The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-02-12

GUS Ill will existing between the two
men, as well as the cause Of It, wa.
gone into; the fracas at the club on
the day before the crime was retold
by several witnesses; there was the
evidence of the gunsmith, who proved
that early in the evening couple Of
hours before the second quarrel be-
tween the two men, the prisoner had
called at his shop for the revolver he
had left there for some trifling re.
pair, and had taken it away with him;
all the evidence on which the case Of
the policerested. Undoubtedly case
for committal; the magistrates were
quite agreed. And Jack Lathom was
committed for trial at the forthcoming
assizes.
Scarcely had the magistrates record
ed their decision than the news
seemed, as If by magic, to become
known outside; it ran like wildflre
through the crowd. Sullen, angry
murmurs and cries rose, the mill girls
taking the lead.
IF you're men, you know what to
do!" more than one cried to their
male companions. There was every
sign of threatening rush and an at
tempted rescue the moment the &C.
cused man appeared.
An inspector came out and gave
whispered instructions to several of
the constables on duty outside.
Two of the police began to push the
people back, making path to where
a cab was drawn up. The crowd part
ed grimly; time enough to show their
hand when Jack Lathom appeared.
They waited in a state of sullen ten
sion; minutes passed, but still no
sign of Jack Lathom.
AS matter of fact, the police, per-
fectly alive to the danger, had no
intention of risking it; these elabo.
rae proceedings were ruse to keep
the attention Of the crowd occupied.
Meanwhile the prisoner was being
Struggled out at the back, where a
four-wheeler waited in readiness to
take him back to the district Jail.
The dusk of the short winter after
noon was already closing in as La
thom was taken out quickly through
a small side door and hurried into the
cab. Just as he was getting in, fol-
lowed closely by the two constables,
a motor car dashed up; Jack turned
his lead to see that the driver was
Freddy Thornton.
"Good luck, old chap!" cried Fred
dy, excitedly, to his friend. Freddy
was pretty wide awake, and he had
been prepared for some such ruse as
this on the part of the police. "Ihave
message for you"
But Freddy's message was never
given. The two constables hurried
their prisoner into the cab, followed
and slammed the door, and the drievr
whipped up his horse smartly, long
before the crowd on the other side Of
the building had realized the trick
played on them.
The cabman, who had been instruct
ed to avoid as far as possible the main
thoroughfares of the town, took cir
cuitous houe through network Of
side. streets. Jack Lathom leaned
back against a cushion, with his face
dark and bitter, as he was driven past
the familiar scenes back to the prison
cell from which he had been brought
that morning.
Look! That's why we had to SNUG.
gle You out by the back way" The
more loquacious of the two constables
jerked his thumb towards one of the
windows of the cab. The driver had
taken a devious route to avoid passing
near the front of the town hall, but
some little distance away Jack La
Thorn could see the dense, excited
crowd gathered there, the lights from
the windows of the great building
falling on a white sea of upturned
faces. Friends of yours, those!
They're waiting for you to come out
at this moment-made up their minds
to rescue you as soon as they caught
sight of you. Afraid they'll have no
sport today"
And the speaker laughed.