Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-08-07
False Witness.


the last century Il man wearing a
Scotch cap aud a plaid waistcoat ell
tered the country place of Archibald
Hastings In England and asked II he
might be taken in for the night The
only member Of the family at home
was Miss Amy Hastings. aged twenty.
TO whom the matter was referred. She
took look at the visitor and saw that
he was in evident distress, but whether
1t was from WEAKNESS or hunger or
both or from some unexplained trouble
she did not discover. She was not in
clineA to turn him away. SO she order
ed that a supper be given him and
afterward that he be shown to bed
room in the attic.
1t was o'clock in the evening when
the sound Of horses hoofs We're heard
without, and in few moments a
young man in riding costume, bespat-
tered with mud, hurried into the house.
Miss Hastings, wondering who could
be coming in such hurry, met him in
the hallway.
Clarence Paget, where did you come
from?"
Amy. the bailiffs are after me for
debt. I'm In the tolls Of the money
lenders, and II they get me I'll be shut
up within stone walls, and Lord knows
II I'll ever get out"
"Oh. Clarencer'
II don't know whether to ask you to
hide me here or to go on. farther. They
know I'm on the road and may know
OF my relations with you fear they
will search the house. If I could get
disguise 1t would be better for me to
go on"
Miss Hastings pondered. Then, tell
ing her lover to wait a bit, she went
away. Presently she returned bearing
a suit Of mans clothes. She had direct
ed her maid to go into the room occu-
pied by the stranger and purloin his
apparel. Giving them to Paget, she
sent him upstairs for a change, and.
when he returned he was arrayed in
suit in which Scotch cap and plaid
waistcoat were conspicuous. Then, talk
ing parting kiss. he left the house.
The next morning the visitor of the
night before found in his room. instead
of his own clothes, riding suit There
was nothing for him to do but put 1t
on. and. having done SO, he went
downstairs to be met by Miss Hastings
with an apology for having appropriate
ed his clothes. though she did not OK
plain why. She dropped couple Of
gulneas In his hand. He pocketed them
and departed.
The man had not gone an hour when
a messenger came with note from
Clarence Paget announcing that he had
been arrested, but not by the bailiffs
who were after him for debt. He had
met party coming from the opposite
direction, who, seeing him dressed in 4
Scotch cap and plaid waistcoat, told
him that he was the man they We're
looking for and arrested him for high
way robbery. For heavens sake" the
note concluded, "let me know to whom
the cap and waistcoat belong"
Miss Hastings was appalled,. Unwit-
tingly she had got her lover into
more serious trouble tlAln imprison-
ment for debt. She sent out manserv-
ants to find the visitor, but no trace OF
him could be found.
The case of the crown versus Clar-
ence Paget excited great deal of at
tention. a bishop had been riding in
his carriage ON the highway when he
was stopped and robbed by man
wearing a Scotch cap and plaid waist
coat. Paget, dressed In his borrowed
costume, was taken before the bishop
and identified as the man who had
robbed him.
There was one chance for Paget.
That was the testimony Of Amy Hast
ings and the servant who had changed
the suits. This might have saved him
had 1t not been that the bishop swore
positively that he was the robber.
Paget was sentenced to twenty years
penal servitude.
Miss Hastings, who blamed herself
for the unfortunate consequences Of
her hasty act, determined to be mar
ried to her lover and share, so far as
possible, his exile with him. The day
before Paget was to be transported,
while she was preparing to go to the
jail for the marriage ceremony. she
received a note in a handwriting she
had never before seen.
1t was from the owner of the cap
and waistcoat.
The writer stated that he had been
arrested for robbing coach on the
night he had slept in her house and
begged that she would give her evil
dence to prove an alibi. Miss Hastings
ut once sent word to the lawyers that
the real owner of the cap and waist
coat was forthcoming, and a stay for
her lover was secured. Then she WIS.,
tied the man who had caused the trou-
BILE and found that he had long been
highwayman, but had been arrested
for an offense he had not committed.
paget's case was reopened, with the
tA1