The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-03-16


down. j could hnse no hope Of Il
reprleye, and he recommended me
spend what short fine remained To-
me Il! making my peace With God
Men under sentence q death seem
even to their jjatierssSto have atoned'
ALREADY for their crimes and sins.
For the first time since my imprison--
maent began the sheriff eyineed com:
passionate pity toward me az! be sat
beside me in my cell that! night. #
my 4 boy he began, why not
confess and make your peace? Jim.
you amt never: had no case, boy.
Jim amt your name, you say?You
aln't Jim Crawford. but Frank Sand
ford, and happened along about the
time the explosion occurred. Lad.
didn't they find the giant powder IN
your bedroom! Isn't there 80. and
more people In this town identified
you. Your own brother came all the
way from Omaha to disown you. and
then had to admit you. You've been.
Identified by your own photographs
and thumb prints and measurements
in the St. Louis pe~nitentiary. and
that's surer than the Gospels, Jim.
AM your own dog identified you in
the court room. Jim. lad. I've never
/ had to swing a man but he owned
up to me before he died. I'd hate
to send you into eternity with a lie
IN your lips"
The. good old man ambled away at
last shaking his head over my OBJ
stinacy. Well. 1 was prepared to
die, but never. while the truth was
In my body, would l admit that l
was the desperate they claimed me
to be. Perhaps I, too, had l been in
the jury box. would have convicted.
Yet there was one person who. still
believed In me through all; since the
first day Of my incarceration. and
that, was Muriel, the sheriff's5 daugh-
ter. She accompanied her father the
following morning when he brought
me my breakfast, and gave me a
great bunch Of roses.
Frank, DEAR, she whispered, as
the old man turned away from my
cell door. II trust and believe in
you. I know you're not Jim Craw-
ford, Tut my love. And III save you,
Frank, I'll save you
surus!sed from what direction
the held would come, and my next
interview with Annie confirmed my
suspicious.
Frank, dearest" she whispered.
your friends are going to make a
Jail delivery at midnight. And when
you're In the east again and safe
from all danger you must send me
word somehow and / will come to
you. And I'll wait patiently for
months and months or years II need
be; for l know you are innocent
Frank, and l shall love you always"
1t was a night Of horror such us
I had never known. The suspense.
always the suspense; the silent night,
broken by pistol shots; the batter
ing Of logs against the prison doors;
the cries that resounded through the
stone halls like rifle fire; the long,
eternal agony Of doubt-and then my
%rcscuers, masked men, brandishIng
their guns like torches, bursting
along the corridor to free me with
.ihe keys which they had taken from
! The old sheriff. who stood In their
midst, helplessly protesting--all this
was like the phantasmagora Of a
dream until at length, coming to my,
senses, I found myself seated upon
the swiftest horse in cobweb, lead,
ing o mare packed with the r1eces-
stiles Of life wherewlth to cross the
desert.
l thrust my feet exultantly inside
the stlrrups OF wood; | pressed my
knees against my horses tanks and
gathered the snaile reins between
my fingers, Then casting n glance
backward. saw Muriel's eyes fixed
upon mine in love such as had not
before come to me.
She had trusted me as few women
had done. I could not leave her to
eat out her heart through the months
and years Of doubts and hopeless
ness. l could not go to freedom with
a lie In my heart such as l could
have carried TO the gibbet. l leaned
over my saddle-oags and whispered
to her:
"Glrl, I AM Jim Crawford.'-Ha
old Carter.
LOVELY WOMAN.
McBunk was tired out when he M.