
right; but, say, swag don't go wild dat
judge ner wild de jury OATS to try me.
| knows"
Il don't bride judges and juries,"
said Narvall coldly. Twill you pay me
that fee?'
Yes, but say
"Then that closes our business. And,
now, listen. l will not see you again
until your case comes up for trial. 1t
is set for next Wednesday, six days
from today. No matter what / do at
that trial, you are not to show sur
prise" Narvall turned and called to
the warden.
Just er minute, gunner. Do you
b'lieve I'm guilty?"
1.-THE judge and jury will decide that
My duty is not to determine whether
or not you are guilty, but to establish
your innocence" He turned and walk
ed out
The six days passed by slowly to
Burton. At times he thought that aft
er all Narvall must have been Jolly
ing" him, but in the end the first i'm
preston of him still remained.
At last the day for which his trial
was set arrived. He was taken into
the courtroom and his case called. The
jury was drawn and impaneled and
the witnesses for the state were exam
lned. Every iota of the testimony was
against Burton. When the state solic-
itor rose to make the opening argu-
ment, the net of circumstances that
surrounded Burton was without bro
ken strand. Not man on the jury
doubted that he was guilty. The state
solicitor ended with a smile of tri-
umph. This would be one more con-
viction to his credit.
Then Narvall rose. He was slightly
paler than usual, but a faint smile
lowered about the corners of his
mouth.
''If it please your honor and gentle
men of the jury, in the face of such evil
dence as has been introduced l have
but one argument to make. They tell
you that deceased died from the eff
fects of half the contents of this bot
tie, administered by the defendant"
He picked up the little vial and looked
at it thoughtfully. "And now, gentle
men, if that be so it must necessarily
follow that the remaining contents
will have the same effect upon a hui
man being as the other half is alleged
to have had. This, assert, it will not
do" Every ear was strained to catch
his speech; every eye was fixed on
Narvall's cold inscrutable face. No one
saw the small capsule that slipped from
between Narvall's fingers into the vial.
Eyes, in spite of the fact that learned
chemists have testified to the contrary,
say that this is not poison. And now
for the proof He raised the vial to
his lips and before the astonished at
torney, who sprang forward, could
reach him he had drained every drop
A low murmur of horror went up
from the crowd without the bar A
stiffness as of death reigned for few
moments and was broken by the calm,
collected voice of Narvall:
Gentlemen. if within half an hour
l am dead of course the defendant is