Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-08-10

the ACCESSIBILITY Of questioning her fur
ther. the witness, regardless OF conse-
quences, made her way hastily to ST.
mon Kempster and. sinking into her
place by his side, laid her face against
his coat sleeve, sobbing bitterly.
The gaping auditors eyed her curl
ously, entertaining themselves with
coarse comments ON her evident fond
ness for her lover and sneers for her
sorrow at the prisoners predicament.
Suddenly there was loud rapping for
order. The council, having decided not
to recall Hetty, made the fact known,
and when all again was quiet the Wild
ow Dawson, whose child had died OF
convulsions, was on the witness bench
giving an account Of that nights ex-
periences.
Time and the constant repetition of
this story to the credulous, awe struck
people of the community had caused 1t
to lose none Of its interest, so that the
tale the woman related In a low, dis
tinct voice was supernatural in the ex-
treme and grewsome In its horrible de-
tails. The superstitious listeners, eager
ly drinking in every word the widow
uttered, expressed their sympathy FOR
her and their fear and detestation of
the prisoner, who continued through 1t
all to sit silently with bowed head and
clasped hands, by giving vent to louder
murmurings Of anger and cries for
vengeance.
Other accusers followed, each with
tale Of some harm having befallen her
after passing or coming in contact with
the young mistress of Maryland farm,
SO that the afternoon was wearing to
close when the last and most impor-
tant witness, old Adam Browdie, the
goldsmith, was called to give his testi-
mony. The old man, whose grief at the
loss Of Christopher was deep and sin
cere and who honestly attributed the
lads tragic death to the supernatural
powers of Margaret Maryland, contain
ed in the "accurst cross of gold," told
his story minutely. giving every detail
from the moment the cross was brought
to his little cabin to the end, with
streaming eyes and quayerlng voice,
growing stern and tragical as he de-
scribed the storm, weeping tears Of ag-
ony as he told of the finding or the
body; then, suddenly winding up his
long and terrible tale, he fell on his
knees and, raising his arms to heaven,
called Gods vengeance on the prisoner.
AS he was led, trembling and ex-
hausted, to his seat loud talking was
heard in the audience, those assembled
glaring at the pale faced prisoner with
hatred in their eyes. The chief coun-
cilor rapping fer order, silence fel.
upon the crowded room that lasted,
with an occasional interruption, for
long half hour while the tribunal delib-
Grated.
At last the chief councillor rose and,
walking with solemn majesty to the
railing that separated the council from
the audience, addressed the prisoner:
Margaret Maryland, rise"
With little fluttering sigh Margaret
rose and, raising her eyes, looked into
his stern, hard face steadily.
Woman" he said, although thou
hast denied guilt OF the wicked crimes
attributed to thee, do announce that,
after patient hearing Of all the awful
happenings that have occurred In this
hitherto peaceful and God loving COM
munlty since thine advent here and
after having accorded thee legal trial
OF much fairness, this tribunal doth
find the charges true and doth pro-
nounce thee guilty OF tho blackest
crime on the calendar, allegiance to the
devil and rebellion against God. There
fore, Margaret Maryland, even as our
Lord hath commanded that the wicked
spirits of sinners be burned perpetualiy
after death, so do !, by the king ap-