Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-07
CHAPTER XV-CoNTINUEp.

Burr, "who 1t was that committed
the murder?"
"I know who did IL, colonel, as well
as IL 1 had seen the blow struck; but
I can prove nothing, and it will dc
me no good"
You may be mistaken. At all
events tell me who you suspect"
John Roberts. Bill Jenkins had
not seen him for days, and did mol
send him for me. He had planned
the robbery before he came, and his
visit had a double object; first, to
get me out of the way, for he well
knew that it was not the safest thing
in the world to enter a house where
1 was sleeping, for any such purpose.
His other object was to survey the
premises. When l went down to sup
per, he removed the nail from the
window and put my knife in his
bosom He then loitered in the neigh
hood until he saw me depart. The
landlord Of the house to which he sent
me was unquestionably his confed-
crate, and had instructions to detain
me as long as he could. 1t was pos
sible he might fail in this, and there
fore 1t was important for Roberts
to accomplish his purpose quickly.
My opinion is, that he made his en-
trance q little too soon; that the fear
of my return hurried him, and he did
not wait until Franz was sound asleep.
am not sure that he meant to COM
NIT murder If he could avoid 1t, but
he went prepared for 1t. He may
only have meant to creep through
the room, go down the stairs, rob the
house, and pass out Of the front door
into the street. He must have made
some noise, and when Franz jumped
up to ascertain the cause, he felled
him with a bludgeon and stabbed him
after he was down. After that he
robbed the house, placed my bloody
knife upon the mantle-piece, escaped
through the window, and hid among
the piles of lumber until he saw me
enter, when he gave the alarm and
had me arrested under circumstances
which he thought would hang me
and which, 1 admit, are strangely
against me.
You will not think it strange, COL
onel, that 1 should be so positive and
precise when you remember that
served for years as a partisan soldier
in a country where dark deeds were
as frequent as recurring suns. / have
tracked out many one with small
er clue at the beginning than this;
and If I was free for one week, would
prove John Roberts guilt, or consent
to hang in his place"
That is impossible" replied Burr.
I'VE must trust to what / can do to-
wards untangling this dangerous web;
and be assured that 1 am no novice
in the art Give me the street and
number of your lodging-house, and
also that of the house to which you
were sent by Roberts"
When he had made note of the
numbers, he said: 1T will be three
weeks before your trial can come on.
In that time a great deal may be done.
Keep up your spirits. 1 shall come
again in a few days, and hope to bring
you cheering tidings."
To the jailor he said, on leaving,
Treat your prisoner with as much
lenity as your duty will permit, and
allow him all the comforts you can.
1 will see that you are recompensed."
The obsequious official readily
promised all that the great lawyer
requested and in another hour Aaron
Burr was mingling with a gay COM
pany in his own drawing room, play
ing the part Of the courteous host
with the polished ease of a thorough
man of the world, and exhibiting in
his countenance not a single trace OF
the annoying cares that beset his
professional life.
To the lawyer society is always
unjust. The mechanic who. pushes
his plane from sunrise TO sunset, and
receives at night a miserable pittance
for his labor, is too apt to murmur
when the carriage of the lawyer rolls
by him, and his heart is too apt to
swell with envy for the wealth which,
he thinks, has been so easily ac-
ouired. If he could get down into
that lawyers heart and witness the
cares and anxietles that have gathered
there; if he could follow him to his
private chamber, and watch him, as
hour after hour, by the lamps pale
light, he taxes his brain to solve
some knotty question, upon which the
property, the liberty, or the life of
fellow-being depends; II he could SCI
him living down, hot and feverish, a
cock-crow, not to rest, but to go oVel
again in sleep the mental laoor'
which have embittered the long day
and the longer night. and rise at last
worn and wearied, from his comfort
less repose, to renew the exhaustlne
struggle, until nature rebels agalns
the exorbitant tax, and disease come
in to hurry the neglected body to TIT
grave: if he could witness all this, pit!
would take the place of envy, an'
the bread he has earned by the swea
of his brow become doubly sweet IRON
the comparison.
To Colonel Burr the cares of tn
profession were peculiarly trying
His ardent nature made every caus
his own. and in every case he labore'
as If his life depended upon the result
Yet it was only in his solitary hour
that these anxieties were manifes'
When he passed from the study TO IN
drawing-room the furrowed broN
was left behind him, and he assumes
an appearance of gladness that wa
often foreign to his heart becaus
he knew il would be source or glad
ness to others. The night or MS In
terview with Durand, he was gaye
and more brilliant than usual; bu
when his guests departed and nj
family retired to rest, he paced IN
floor for hours in anxious though
Higher motives than protessioha
pride were at work. He owed nj