The Irish standard., 1903-06-27

loout lh' luuiuer. tnuer ponce sur
veilance he wandered up and down
the hall pale and unhappy. apparent
ly abNbrbed in reflections by no means
wholesome. Curious eyes were often
turned toward him, and frequently
eyes that had another light than Of
curiosity in them, but he seemed
oblivious to it all, although being
under arrest he knew that suspicion
pointed to him.
His mother and sister were said to
he very much umnerved by the trag.
edy and remained in their rooms un.
til they were compelled to testify.
When the jurors had taken their
seats and everything was in readiness,
an examination of the body bv the
coroner revealed the fact that Wright
had been shot in the back of the
head, and at close quarters, too, as
was evidenced by the powder burns
on the hair. And the inference was
unavoidable that the murderer had
been walking behind his victim, and
that the latter did not expect the at
tack. He must also have been fully
aware who it was that walked thus
behind him. for the squareness with
which the blows had been dealt
showed that he had not turned his
head i'll suspicion or curiosity.
The first witness examined was an
old negro, who was evidently in grave
doubt whether the coroner would
send him to Jail for life or order him
hanged on the spot should aught go
amiss with his testimony. His ter
ror gave an incongruous element of
comedy to the serious business on
hand. lie took his seat gingerly and
the coroner began to question him.
whats your name?'
London. sah," was the answer.
"London?" said the coroner. in sur
prise.
"Dat's my name. IF you doan bleeve
me you can ak de mistes eff hit amt.
! done tole you de truf."
Il don't doubt that, old man." said
the coroner. repressing with an CT
fort an inclination to smile. "Now
tell us your last name"
wright, sab. 7 ies' calls myself
London Wright, sab"
'Well. London, we want to get out
of you what you know about this
inllrder."
''Lordy, boss, I doau Know nuthin'
bout it. clar ter goodness l didn'
hab nutl,in ter do wild it. Mars John
alw~ys done treat me wcll.'
"NoboGy thinks you had anything
said, rcnssuringly, "but there is some
information that you can give us
perhaps. Tell me, We're yon at home
the day before Mr.. Wright was
killed?"
eyes. sab: WIS dar.'
"Did anybody call on that morn.
ing??"
Eyes, sah.' .....
"Who was it %
"WeIl, young Mr.. Wright WIS one
Tudder man | doan know who he
WIS"
"Mr. Wright had two visitors
then?'
Yes. sab"
'Who got there first?"
"Dis udder man.
"Can you tell me what this other
man looked lille?'
No, sab. 1 did'n see him; I on'y
heyrd him. You sec Mars Wright
he sen me ter clean the gun up fun
him, 'caisc he gwinc h,lntin' mex day
an he tole me soon's I got it fixec
ter fetch it ter him in Gle library
Wen | done git it cleaned an tecl
it ter him, l foun' de library doat
wus shut an locked, an hcarr two
pussons talllin' in dar kinder low
Wen I knocked, Mars. Wright he
coined ter de doah an he holler froc
ter bring de gun back later; dat he
wus busy den. Well, i go out ter DE-
stable an feed de hosses. an in bout
half er hour / went back an glib Mars
Wright de gun. De stranger who
eber he WIS, wus done gone"
you have no idea who he WASP"
'No, sab. | guess Mars Wright mu:
| hab let him inter de house hcsef
caisc l aNed all de ngycrs bout him
and dey didn nobody pear to know
nutin bout him"
"What made you ask about him?'
well, you see, us cullud folks like:
| ter know who comes tor de house, al
all bout EN-. SOS we kin talk it al
obcr in de kitchin monst ourselves.
"Oh, ] sec. We'll, how long was i
before Young Wright put in an ap
| pearancr?'
"llc come Amos soon's | done Gil
Marstrr de gun, fur | let's him il
myself fo goes out"
Did he seem troub!"d::"
"Ycs, sab. lie looked mighty orn
resty, an he was mighty swif' too
fur he ics' said, 'Whar's my father
an Wen l tolr him in dc library, h
pushed me oltrn de way, am he wen
right in. ! wis SO surprised like da
l stood dar in de hall an hearn al
dey say ter one anrdder 10 knowe,
wat l wus doin. But L 'clar dey tall
so loud am cited dat L couldn' hep it
an de doah wus open, too
"Whnt did they s;y?'
''Fust Mr.. Herbert he speak kinde
sof'-lillc, an he tell he pa dat h
come ter him fur ter git hep. He sl,
dat he wife an he baby wus a-star>in
an dat he couldn' beg from nobod
else; dat he didn' kecr fur hissct' bl,
he colldn' stan" fur ter see der
hongry. an so he come ter he pa fu
some hep. Ole Mars Wright h
answer kinder tcmtious-lilIc. an sa
dat he hrarn teli nutf bout dat. Ii
say Mr.. Herbert ain got no busines
lrl. 1rius-i l,u ,A:ill II, lnt Il