Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-08
PERVERS!ON OF
JUSTICE
9v EDWARD DOeSoN.

While half way to the village l met an
old acquaintance, who facetiously COM
mented upon my being out so early. l
told him the story Of the assault, which
brought from him the remark that he,
too, had noticed the trail left by the
wide runners of the sleigh. We COM
pared notes and reached the conclusion
that the two assailants We're no less
than the son Of a nearby village hotel
proprietor and the son Of local hos
telry keeper. They were on q pro-
tracted, vicious s1sylark, and, it seemed,
stopped at doing nothing that would
supply them the wherewithal to keep
1t up. My friend, who was in a sleigh,
agreed to join me in hunt for evil
dence against them. Sc, taking
seat by his side, the horses head was
turned toward the village.
"The first place we visited was
resort we knew the men frequented.
We We're well known to the proprietor.
My friend remarked in casual way
that the two men, mentioning them
by name, appeared to be having
afiirmatively, and volunteered the in
formation that they had dropped in on
him last night and carried on some
what. After an exchange Of pleasant
ries, which would leave no other i'm
preston than that we had only an
ordinary interest in the actions of the
men who had become our quarry, we
left the place and proceeded to another
resort some distance off, which we
knew to be, more or less, their head
quarters. Entering, the usual friendly
greetings We're exchanged with the
proprietor and the others there. Abid-
ing the opportunity, | got mine host,
with whom | was well acquainted,
aside, and | laughingly remarked that
that was q great game, to mention
names, Wilson and Clark, had played
last night. He started quickly, then
smiled and significantly said so you
We're in it, too, eh? 1 replied, Yes
but l did not inform him just how 1
was in it. l then said that the stolen
cane was Il highly priced keepsake
from the victims father, and gave my
hearer the impression that l would
like to return it to the owner, who, 1
had found, was farm-hand Say
| said, in a confidential tone, what
did Clark do with the poor fellows
hat and cane" The man hesitated
moment, then he replied, Clark broke
the stick in pieces and burned it with
the hat In that stove yonder 1 saw
him do 1t just before he and Wilson
left here last night Cautioning the
man to secrecy, my friend and l soon
started for home, and on the way
thither we decided on plan Of ac-
ton.
we told Chris the result Of our
sieuthing trip, and persuaded him to
accompany us to the Squire and swear
out a warrant charging Wilson and
Clark with highway robbery and with
assault with intent to kill, hoping that,
by making the charge as strong as
possible, we would secure the punish
ment OF the accused men. We did not
forget that their friends were all-pow-
ertul 'roundabouts. They were ar
rested on the following day, and at
hearing the Squire set a date when
the trial was to be held. In the mean
time We made out perfect case
against the men, and were confident
that we could convict them. Alas, our
faith in human nature and Justice was
to be rudely shaken!
AT last the day of the trial NV
man was sure that he could identify
the person who assaulted him. My
friend and l were interested in the
case only to get justic for Chris,
whose confidence in us was almost
child-lile. We made the mistake of
not hiring a lawyer to look after the
interests of Chris. The accused were
represented by well-known local law
yers, their friends packed the court
room, and even the Squire was q
close friend Of the prisoners families
Before the case was called, and while
the accused men We're within our sight
| got my man, unobserved by any one
to Identify the man who dealt him
the injuries. He made a perfect iden
tiflcation, and my belief that the prs
nnoru Iunnl1 ba nopyiofaj x1yos c+rapp+b