The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-05-12
By Bushrod C. Washington

yerdictY" asked the clerk OF twelve
| solemn faced men in the jury box.
| 1--WE have" responded the foreman.
handing folded paper to the clerk.
| who read aloud the Endorsement on the
back: I'VE. the jury. find the prisoner
| guilty of murder in the first degree. as
| charged I'm the Indictment"
| civilian Throcmorton." said Judge
Smithson. with judicial sternness,
"after a fair trial. defended by able
/ counsel, you stand convicted of the
| cruel and deliberate murder of Olive
/ Graham.
| lit has been shown that the young
| woman had promised to become your
wife. Her parents. confiding in your
honorable intentions. had recognized
you as her accepted lover and the door
of their home was open to you.
while the motive in your crime is
not apparent. the facts which fasten
it upon you are linked into a chain Of
circumstances strong and incontro-
vertible.
"You stood with Olive Graham on
the porch Of her home; an instant later
her cry for mercy was heard by her
parents above the storm then raging
Fastening to her assistance. they
found her murdered body on the slope
of the hill a rod from the door.
! you were taken soon after, as it
were. red handed. the bloody knife
| with which the deed was done having
been found upon your person.
"You have pleaded not guilty. but
have not disproved single fact the
state alleged against you.
THE penalty of your crime as by
statute fixed is death. Have you any
thing to say why the sentence should
not be pronouncedY
Throcmorton was a pink of physic-
al manhood. well knit. erect, with a
character as straight as his form. He
held medal from ''the management
and was the wearer of watch. the
gift of grateful passengers when he
was taken from the wreck of his en-
gine. '-Throc." as they called him,
was more than liked; he was loved by
the grimy roadmen.
When the last word fell from Judge
Smithson. the character of the man
and the stubborn facts of the case stood
in solemn contrast. In such a contest
character must lose.
The eyes OF Throcmorton shont
straight into the eyes of the judge
There was nothing OF bravado in his
manner. neither tremor nor sign OF
weakening.
''If 1t please your honor" responded
the prisoner. rising as he spoke, III
Il ..la
say I mourn for Olive Graham and an
} innocent. But what Is II worth TO say
II in the face of the evidence? Had
sat with the jury l must have com,
! to their verdict. am ready. you
4 honor. for the sentence"
, Moved by some sudden impulse. tn,
} judge turned to the sheriff and said II
a faltering voice: Remove the pris
oner- and return him for sentence t.
the bar OF this court. The day anl
, hour the court will later Indicate"
Old Graham wns a pensioned tract
inspector. who loved the thunder o
trains and scream of whistles.
He had built his house thirty fee
from the roadbed. Just back of ii an,
. extending down TO the track was al
abrupt twenty foot cliff of shale. th,
} perpendicular face OF which wa
; smooth. 1t was In front of ii that the.
found the body of Olive.
, No. 40 just ran out Of the round
house. had backed up and coupled L
the st. Louis express. 1t was Ton
, Doyle's pet engine.
Doyle was looking from the cab win
l dow for the signal to start. As an en-
, gineer he was good second to Throc
, morton. He was Throc's next frien,
: and was to have been best man at hi
] | wedding.
. He believed Throcmorton was limo
D cent because he couldn't believe other
D wise. But there We're the facts. an
when he thought of them there was
e lump i'm his throat.
!. Ted Elzfe, Doyle's fireman. had jus
r raked the crate when a squad Of tn
boys came by.
o whats the news? asked Ted.
!, "Throc's guilty an got to swing.
= came back from the crowd.
Fifty juries couldn't make me bt
t lieve Throc killed Ollie Grah'm," sal
= Doyle. emphasizing with his fist o
/ the window sill
< The day had been sweltering, cloud
had gathered and the night was blacl
1t was down grade, and Tom Doyl'
with hand on throttle valve and ey
e on the rails. was ready to slack 9
the curve.
, The storm had burst, and Just q
the engine struck the curve a fias
II of lightning and the focus Of the heat
It light met full on the face Of the elf
d The sight Tom Doyle saw made hil
t reel and grip the lever.
y .
y "a letter for Mr.. Absalom Conway
called out Goggin. the worthy propri
= tor Of a San Francisco gambling de-
y putting emphasis on mir. Absalom
IN That's you. Alb. reckon" he adde'
tossing him the letter.
Mr.. Conway eyed the letter full
~ minute and. looking nervously over b
shoulder, tore the envelope.
w-o. Aug. 4. 1893
lie Friend Ab-They say my nerves
II, broke an mus run half time or thrc
~ up. I'll divvy my runs with you. an
my nerves don't mend yours Is the j
u fer good. Right away you must com
It. An it's yours l am. TOM DOYLE
In the cab Of No. 40 sat Absalo
| Conway to divide the run with Doyl