Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-26

the occasion. If L went down 1 meant
at least to go down like a gentleman.
1t was nine o'clock before the sher-
if announced that he was ready to
chain my wrist to his and take me
TO the court room to learn the verdict
Of the jury. Despite the early hour
the room was packed with people.
The hum and buzz Of many voices
greeted me, but as l made my appear
ance from the rear of the room arose
| a "Sh-sh" that grew in volume un-
til a hush that panied ears fell over
the court room while out of this vast
silence, from the rear of the room
there came, like the clamor of trump
cts on the judgment day, the impact
Iof heavy heels against bare noor.
Without turning my head / knew the
jury had come.
| Next to me sat my attorney.
Through long practice of talking in
lowtone without moving the lips,
we had become proficient in sort OF
underhand communication and it was
| in this way that my counsel now SAID
| remember, take it like a man..
A swollen-face bleary-eyed aggre-
CATION was the jury, one that showed
in every line and move the ordeal of
sleepless night and it was with q
sinking heart that | realized that /,
the innocent cause Of all this incOn-
venience must be the object of more
or less resentment i'm their eyes. My
| lawyers voice brought me- sharply TO
myself.
You'll have to Stffen and take 1t.
The foreman is crying and that's a
bad sign. They never cry unless II IS
Guilty"
Guilty H." I answered. without
moving a lip. "look at Number Four
- look - look - he's talking
! to me. My eyes had rapidly run down
the line of the incoming jurors and
had been caught by the glance OF
Number Four and | fancied that his
steady, friendly gaze said Don't I
worry, it's all over but the shout
ing"
stand up and look at the foreman.
stand up" my counsel said sharply.
I had failed to hear the clerks in
structiOn to arise. so much was l
taken up with Number Four. could
not remove my eyes from the faScinat-
ing glance of this man nor could ne
resist the message that telegraphed
"Life," A million fiery sparks scared
up and down my spine. The floor
under my feet waved to and fro ana
swayed like the deck of ship. Or
the twelve heads before me, eleven
vanished into haze ont of which
there arose only the face and the
eyes of Number Four.
To this day | have not heard
whether the foreman said "Guilty' or
Not Guilty" All l know is that |
was roughly jostled as a body came
hurtling against mine and a hand
grasped mine and wrung it while a
voice said, "Well, Old Man, 1 did not
hurt you 50 much after all. did r.
| 1t was the prosecutor, who for five
mortal weeks had been planning
| IagainSt my life, who spoke.
| have no clear conception as to
what happened. There was much
rapping with n gavel on the part of
his honor. | recall his snow white
head and his chubby face as he leaned
over his desk with the bare suggestion
| of Il smile on his ruddy face as he
pronounced the words that set me
free. 1t seemed as if thousand
hands wanted To grasp mine all at
] the same time. But of all i'm that
court room | cared only To touch the
hand of one. 1t was he who came
forward last of all and in silence
wrung my hand placed an arm around
my shoulder and led me from the
room and toward Il small room which
| | had learned was the judges room
| attached to Part II. He opened the
door half way, pushed me forward
land closed the door behind. None
but that master artist who knew u
play upon human emotions could have
| evolved the surprise. AS | g;lZed, Tor
an instant [ stood as if dumfound"d.
Next instant. in my arms lay my
sobSing. hcartbrnken Wire.-ChlcaS"
! Tribune.