Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-28
DAILY. STORY
BLIND JUSTICE.

tOriginalI
The coroner was seated at his desk,
before which Oh supports rested a cof
fin containing the dead body of n
young girl of the poorer class She had
been found murdered the night before
on Il road leading into the town. No
one knew her, and the body had been
held as long as seemed best for iden-
LITIGATION. 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 neighboring
towns had been notified. and the man
had been arrested and identified by the
person who had seen him. The prisoner
was undergoing his examination.
did you ever see the deceased be-
fore?" asked the coroner.
Never"
what We're you doing on the roadT
81 am q commercial traveller and Of
ten walk from one town to another in
stead of waiting for a train. 1t was so
in this case"
Did you see anything of this girl on
the road?'
81 have told you that 1 never saw
her before"
The coroner conferred with Il police
official, then turned again to the pris-
oner.
There is no evidence against you,
and l suppose you are entitled to a
discharge, but you will have to re-
main in the care of the police for a
short time"
AT that moment several persons en-
tered. leading Il blind man.
This man, your honor" said one of
them, has come to town looking for
his daughter. who, he says. has been
recently led away from her home. We
have told him of this dead girl, and
he desires to know if it is she he is
seeking
The moment the old man appeared
the prisoner started. Then he looked
about him to see If his agitation had
been noticed and, feeling assured that
all eyes were and had been on the
blind man, resumed the careless air
that he had shown during his eXamina-
ton. The blind man. who was old and
on whose face were the lines of suffer
ing, was led up and stood trembling
DCIOtC AiiI NOlOiiCl. AItCl SOlhC pAC-
liminary questions he was asked to tell
his story.
''NIy little girl" he said, sis a good
girl. She is all 1 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 Il factory. and when she
went to work in the morning she gave
me a loving kiss. All the long day 1
waited for her TO come home. and then
there was another loving kiss. and,
though tired, she talked brightly to
me, cheering me like the flame of a
fire on the hearth to you who can see.
She never went gadding about in the
evening, but stayed at home with me,
though l 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. if she did, |
knew it was with an effort. And
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 GO.
From that day 1 have not seen her. |
My neighbOrs have told me that she |
had been seen several times with a |
man, but could get no description of |
him. 1 feel sure the man they saw her |
with has been the cause of her leaving |
me. / have visited number of towns |
in hopes of finding her, without sue |
cess. These people have told me that |
you have a dead girl in here who is |
not known, but I do not think it can |
be my girl. Still, will satisfy myself |
that she is not
''How can you do that?" asked the
coroner. You can't see"
Il 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