Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-07
erably strong arm very welcome; ar

| erably strong arm very welcome; ant
, I am mistaken If they require from me
| any other passport. To a man who
expects no rest, and fears no dan.
ger, a life in the woods possesses at
fractions not to be resisted"
IF such is your fixed purpose" said
Colonel Burr, II will not argue against
It, Indeed, I think 1t the best thing
you can do. Durand must be ac-
quilted in the first place, however
and you must not let your fear Of a
prosecution prevent you from going
wherever it may be necessary to hunt
up evidence in his behalf. I will
answer for your safety"
"The assurance is unnecessary. Tell
me what you want me to do, to help
Aleck Durand, and it shall be done,
II hang in one hour afterwards"
II believe you," said Burr, earnestly.
II believe you fully" Then, after a
pause, he added: "It is now late, let
me show you to a bed. Remember,
that as fast as you gather informa-
ton, no matter whether you deem 1t
important or not, you are to come to
me-"
| A light was still burning in Colo
mel Burr's study long. after he had
shown Jenkins to his bedroom. Ac-
cording to his usual custom he was
arranging and classifying the facts
and circumstances which had come
to his knowledge, and applying to
them the law of circumstantial EVIL
dence. For him there was no hour of
repose while anything remained to be
done.
| The next day he called upon Du-
rand, and again questioned him not
only upon the events Of the murder.
but upon many things which appar-
emily had no connection with it. By
the time the day of trial arrived, he
was armed at all points; prepared to
meet every possible attack, and to
take advantage Of every possible
| fault in his adversary's management
of the case. The watchman who
was first introduced as a witness on
the part Of the prosecution had to un-
dergo a searching cross-examination,
from which, however, there appeared
little likelihood Of obtaining any ad-
vantage, for the witness was clearly
an honest man who had nothing to
conceal, and no motive for telling
anything but the truth. Colonel Burr
drew from him the fact that Roberts
had been the first one to discover the
knife on the mantle-piece; that the
scabbard was missing, and had not
been found upon the person Of the
prisoner, or In the house; and finally,
that the club picked up by the dead
body had no appearance Of hair, al
though the deceased wore a thick coat
Of curly hair, a large lock Of which
| had been driven by the force of the
blow into the wound on his head. He
admitted that detecting, as he suppos-
ed, Alexis Durand almost in the very
| examination.
certain how far it was possible for
any other person to have been the
guilty party. The two succeeding
witnesses gave almost the same ver-
sion as the first The surgeon who
had been called in to examine the
dead body was next placed upon the
stand. He described the wounds, and
1t tnfn hof
would have produced death. He was
satisfied the wound in the side was
made by the knife exhibited in court,
and believed that on the head might
have been made by the club, although
the edges had the appearance OF be-
| ing more sharply cut than is general
| ly the case where a smooth, round
| instrument is used. At this point,
Colonel Burr drew from his desk an
eight-square oak club, about two feet
in length, with a leathern strap
through one end, and heavily load
ed at the other.
Examine this club, DOCTOR" he
said, handing the witness the murder
Gus weapon as he spoke, land tell the
jury which of the two would be most
likely to make such a wound as you
| describe"
Either might do 1t; but, If 1 had
been shown the two clubs together
| Immediately after the examination.
should have said that the blow was
given with the shorter one"
This decided testimony was
strengthened rather than shaken by
the further examination of the pros
ecuting attorney. The attention of
the jury was also called to the fact
that the club had the appearance of
having been washed at the heavy end,
and in one or two places scrubbed with
sand-paper.
| John Roberts was the next witness
called He had been purposely re-
served for the last, in order that the
deepest impression might be made
upon the minds of the jury at the
close of the prosecution. Colonel
Burr observed that his cheek grew
a shade paler when his eyes rested
on the loaded club. He had not ex-
pected to see that instrument there,
and knew not what it portended. AS
soon as he began to give in his testi-
mony, Colonel Burr's eye was fixed
upon him with a steady and unremit-
ting gaze. At first he bore it with
considerable fortitude, but after
awhile he hesitated, stammered, and
then trembled visibly. No matter
how he turned, no matter which way
he looked, that searching eye was
never removed from his person
seeming TO penetrate to his inmost
soul, and read the darkest secrets
of his guilty breast In vain he tried
to avoid it; in vain he tried to confine
his own looks to the court and jury
or to the prosecuting attorney. lr
spite of himself his glances would
wander. to those large and burning
orbs that fascinated while they ter
, rfied, and compelled attention wher
attention was torture. His evidence
l. Innr n