Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1903-10-08
Die Longworthy
* Confessions

said. LongWorthy had come into the
house that day. and Desmond was tc
80 out of it In ii" morning. Longwor.
thy's body was found In the library
shot through the heart while Des
moud's revolver, one chamber empty
lay on the floor. When they arrested
Desmond, though he had not been in,
formed Of the murder, he did not seem
surprised the pallor on his face deep.
cncd; there was wild terror in his
eye. ne made mo- denial Of his guilt.
Desmond had every motive for the
crime. Longworthy had turned up TO
deprive him Of an estate he had sup
posed belonged to himself. Desmond
had loved Katherine Page, who must
marry the heir to the estate or forfeit
her own property, worth million.
The prisoner bore himself as one liv-
ing in the horror Of a crime. What
passed between him and his legal de
fender was a secret, but after a con
ference the lawyer put in the plea Of
insanity ana on this depended solely
for acQuittal
The trial was short, the defense be
ing confined 10 a theory advocated by
the prisoners counsel that Desmond
had been made temporarily insane by
the loss of fortune and the woman he
loved. The plea was considered weak
first. because II was not proved that
katherine Page had decided to throw
him off to save her fortune; second,
because the criminal insane are not to
be tolerated by society. The jury were
out two hours, all this while discussing
the leaving of the pistol where ii was
sure to lncriminate the murderer then
returned to the court with Il verdict of
guilty.
Desmond was in prison n long while
awaiting the execution of the death
sentence. HIS counsel worked for him
with all the zeal Of one confident of his
clients innocence This was surpris-
ing, for, putting in plea Of insanity,
which was by no means subStantiated,
the lawyer virtually confessed that the
deed had been committed by Desmond.
One day the lawyer hurried into Des-
mond's cell and told him TO prepare
his mind for a rel f which was so
marked, SO unexpected that It would
be dangerous Desmond looked up Mt
him with a piteous expression of in
quiry.
'Some time ago" said the lawyer, Il
received u note from one who agreed
to confess to the Longworthy murder if
could be fixed beforehand
at few years. Since then l have been
working night and day to secure tho
terms. This morning secret papers were
signed agreeing to n sentence of ten
years, and the real murderer has con
fessed.
Confessed" said the prisoner won
derlngly. "Who did the murdcr?"
THAT Is a secret which belongs to
the state"
THE murdererS motivcE
THAT, too, is a state secret"
Desmond walked out Of prison a free
man. He was in singular position.
The man who had supplanted him was
dead, and he was again in possession
Of his estates He asked after Rather
inc Page and was told that she had
gone on long journey md had left in
that her whereabouts should
be concealed from him. This only deep
nncd the gloom in which he dwelt with
out bringing out any expression of dis
\ year passed. One morning Des-
mond took up a newspaper and read
A man died yesterday. who before his
death made a written confession that he
had killed the person supposed TO be
Philip Longworthy. but who was Philip
Doylin. ncvlin. by means of forged pa
pers. obtained possession OF the estate OF
Arthur Desmond, who was tried for his
murder The confessed murderer was TO
have shared In the plundcr As ne did
not. he went TO the house from whict
Desmond had not yet departed and, OBJ
tanning Desmond s revolver killed Long
worthy leaving the weapon to turn sus-
picion TO another. After Dcsmond's con
,iction q woman confessed the crime and
IS now serving a sentence Of imprisOn-
ncnt
The woman? She had confessed a
rhine she had not committed. There
.ame q suspicion that this was n sacri-
ice with which in some way Katherine
Page was linked
Desmond seized his hat, eager to find
some one who would unravcl the mys-
cry. He was about leaving the house
when he received a call from the at
orney who had defended him.
Have you seen the article asked
Desmond.
"Yes. | have come 10 announce that
'he who suffered disgrace ana impris-
'nment that you might 1--we, katherine
Page, has this morning been set free
nd is waiting for you at her house"
When Desmond entered the room
where katherine Page awaited his
coming he found her rs much under !
he control OF deep feeling as he was
himself TIL the real confession she |
lad not known whether Desmond was /
,uilty or innocent, though she had not !
Now her own personal freedom was
estOred 10 her with his yindicatiOn |
md a restoration of her former sur |
The two without a word (
ycro locked In a long embrace The /
world that had been dead for them /
lad again sprung Into lifc
Desmond had broodcd so deeply over
IFS loss that at the time of the murder |
ne was I'm a state bordering on mad |
less. At intervals he could not recall |
hc recent past ana was in terror lest
lc should Kill the man who had sup .
,lautod him. When the deed WAS done
t seemed to be revealed 10 him that /
lo had done IT, He was so far con
.iurrd Of this that his attorney had
10 other recourse hut 20 rntrr plea |
Il insanity
AUSTIN ALLEN KINGSLEY.