Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-27
THE STRANGE CASE
OF MILES O'BRIEN.

lot TINS story unless l STATE mat IL 10
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 a man standing
In his doorway, ARE quarreling. Lis
tenr'
A mans voice was heard to say:
BE quiet, Molly. Don't you see the
neighbCrs 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 Che
shook his finger at her)-you'n not get
ME back for the asking"
O'Brien strobe away, and his wife
went into the house and slammed the
door. Those who were watching the
couple vert off about their respective
callings and thought no more Of the
incident, except that this was the first
time they had ever known the couple
to 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 crowd gath
cred about their house. In the yard
lay Mrs. O'Brien dressed in her best
clothes and wearing ornaments which
she seldom wore except on gala occa-
sions. She had been dead some time.
A 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 quarreled,
! O'Brien 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 che had been found In
her own yard murdered, wearing heI
best apparel and her jewelry. The
theory of the prosecution was that she
had returned to her home for the pur
pose of taking away these valuables
that her husband had found her there
they had renewed their quarrel an(
O'Brien had killed her.
The prisoners counsel tried in vail
to discover the exact time of the muir
der in order to establish an alibi, bu
the corpse had been found in thu
morning under some bushes, where i
might have lain not only all night, blu
for several days. The circumstantia
evidence against the accused was to-
strong to be controverted except by al
alibi consequently there was n
ground for the defense to stand on
The jury brought In a verdict of guilty
Miles O'Brien was brought up 70
sentence.
"Have you anything to say why tn
sentence of death should not be passes
upon your" asked the judge.
81 am innocent of the crime. N.
wife and never had but one seriOu
quarrel, and never expected that /
would be lasting"
The judge then made some prelini
nary remarks on the devilish brutalif,
Of man who would kill his wife witt
a club and was about to pronounce tn
final words which would consign Mile
O'Brien to the gallows when there wa
a commotion among those gathered i
the back of the courtroom and VIC
man came pushing her way down tn
aisle. Rushing to the prisoner sh
threw her arms about him, he. thong
astonished. returning the embrace
who are you?" asked the judge.
His wife"
when the connection consequent uI
on this sudden return to life of mul
dered woman who had come to say
her husband from the penalty of hay
ing killed her had subsidized. the judg
] asked Mrs. O'Brien to give an accoun
of her whereabouts since her partin
i with her husband.
After he left me-" she said, II COZ
cluded to shut up the house and go u
into the country to my mother, VIII
lives on a farm. They don't take
I newspaper up there, SO didn't hear G
4 my husbands arrest But 1 found
couldn't live without him and cam
back to learn what had become of hiI
and, If / could find him. ask his TO
4 giveness. When / got home, hear
he had been tried for my murder an
Il was to be sentenced this morning"
"Have you twin sister,"
mo, your honor"
The Judge sat stupefed. Twelve goo
and true men under his legal guidanc
had pronounced Niles O'Brien guilt
Of having killed the woman who WI
weeping over him and covering hi
with kisses. In another moment Il
convicted man would have been legal
guilty of the crime.
"You are discharged" said the judi
to the prisoner. Court IL adjourned
And, rising from his elevated Judici
chair, he descended to the floor III
stalked out of the room.
ixyo6 hQ