The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-04-27
! BLIND JUSTICE

III avuhH hHi VI tut PVVitf CHIME E5ut naH
been found murdered the night before
on road leading Into the town. No
one knew her, and the body had been
held an long ~ seemed best for Iden.
i ti6cation. The only person to whom
the slightest suspicion attached was
man who had been seen walking on
the road near where the body had been
found. The police OF the neighborins
towns had been notified. and the man
had been arrested and Identified by the
Il person who had seen him. The prisoner
was undergoing hIa examination.
II "Did you ever see the deceased be.
foreT asked tho coroner.
II "Neyer."
Il "What were you doing on the roadY'
II am commercial traveller and Of
TEN walk from one town to another In
stead Of waiting for train. II was 90
In this case"
4 did you see anything Of this girl on
II the roadT
4 II have told you that never saw
Il her before"
A The coroner conferred with police
Official. then turned again to the pris-
4 0ner.
II sThere Ii no evidence against you,
and suppose you are entitled To q
discharge. but you will have to re-
main In the care OF the police for
Il short time"
II AT that moment several persons en-
tered, leading blind man.
II 'ThIs man. your honor" said one Of
4 them, has come to town looking for
his daughter. who. he says, has been
recently ied away from her home. We
have told him OF this dead girl, and
be desires TO know II 1t Is she he Ii
seeking"
Il The moment the old man appeared
4 the prisoner started. Then he looked
about him TO see IL his agitation had
1 been noticed and. feeling assured that
4 all eyes were and had been on the
\ blind man. resumed the careless air
4 that he had shown during his examina-
tion. The blind man. who WINS old and
4 on whose face were the lines Of suffer
ing. was led up and stood trembling
i before the coroner After some pre-
| liminary questions be was asked to tell
i his story,
4 "My little girl" be said. 'is good
1 girl. She is all I have to love and
the only person In the world who loves
me. She cannot be dead. She Is not
dead she must not be dead. She
worked In a factory. and when she
| went TO work In the morning she gave
/ me a loving kiss. All the long day !
/ waited for her to come home. and then
there was another loving kiss, and,
i though tired, she talked brightly to
i me, cheering me like the fame OF
i fire on the hearth to you who can see.
/ She never went gaddlng about In the
| evening. but stayed at home with me.
though I encouraged her to bring her
| young companions to our home.
"But of late she had seemed troubled.
She could not cheer me as she had
been used to doing. or, IL she did,
knew II was with an effort. And I
noticed that the more troubled she
was the more affection she showed me.
Two weeks ago she embraced me more
tenderly than ever before. hanging
| about my neck as though she would
never let 60"
| "From that day have not seen her.
My neighbors have told me that she
had been seen several times with Q
man. but could get no description Of
him. feel sure the man they saw her
with has been the cause of her leaving
me. have visited a number OF towns
In hopes Of finding her, without sue
cess, These people have told me that
you have dead girl In here who Ii
not known. but do not think It can
be my girl, Still, will satisfy myself
that she Is not"
"How can you do thatT' asked the
coroner. "You can't see."
II can tell my Maggie" said the wit
ness.
"Your honor - said the prisoner,
then checked himself.
"well, what Is IT." asked the cor
oner.
Nothing; only that an Identification
by blind man is travesty on jus
tlce."
How does that concern you? asked
the coroner. looking at the prisoner
with a new interest.
"0nly generally" replied the prison
or, endeavoring to resume his care
less manner.
by what MEANS" said the coroner
to the witness, ''can you know your
daughter"
"Let me put my hands on her face.
and will know her at once"
An ashiness spread itself over the
features Of the prisoner.
"Lead him to the body" said the
coroner, "and place his hands on it."
The old mans hand was placed on
the waist. He started. He ran his I'm
gers up the body till he came to the
neck. when he uttered moan. Quick
ly he passed his hand over the face
from chin to forehead and staggered.
"0h, Maggie, Maggie" he moaned.
"Your daughter?" asked the cor