Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-04-09

to his place. he radiated bombs Of just
and telling wrath. He scintilated with
aggressiveness. With him came Jesse
Black, easy and disdainful as Of old
After them, a small man came gliding
In with as little connection as il he
were sliding over the floor of waxed
dancing hall In patent leather pumps
He was an unassuuing little man with
quick, cat-like movements which one
lost II one were not on the alert
When he had slipped into a chair next
his associate, Small, the infammable
Small. lowered above him head and
shoulders.
Every inch the criminal" audibly
observed stranger, an Englshmen
over to invest IN lands for stocking a
horse ranch. "St~anse how they al
ways wear the imprint on their faces
No escaping it. | fancy that is what
the Scriptures meant by the mark of
Cain 4,...
Tie remark was addressed to no in
particular, but it reached the ears of
Jim Munson. who vas standing near.
Good Lord mani" he said, with a
grin. that's he plumb smartest Grim
inal lawyer in the hull county. That's
a fac. Lord, Lord Him Jesse Black
His risibi!i,ics continued to thus get
the better Of his gravity at frequent
intervals durins the day. He never
failed TO snort aloha in pure delight
whenever he thought Of It. What a
tale for the boys when he could get
to them,
"These cattle men" This time the
tenderfoot communicated with him
self-he had a square chin and d.
rect eye; there were possibilities in
him. Their perverted sense of the
ridiculous Is diaboliCal"
There were others who did not
know the little man. He hailed from
the southern part Of the state But
Gordon knew him He knew he was
pitted against one of the sharpest,
shrewdest men Of his day.
Gentlemen. think We are ready"
said the Judge, and the game was on
again.
The state called Paul Langford. it's
principal witness IL default of vii.
lston.
Your name, place of residence and
business?' asked the counse, for the
state.
Paul Langford. reside in Kemah
county ard I own and operate a cattle
ranch"
After Langford had clearly de.
scribed and identified the animal In
question, Gordon continued:
Mr.. LanSford. when did you first
miss this steer"
"On the 18th day of July last"
Vow did you happen to miss this
steer?'
My attention was called to the fact
that an animal answering this de.
sCrip,ion and bearing my branl had
been seen under suspicion detention"
Prior to information thus received
you were not aware this creature had
either strayed away or been stolen ?"
Il was not?'
who gave you thl; information,
Mr.. Langford?"
George Williston Of the Lazy s."
"N0w you may tell the jury in what
words Willistor told you about the
steer he saw"
This, of course, was objected to and
the objection was sustained by the
court. as Gordon knew 1t would be.
He only wanted the jury TO remember
that Wiliston could have told dam
aging story had he been here, and also
to remember how mysterously this
same Williston had disappeared. He
could not have Williston or Williston S
story, but he might keep an impress
sion ever before these II men that
there was a story-he knew it and
they knew it-a story OF which some
CROCHET of the law forbade the telling
What did you do after your atten.
ton had been called to the suspicious
circumstances Of the steers deten-
tion?"
Il informed my boys of what | had
heard and sent them out to look for
the steer"
THAT same day."
yes"
Were they successful?'
mo"
Did this steer have a particular
stamping ground?"
He did"
Where was that"
He always ranged with a bunch on
what we call the home range"
Near the ranch house,"
within half mile"
Did you look for him YOURSELF"
Il did"
He was not on this home grazing
ground?"
He was not" 81 -
Did you lc-ok elsewhere for him p"
I'VE did"
"Where?"
we rode the free ranges for sever.
al days wherever any of my cattle
held out"
How many days did you say you
rode?"
why, we continued to look sharp
until my boy, Munson, found him the
day before the preliminary at the Vel
pen stock yards, on the point Of being
shipped TO Sioux City"
You went to Velpen TO identify this
steer?"
Il did"
ut was your steer?"
"Yes."
"The same for which you had been