Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-20
DAILY STORY
THE STRANGE CASE
OF MILES O'BRlEN


OLD fashioned dime novels for plan /
for this story unless | state that 1t is
true. The names OF the characters are !
not their real ones. but the incidents |
are exactly as they occurred in all !
| their improbability.
The O'Briens," said man standing !
| in his doorway. ARE quarreling. Lis |
ten
\ mans voice was heard to say:
BE quiet, Molly. Don't you see the
| neighbtrs lOoking!'
Il don't care if they are. This life
| I'm living with you is unbearable."
| Very well. I'll trouble you no longer
But remember mind what l say The
shook his finger at her)-you'll not get
me back for the asking"
| O'Bricu strobe away, and his wife
went into the house and slammed the
door. Those who We're watching the
couple went off about their respective
calliu@S and thought no more of the
incident, except that this was the first
time they had ever known the couple
10 quarrel Miles and Molly O'Brien
had been supposed TO be devoted To
each other.
The next day and the next and the
next the O'Brien house was closed.
Neither Miles nor his wife was at
home, nor was either seen in the vii
lage. Then one morning a crowd gath
cred about their house. In the yard
lay Mrs. . 'Brien. dressed in her best
clothes and wearing ornaments which
she seldom wore except on gaia occa-
siOms. She had been dead some time.
\ blow on the head had been the cause
of her death. The body was identified
before the coroner, the parting words
of the couple given in evidence, and
!, the police of neighbOring cities were
. notified To arrest Miles O'Brien for the
murder Of his wife. The same evening
he was lodged in Jail.
The trial was one of circumStantial
evidence The couple had quayreled,
, OBricm had gone to the city, where
during the interval between his leaving
home and his arrest he had stunned
every one. His wife had disappeared.
Then suddenly she had been found in
her own yard murdered. wearing her
best apparel and her jewelry. The
theory of the prosecution was that she
I had returned 10 her home for the pur-
. pose of taking away these valuables,
that her husband had found her there,
they had renewed their quarrel and
OBrien had killed her.
The prisoners counsel tried in vain
to discover the exact time of the muir
der i'll order to establish an alibi. but
the corpse had been found in the
morning under some bushes, where it
might have lain not only all night, but
for several days. The crcumstantial
evidence against the accused was too
strong To be controversial except by an
albi; consequently there was no
ground for the defense to stand on.
The jury brought in verdict of guilty.
Miles O'Brien was brought up for
sentence.
Have you anything to say why the
, sentence of death should not be passed
upon you:" asked tue judge.
Il am innocent of the crime. My
wife and | never had but one serious
quarrel. and | never expected that it
would be lasting"
| The judge then made some prelimi-
I nary remarks on the devilish brutality
= of a man who would kill his wife with
4 club and was about to pronounce the
e final words which would conSign Miles;
o O'Brieu 10 the gallOwS when there was
:, Il commotiOn among those gathered iii
3 the back of the courtroom and a wO.
:. man came pushing her way down the
: aisle. Rushing TO the prisoner. she
f threw her arms about him. he. though
e astOnished, returning the embrace.
II who are YOU" asked the judge.
His wife,
@ When the connection consequent up
e on this sudden return to life of Il muir
@ dcred woman who had come to save
:. her husband from the penalty of hay
ing killed her had subsidized. the judge
asked Mrs. O'Brien to give an account
of her whereabouts since her parting
y with her husband.
After he left me-" she said, Il con.
~" cluded to shut up the house and go VI
into the country to my mother. WHO
st lives on a farm. They don't take a
newspaper up there. so didn't hear OF
my husbands arrest. But | found
couldn't live without him and came
back to learn what had become of hin
st and, if | could find him. ask his for
giveneSS. When | got home. | hearj
he had been tried for my murder ant
was to be sentenced this morning"
Have you twin sister,
"NO, your honor
The judge sat stupefied. Twelve gooc
and true men under his legal guidance
had pronounced Miles O'Brlen guilt!
Of having killed the woman who wa
weeping over him and covering hin
with kisses. In another moment th
convicted man would have been legal,
guilty of the crime.
You are discharged" said the judg
TO the prisoner Court is adjourned.
And, rising from his elevated judicia
chair. he descended to the floor ant
stalked out of the room.
Miles and Molly O'Brien lived haT
| nily topet her after tho lesson thpv ho