The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-02-22


and there was no one abroad.
| had reached the town of NJ, few
minutes before by train and. finding
no conveyance at the station, had
started to walk to my hotel.
Suddenly, midway between street
lamps, where 1t was dark, ran against
a man. stood stock still. The snow
On either side Of us was deep, AMI
waited for the man 10 divide the way
with me. Instead of that he began tc
talk to himself incoherently, seeming
TO be unconscious of my presence
Horrible" he mutterei, "horrihle,"
Deatn-death that might be prevented
by little loose change he might have
had in his pocket. Hes deg, a mur-
derer. hope / may see him burn with
an everlasting fire."
''You seem in trouble" l said in a
kindly tone
"Trouble isn't II trouble that there's
but one person in the world who can
help and won't help? told him moth
er was dying; that had been sent TO
the drug store for a prescription and
hadn't cent to pay, He told me to
get out"
/ remembered that all my change
had been spent, and had only a ten
dollar bill. l would go with the young
man to drug store. pay for the med
icine ne required and give him some
thing besides.
Come" said" lead the way to a
drug store"
81 only fear they are all closed" he
said. It's very late
He led me to one drug store after
another. We found everyone closed
and no one to answer night bell /
had been with him nearly an hour.
This l knew, for / had arrived at ten
minutes after II and the town clock
was now striking IL, and. having made
a failure, was obliged to let him go
nome without his medicine. AS we
were about to part / was fumbling in
my trousers pocket with my keys and
other articles, when I claspei silver
half dollar.
"Here" l said, take this coin. It's
a pocket piece Of the year of my mar
riage, with my wife's and my initials
scratched upon it. Take it. You'll
need it and more"
He seized the piece eagerly, then
turned and vanished in the darkness.
1t was three months after this tnat
/ had occasion to go to NJ. again. l am
a lawyer by profession and had case
tions. 1t did not appear TO me that
some time to spare at the courthouse
to come off in Court there Having
before my case would be called, II
strolled into the criminal court room. |
a man was being tried for the mur
very plain case against the accused.
He was very poor and his uncle was
very rich, and the accused was sole
heir at law. The prosecuting attor-
ney proved conclusively that the young
man mad every inducement to kill his
uncle from the fact that the old man
was making arrangements to leave all
his property to endow certain institu-
tons. 1t did not appera to me that
the defense had any case at all. In
deed, the last person known to have
been with the murdered man, and tnat
only an hour before his death was the
accused
There were so many heads between
me and the prisoner that did not for
some time get a good look at him.
When did, there was something about
his face and figure that was familiar
to me. The prosecuting attorney was
summing up the jury.
1--WE nave proved" he said, that
the prisoner was with the murdered
man as late as II o'clock; how much
later we cannot prove, but no one saw
him leave. At half past II a cry was
heard; maid entered the old mans
bedroom and found him dying. There
was a convenient door for the murder
er's escape without being seen. At
half past II the prisoner was arrested
on the street uttering maledictions
against his uncle
The last words brought back a pic
ture that had appeared to me on that
stormy night three months ago.
waited till the speaker had finished,
then said to the judge.
"Your honor I am an attorney.
believe can throw some light on this
case and request your permission to
examine the prisoner"
After much wrangling permission