The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-04

outside, and then a rush OF the lynch
ers down the stairs. :
An earthauake!" said the sheriff.
They hurried to, the roof. There
came another rush UP the staircase and
a frantic assault on the door. But 1t
did not yield. The earthquake that
had settled the walls had sealed II
firmly.
= Another shock made the earth trem-
BILE just as Gabriel emerged on the
roof. TIE door closed sharply behind
him. Gabriel turned to open Il, but
could not. It was sealed like the door
below, and the sheriff was prisoner.
Gabriel Conroy had no time to ie-
lay. As he peered around the doomed
roof he saw that the lynchers were
raising a ladder. He crouched behind
"a great wooden figure of Justice that
lowered fifteen feet high. with drawn
sword and hanging scales.
A shout arose at sight of him. Bull
lets thudded against the Goddess
Gabriel fastened his rope to a girder
and lowered the rope over the side into
the gully that sank away from the rear
wall.
Something arose slowly over the
level of the roof before him. He saw
the uprights OF q ladder and then he
saw II trembie as men mounted on It.
Suddenly the figure of Justice leaned
toward them. The sword seemed to
sweep threateningly. The balances
shook. Topping forward, the mighty
figure swept down on them and went
crashing to the depths with the lad
der. From behind the pedestal Gabriel
arose. painting. ~
That night he lay hidden in caye
in the canyon. The next day he gave
himself up to the sheriff again and
submitted quietly to imprisonment.
There was no further danger OF lynch
ing. The vigilantes hired by Mr.. Dunn
ply had gone out of the vigilante busi-
ness forever when the statute of Jus
tice fell, and the rest of One-Horse
Gulch was excited about a much more
interesting event that had been
brought about. by the earthquake.
The great conroy mine had vanished
The earth had swallowed the lead. and
Mr.. Dumphy found himself in posses
sion of stock that fell rapidly till II
reached nothing. where II stayed.
In the clamor over this event Gabriel
Conroy was forgotten temporarily, and
when his case again called for public
opinion a skiliful hand had taken
charge and was molding that public
opinion -~friendliness toward the
prisoner. &:
The friend who came thus opportune-
ly was the brilliant San Francisco law
yer Arthur Poinsett.y
He explained his adoption OF the
name of Ashley deftly to the trustful
Gabriel, and told him that Grace had
disappeared from the logging camp
where he had left her after their
escape from Starvation Camp.
Gabriel pressed his hand and listen
ed to the man like a child. But he
proved strangely obstinate when Poin-
sett tried to outline defense for him,
The shrewd lawyer perceived at once
that he was as guiltiess OF the MUIR
der as a baby and that he proposed to
take the crime on himself TO shield his
wife. IKwas clear from his extraordi-
nary attempts to be artful and secro-
tive that he suspected her OF having
killed her enemy.
He COMPOUNDED Judge. jury and prose
cutor at the trial by taking the stand
and gravely declaring that his name
was not Gabriel Conroy. Then he
launched into a wonderful story that he
evidently thought was immensely cum
ming and convincing.
Arthur Poinsett's quick mind was
dazed; but q new turn came at that
moment. A stranger came into court.
Presently Poinsett called the name of
Henry Perkins. and the stranger took
the witness stand.
an attack on Mrs. Conroy and himself.
and that a struggle followed between
him and the Mexican for the latter's
knife. He swore that the Mexican sud
denly broke away and thrust the knife
into his own breast.
In their first alarm, continued the
witness, Mrs. Conroy and he had driven
to the nearest town. where; he had left
her to return to One-Horse Gulch az
soon as they heard of Gabriel Conroy's
arrest But the vigilantes had made
their unsuccessful attempt to lynch the
prisoner and he decided to wait. When
Gabriel gave himself UP he had hunt
ed for witnesses who could swear that
the knife found in the breast of Rant.
reg had been bought by that person
himself In San Francisco.
The Jury had been vastly entertained
by Gabriers weird story. Therefore
the new witness found ready belief
The prosecution. however. stuck brave
Iy to Its guns.
"Why did not the prisoners deeply
anxious wife. who fled with you and
thus precipttateJ the arrest OF her hua-
band-why did she not return with you
to clear him OF suspicion asked the
District Attorney.
It might have been a good card had
II not been for the answer. But that
answer carried the simple. rough men
of the Jury irresistibly along In favor
OF the prisoner. though II had absolute
~ nothing to do with the case.
The answer was that Mrs. Coproy
could aotiannen~ IN cau-t N-~-t-e t't""'