Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-06-02

tall and vigorous looking stranger lay senseless at my feet. Further blows were unnecessary. As he fell some thing dropped from one of his over- coat pockets. I picked it up and found it to be watch. This put an idea into my head-put it there strongly, burningly, and when I dis covered who it was that I had knocked down, I did not stop to de- bate against the thought. I had all ways regarded Col. Franklin as an enemy of the family rather than friend. I had been satisfied for some time that he grew rich off my fathers unfortunate crime, and that it was he who kept alive my fathers re- sentiment against me. cannot say that I reasoned all this out at that ] time, but I felt that I had felled an enemy and somehow I was entitled to the spells. In plain English, I de- termined to rob the man whom had thus vanquished. In one of his over- coat pockets I found knife and the cuff buttons which have since been identified as my fathers; in his vest pocket was the watch which has here been identified as Franklin's; and in his shirt bosom was the diamond pin which has figured in this case. These articles I quickly appropriated. A pair of handsome sleeve buttons which he wore attracted my atten- l tion, but they were fastened so firm l ly in as to resist my hurried ef- l forts, so I tore the cuffs promptly l from the shirt. I noticed that they | had dark spots on them, which after ward proved to be blood. In one of 1 the overcoat pockets I found pistol, 1 but decided not to take it. It was 1 just about such a weapon as that dis | played here, but I would not like to swear it was the same. He also had a heavy stick, which being useless to me I did not take. Having secured all the valuables on his person, and satisfying myself he would soon come 1 to consciousness, I hurried back to town to pawn the articles I had ob- tained. This I did, never stopping to think of the danger to myself after ward, and then hastened homeward over the short path. That evening we had something of feast at home, I having made up yarn to my wife to account for the food I bought. l have here the blood-stained cuffs with the buttons in them, which did not pawn. You will see that Col. Franklin's initials are written on the linen in India ink"
 Wright took from his pocket a small paper, which he opened, and dis played the cuffs, which were given to | the jury to examine.
 The prosecuting attorney examined d him at considerable length, but could not shake his testimony.
 It was not possible to doubt the l young mans evidence, for it was cor roborated by a number of minor cir cumstances, and besides, it was a complete explanation of the mys- tery. Franklin had shot Wright from behind, had perhaps in sort of murderous fury beaten him about the head with his stick and had then robbed him in order to create the impression that robbery was the mo. tive for the crime; then while hur-
 rving away from the scene of the
 murder he himself had been knocked in the head and robbed. The testi
 mony showed that he had been in the
 Bayou Woods with Wright, that he l had wound in his head, that his
 watch and pin had been pawned, that l Wright had secured the cuff buttons
 and the cuffs, that the pistol with (which the murder had been commit