The daily Alaskan., 1905-05-17
A Woman's Ruse
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nroSpcctof m Nolorduo anu otuhht claim which he worked with man by the name of Clark. One day Clark took Rixby to little pocket of rocks near. the mine and showed him where he had placed some articles he did not care to keep on his person. There were some money. a revolver, a gold pencil case, a bunch of keys and picture Of n wo- man.
 q want you to know where these things are In case anything happens to me" Clark said, and, having covered the pocket with a broad, fat stone, left no sign of thu concealed articles.
 Some time after this Clark was taken ul and. having no relative to leave any property to. made. a will leaving his interest in their claim 10 BiNby, though. there was then no great apparent value in the hole they were sinking. Clark re covered, but the will was not destroyed.
 One day Bixby left the claim for a  day to buy provisions, and when he came back he found that Clark had been murdered during his absence. There was no trace of the murderer, and Rixby was much puzzled as Co who had done the deed, Bixby went on dig ging and finally struck very valuable ore. Then he filed Clark's will.
 He had been suspected of Clark's murder. and now that 1t appeared he had a motive he was arrested. He could not prove that the murder was committed during his absence, and no one else was known to have an Inter est in Clark's death, Persons who had sold him and Clark the claim they had worked when 1t was thought to be of little value, hoping that if Bixby was hanged they might get it back, manu- factured evidence against him, and be was convicted. The usual efforts were made by his lawyers to save hls life. but they were all failures, and finally they told him he must prepare for death.
 It was only a few days before the execution was to take place that a young man. an effemlnatc apparently half wittei fellow, entered a saloon at the county seat where Bixby had been tried and was to be executed. Going to the bar, he called for drink and in payment offered revolver. The barIecpcr while examining It no ticcd scratched upon the handle Jar wis Clark" the name of the man who had been murdered The barkccper took the revolver in payment for the drink and immediately sent it to the authorities. The young man who had offered it was arrested, and on his per son were found two Of the other articles Clark had buried, the gold pencil case and the picture of woman. The man could give no account of himself, and since Clark had shown the picture to several persons they were enabled to identify 1t as his property. Bixby was released and the young man was put on trial for the murder of Clark.
 BiXby's lawyers advised him to spare no pains to convict the accused thus yindicatlng himself, but Bixby declar- ed that his misfortune had shattered his nerves and he would go east to be nurSed back to health by his wife. The prosecuting attorney had objected to his being permitted to depart. Blk, by, however, got away before any legal move could be made to detain him.
 He had had plenty Of time to reach a safe distance when the young man who was about to be tried sent for the prosecuting attorney. When that off. cial appeared the prisoner said to him;
 I'm not a man. I'm a woman and the wife of the man you hoped to hang, My husband wrote me where Clark had concealed certain articles. came here, found them and produced the revolver for the purpose which has been achiey- ed. had arranged it all with my bus band"
 The astonished official ordered the prisoner to be examined by woman, who found her claim to be true.
 And now," said Mrs. Bixby, q be- lieve the picture of the woman Clark hid with the other articles to have something to do with the murder. Re lease me, and I will endeavor to find out"
 Mrs. Rixby was released and set about the task she had assigned her self. It was not long before she discov- cred the picture to be that of woman who had left her husband for Clark. The erring woman's husband was ar rested for the murder, but he was not brought to trial The sympathy of the people was in favor of one who bad simply avenged a wrong in a way inst they considered legitimate. The pris- oner confessed that he had long looked for Clark and when he found him gave him a fair chance for his life. But, fearing arrest on charge of murder, he had fled as far as possible from the scene of his revenge.
 There was a great deal of sympathy for Bixby, who had come so near being hanged for a murder he had not com mitted, and a great deal of admiration for the woman who had saved him. He remained in hiding till his wife had un- covered the real facts of the tragedy;