Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-12-09

41NkNN @WJ 49, N4@ W@AA@N W mNt
was only 3 great big playhouse, until
sOmsthing happened which brought
me TO q realization that 1t was indeed
q playhouse but on its stage tragedy
and crime played q conspicuous part.
Ny childhood dreams had q rude
awakening. One morning, as I was
busy " work in my little garden, I was
startled BY the sharp clatter ofkorse's
feet, coming down the street The
easy, graceful rider was HarEyDerbin,
Gyoung man Of our town.
He was, indeed, a man to be envied,
being endowed with everything to
make his life q success. He was hand
some. popular and wealthy, and re-
port aid, soon to be married to Above
y z in . neighbOring town.
/ saw from his flashing eyee that
something was terribly. wrong. In
aA instant he had dashed mp TO the
blacksmith door across the street, and
with q few words / could not hear,
levelea Ais pistol at the blacksDith's
head. The poor fellow begged Pitsous-
" for mercy, but without . tremor
or one relenting glance, young Der
bia hred. and the unfortunate manfell
20 the ground with = SrOaR-
Was rooted To the spot in horror
AID amusement, but my eyes refused
70 leave the man, who could By n
act Of ungoveYnable passion, cast aside
all thought Of his future and wreck
. life 30 full Of promise as his.
With . glance at his PROSTATE VIC
tim, he cOolly placed his revolver back
In his pocket, and rode on down the
street. As he passed me by, he glanced
down at my trembling little figure as
II to say: "Well did you see it, little
One?" and my throbbing heart an
swered: "Yes, 1, and only I, and your
Maker saw the deed" Then, a q
crowd came rushing up the street,
dazed and trembling, I turned and
went into the house-not the happy,
careless child that came out, but n
blindly confused at this first glimpse
of tragedy in the worlds playhouse.
Upon investigation it proved that
the motive for the deed, while ex-
tremely %aggravating, did not justify
the taking of a mans life. The black
smith had struck Henry Derbin's
little brother for some mischievous
prank in his shop, but this was too
much for the proud, fiery spirit of the
elder brother, and nothing but the
mans life would pay the penalty.
He was promptly arrested, and for
. time there was great excitement,
but after awhile the tumult subsidized
and, owing to his popularity and the
fact that he was the moving spirit
in the towns enterprises, public opin-
ion soon began to lean very much in
his favor.
Hearing the matter discussed so
often, l soon began to consider him
Is my prosecuted hero, but cOnsoled
myself that 1 was the only one who
saw the shot fred. But 1 was bewil-
dered when father brought home one
day my summons as the principal wit
ness in the case. I did not then realize
what Il meant although father very
solemnly told me as we went to the
courthouse that ga mans life was in
my hands," and that / must "tell the
truth and nothing but the truth"
about what I SAW on that terrible
day. He led me into the crowded
courtroom, and I searched in vain
among the sea Of faces for that Of my
hero. I tremblingly Obeyed the call
TO the witness stand, and at last saw
the pale, handsome face Of the mar
whom my simple words would con-
denim. There he sat with his mother.
sweetheart, money and friends on one
side Of His scale Of destiny, but alas!
soon to be o~Verbalanced by the law.
my testimony and justice. His gilt
tering eyes were fixed upon me as il
TO say: "Be merciful, little girl; you
know not what you do" The tears
streamed down my face, and between
my sobs I told my simple story, which
must have carried conviction with It
for the jury had been out Of the room
! only 3 few moments when they re
turned with the verdict Of guilty
and then, as the Judge Numbered Oui
the sentence that Henry Derbin wa
Ito be hung by the neck until he wa
dead, dead, dead" / realized that thii
mans life had indeed been placed II
my hands.
While the words Of the Judge rang il
my ears the condemned man gave nj
one r%eproachful look, then bowed BIZ
head and wept as / had never seen
man weep before.
Public sympathy By this time was 3
much In his favor that the most prom
inent citizens by a widely circulateI
petition, got his sentence commuteI
90 life imprisonment.
From that time my happy, careles
Hfe was ended. In vain they trie
90 impress me that I had only "a
? swsred the demands Of justice, 70
that shadow was always I'd q
3 path, and my thoughts and dream
4 we're haunted by the s%orrowful, pleaG
1 ing eyes Of Henry Derbin.
Ten years later / was married an
/. lived IN a neighboring town to on
old home. Strange to say, my husban