The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-04-09


| hearted fellow one would saw. but |
with an unmistakable tendency to
| surrender very promptly to tempta-
ton. He wore jeunty clothes, smoked
villianous cigars, played poker reck-
lessly, and knew every saloonkeeper
| in town by his Christian name. He
| plumed himself on his wickedness.
and had vague idea that he was
man of the world.
Warde accepted his invitation TO
wait, but declined the cigar. He had
suffered from Hillsmans cigars be-
fore. Say, Irv,' said Hillsman, ia
miliarly, that's humming murder
case, that Wright business, amt it?"
Il should say so. It's very mys.
terious affair" replied Warde.
Mysterious? What are you giving
me? Why, it's as plain az the
nose on mans face. The colonel
heard all the testimony, and he says
he can see no hope for Wright"
lis the colonel satisfied of Wright's
guilt?"
Not doubt Of it,"
"Tm sorry to hear that. Does he
intend going into the prosecution 2"
Il think not. 1t is scarcely intricate
enough for him. His forte is digging
truth out of well, not picking it up
on the ground. Besides, since the
facts have come out SO strong against
Wright, he does not feel like having
anything to do with it. He's always
been a great friend to the family,
you know; and he dislikes the idea
of prosecuting the son for the muir
der of the father, who was his
friend"
Yes; I see"
Between you and me, believe
Wright's family were blamed glad to
get rid of him, and the colonel knows
it,"
What makes you think so?"
why, I'll tell you. Old Wright was
as hard piece of cobblestone as you
ever saw. He treated his wife as
If she had been his niger, and he
never had a pleasant word for any
body at home. He kicked his son out,
you know, and there's his daughter,
Miriam, perfectly scrumptious girl,
that he didn't take any more notice
of than if she had been mummy.
The only decent thing he ever did
was to get himself killed, and he
couldn't help that"
What did he ever do to you,
Frank?"
Nothing at all; but didn't know
him? He used 70 drive up to this
Office every day, never looking to
the right or left, or speaking to q
soul. All day long it was cotton re-
ports, sampling cotton, thinking cot
ton, and, for all know, eating cotton
Every now and then he'd go off to
one of his plantations and spend q
few days cussin' out his manager and
niggers. In fact, he was perfect hog
If there ever was one"
At this point Col. Franklin came
in hurriedly and took Warde into
his private office. what can dc
fer you to-day?' he said, throwing
off his cloak and dropping rather
YEARLY into chair.
81 wish to learn your views on thu
testimony brought out this morning.
MY dear boy" said the lawyer com
panionably, II don't want to b
quoted, you understand; but it wa
simply awful. 1t looked like the in
terposition of Providence. l hav'
been so Mortified at the revelation
this morning that have about de
termined to withdraw from the case
I could not very well prosecute fo
murder the Son of the man who wa
my lifelong friend"
do you know, colonel, don't be
lieve the young fellow did it," sail
Warde
in the face of that evidence thi
morning?"
'Tn spite of it; and I am going t.
discover the truth"
Col Franklin looked seriously a
Warde as If to see whether he wer
1 in Jest or earnest, but detecting moth
ing humorous in the young mans fac
said: at looks to me like a will
goose chase, but I hope that you wi
be able to establish Herbert Wright
innocence. 1t is a shocking case a
it stands"
81 have just been up to see him."
what does he say?"
: Claims to be innocent. He ha
y some clew or other which 1 expec
1 later on to add to those / alread
have, and with these threads | hop
e to get at the truth"
d did he tell you what 1t was
n asked the lawyer with evident cur
it osity.
h mo sir; had hoped to get it fro1
a him, but he declined to tell me jus
II vet. He intimated that what he ha
it to say would be of such startlin
t, character as to be considered at frs
10 absurd. Before / could induce hin
G. to change his mind and tell me h
,r secret his wife came in and l lei
r them together"
1 at is the old story" said the co
10 onel, smiling sadly. "Tbe poor fello
De is cornered, and he has not "