Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-24

| The man seemed honest. after all.
offered to give him a dollar; he re-
fusediit as a gift, but accepted 1t as
loan. Then he left the station"
The station at Blankford is at one
side Of the town, Is 1t not?"
1T ds."
Where did the tramp go? Up the
track? Down the track? Into town
Into the country? Where?"
He went into the country
Hi the direction Of Mrs: Craig's res
idence?"
Yes, sin"
Did he take the road which would
lead him past her residence?"
He did"
How far out did she live?"
About three miles"
Have you ever seen Gilbert Sem
since?"
Not until today"
What did you first hear regarding
Constance Craig's death?"
Il heard that she was murdered
"Of what did you think them"
"Of my interview with the tramp;
wondered whether he was guilty"
What did you hear next?"
THAT one Of the doctors, all the To-
cal authorities, and most of the neigh
bors, believed her death to have been
natural one. 1t was said that the
detective had little to say, but that
people thought he favored the idea of
the death being due to natural causes"
That drove your suspicious from
your mind?"
Certainly"
You have the wax-impression you
made of Senn's ring?"
Il have. Strangely enough, l have
always preserved it. 1t is here"
We offer it in evidence. Now you
may state how it happens that you are
here to testify in this case"
Il found an advertisement, a few
days since, in a Boston paper Of recent
date"
You may read the advertisement"
1T is as follows:
'Personal-If any one, anywhere,
saw or knew Of a person who, ten
years ago, wore a gold ring, with a
white stone setting, on which were en-
graved an anchor, a Woman'S head and
a letter 'S,' that individual will serve
the cause Of justice, and may save an
innocent life, by appearing to testify
regarding the same in the case Of the
60, tI,4 tfs10 n
the unfortunate gentlewoman Con-
stance Craig. Please address, with full
particulars, the undersigned, at either
Boomville, Maine, or Boston, Massa-
chusetts. j. B. Prier.'
You communicated with Mr.. Prier?"
II did,
1T became evident that you could
supply the missing link in the chain of
avidence?n
Yes, sir, and so l am here"
You may take the Witness" said the
lawyer to Aldrich.
Aldrich questioned eagerly:
Did the tramp give you his name?'
He die. He said that his name was
Gilbert Sem. l recognize him as the
same man"
He told you the truth them"
Yes, sir"
Did he ever pay you the dollar he
borrowed"
He did"
"When?"
About one month after he borrow
ed it. The pay came by mail to me-"
That is all"
Simple questions; simple answers.
But after them the spectators were
willing to wait-willing to let laws
way be their way. So far as that had
the tide Of human sympathy turned in
Senn's favor.
Mr. SilvertOn was recalled:
please state whether the impress
sion upon the piece of shoemakers
wax was made by the ring you have
examined today"
Mr. Silverton examined the ring and
the new waxen record with great care
and attention,
This ring made this impression"
he said.
And that Is our case" said the
prosecuting attorney; the state has
no more evidence to present"
No more. No more. indeed!
As though one long. unbrOken line
of hapless human beings. some guilty.
some innocent. has not been going
down the rugged road Of circumstan-
tia evidence to the gallOwS-ever since
man became civilized enough TO use
that civilized instrument of Justice
at the door of not one ir a thousand
of whom so heavy a load Of proof as
had been found against Gilbert Sem
had ever been laid,
No more! No more!
1t was enough for justlce-lf Sem
was guilty
1t was enough for madness-if he
was innocent
Once more the tide Of popular opln-
ion was turning In his favOr-turnlng
as it turns from condemnation to
pity when men sign petitions for re-
prieves or pardOns-turning as the
opinions OF men turn when the words
which express them are whispered
above graves-turning as our feelings
turn when We no longer say In anger
what man Is but repeat regretfully
what he Was.
Once more the name Of Gilbert Sem
was called: he must arise and TESTIFY
in his own behalf
Once more there was no hope for
him. no hope whatever. except that
which came because of the ability OF
his once friend-Walter Aldrich.
And he knew. the spectators knew,
the judge and the jury knew, that
Walter Aldrich, the Lawyer, could do
nothing for him. The jury had decided
the case already. on the evidence Civ
en- Sem could see that in their faces.
The Judge was mentally revolving the
words with which he intended TO IN
troduced his sentence-trying to think
how he might be severe enough in his
llanupciatio of SO cOwar6ly and afro