Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1905-06-22

y
students got into a row with men who
lived in the place where they studied
and whom they called "tOWnes." One
of the latter was Shot, and one of the
former, member of the senior class
disappeared.
was that student. That one episode
changed my career, deprived me of my
profession and compelled me to remain
fugitive from justice for years. More
than this, 1t caused a breach between
me and the girl loved.
One night a party of us were taking
supper in a restaurant when four men
came in and occupied a ighborng ta-
bic. We were using college slang and
talking very loud, much to the disgust
of the ''townies,' who, it was plain,
had no love for college men. They soon
made insulting remarks, and both par
ties, unwilling 10 pursue the matter in
the restaurant left 1t for the street
There a fight occurred.
Unfortunately for me, | carried a
dirk knife. My doing so was simply
one of the follies Of youth Boys often
love to carry pistols Or knives. which
when they grow older find their way
into junk shops, where they properly
belong. In the scrimmage | drew my
knife, but was knocked down, and ii
fell out of my hand. Hearing whistles
of the police, we scattered, and ran to
my room In one of the dOlmitories.
There l was joined by Taylor Phelps,
my bosom friend, who was white as a
sheet
"Dick," he said between his gasps for
breath, "you must light OUT
"Why 500"
"You stabbed one Of the 'townies'"
"Great heavens. Did I? How do you
know"
"You dropped your knife, didn't
you?"
"Yes"
"Well, one Of them was stabbed. and
I saw policeman pick up a knife
l groaned My initials were carved
on the handle.
Come; get away as quickly as you
can. They'll be here soon to arrest
you. Here. take this" And he hand
ed me all the money he had about him.
l fed and by fleeing confessed my
self the murderer of the man who had
been stabbed. He died the next day,
and the OffenSe was therefore one liza
bic to capital punishment. The other
students implicated were arrested, but
were never tried. l was supplied with
more means by Phelps and got away
to South America. He kept on send
ing me money, taking great care that
should not be traced through his instru
mentality. His parents were wealthy,
and he had means in his own right, so
that his remittances were no great sac
rtice. Nevertheless my youthful af-
fection for him grew stronger with my |
gratitude.
Letters came to me for time from
the girl loved, Jessie Dumont. They |
were forwarded through Phelps. But
they became less frequent, and finally |
she wrote me that she could only mar
ry me by coming to me, and her COM
ing would probably reveal my hiding |
place and bring me to the gallOws.
Therefore there was no choice but to
break with me. But If | We're ever
cleared of the obloQuy resting upon me
and chose to claim her it would be diff
ferent.
One day | was surprised to see in my
southern exile Evan Wyeth. one of the
party implicated with ME. 1t was Il
happy moment. for my life was one of
misery and The sight OF n familiar
friendly face delightful.
Dick" he said Il don't like this
business Of your being the scapegoat
for what we all had hand in. and I've
come down here to have talk with
you. Are you certain that you are the
man who did the stabbing?'
II never was more surprised in my
life than when heard that had done
it."
$50 far as l can gather. your knife
when picked up had no blood Oh it"
"Whatw
1T was perfectly clean, but there
was a knife picked up by one Of our
fellows that had blood on it. No one o.
us would admit that 1t belonged to
him, so we concluded 1t must have be-
longed to one of the townieS
"Wellr
I've brought 1t with me to find out
II you can identify it,
He took q knife from his pocket and
handed 1t to me. The moment l saw 1t
l recognized a knife had loaned Tay-
lor Phelps when he was going into
camp one summer. and he had never
returned 1t. There was one very large
blade In 1t suitable for use In the coun-
try. stood looking at 1t meditatively.
then suddenly became conscious of the
fact that l held the evidence to vindi-
cate myself and put my friend where
he had put me.