Ellsworth American., 1904-06-01
A CASE OF
! CON SCIENCE


- burf you. ia rather pat o bullet
into myself than into YOU
.I'u try. Bill. to be satisfied TO do my
are but sometimes feel that IL
don't get out o here I'll go crazy
SsBe patient; you've only got a year
I'D a half more, counting time or for
.nod behavior. and thatll soon pass"
Tho convict turned away with n dis
sotisfed exclamation: the keeper lock-
~ him in his cell and returned TO his
Office
Inst three months from that time
lin Burt. after visit from his wife,
,,bo smugglcd him steel saw, cut
two bars out OF his window. let him
solf down by means of his hedclothes.
lodged the guard and got away. When
tbe escape was reported to the keeper
no beaved a sigh and. arming himself,
started in pursuit
81 must get Jim or kill him." he
said Everybody knows that he and
were schoolmates. and everybody
will believe that eonniyed at his es.
cape"
There was more than this in Bin
Connolly's determination to capture or
shoot his old friend~a east iron con.
science. lie considered IL his duty 10
safely keep every prisoner. and II any
one Of them escaped TO get him. dead
or alive. lie could make no exception,
and in the case of his former friend he
must make greater effort. lie divid-
ed the pursuing force into sections.
sending them In different directions.
keeping one route for himself. route
he felt sure Jim Burt would take. Tom
Hathaway, who had been one of a trio
OF friends when they were boys, Bill
Connolly and Jim Burt being the oth-
ers. lived in retired spot between
two mountains. convenient place TO
hide. and Bin knew that Tom would
hide their old friend Bill.
One with less sturdy conscience
would have looked elsewhere for the
fugitive except In the place where he
felt sure he was TO be found. but Con
molly could no more lie to himself than
to those by whom he was paid to do
his duty. lie went alone to Hatha-
ways. hoping that he might the better
prevail upon Jim TO return with him
Voluntarily
1t was cold winter day when the
keeper approached Hathaway's plac"
Connolly shivered at the thought of
Burt's being Obliged to lie in conceal
nent In the cold.
At Hathaway's he was told by Mrs.
Hathaway Hathaway was not at
home) that Burt had not been there.
But he had. and she had given him her
husbands overcoat.
Connolly knew of cleft I'm the rocks
a short distance up the road aSd felt
sure he would find his man there. He
walked till he came to an opening In
the bushes through which path led 20
the little cove. then took the path and
advanced. When he came within few
hundred yards of the hiding place
voice called:
"Haltw
Come out, jim"
"Never alive, Billy"
"You know my duty"
"No, don't, Billy. suppose you do"
I'm obliged to take you back with
me. You know how it would grieve me
10 take you back In box"
Yes, do, Billy. and you know how
1t would grieve me TO shoot my old
friend. You see. I've got a position
here behind these rocks TO do all the
damage. or rather you can't see. for
I'm too well covered"
"And you'Il kin me while I'm doing
only my duty, duty that | can't fail
to perform without dishonor."
Il don't exactly see 1t In that light.
You have your old friends word that
he is not guilty OF the crime for which
he is punished. The master you serve.
the state, has made mistake. What
YOU want to do Is TO make big effort
to satisfy the public without really try
ing TO do anything"
That's not my way of doing
thlng I'm bound TO do. I'm not to de-
eide on your guilt or innocence. A
Jury has done that. IL they hit your
case wrong. that's your misfortune"
And If you are my jailer trying to
take me and kill you in self defense
mat your misfortune"
There was long silence. at the end
OF which Connolly said. in a tone he
might have used TO stranger:
Prisoner. come out and surrender or
III open fire on you"
10 which, after short silence, Burt
replied:
Keeper. III NOT take advantage OF
man who regards IL his ID n TO kill
me. II ! must fight you. I'll Msht you
In the open"
lie sprang over rock and advanced
hring and receiving his antagonists
hre as he advanced. He had emptied
three chambers OF his revolver and
Connolly had emptied five of his when
Doth fell some thirty feet apart and
lay without motion.
Late that night Hathaway returned
70 MS home and learned that both his
oid friends had been there Burt had