Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-06-10

find both my body, dead or alive. and
my murderer. The police had sent out
thousands Of circulars giving the de.
scription of him that had written,
and it had been copied III many news
papers.
l noticed one day on looking up sud-
denly at my employer that he was
scrutinizing me. 1t had occurred to
me before this that my giving de-
scription of my murderer that would
answer as we'll for me as for him
might lead to serious complications.
Indeed, after seeing the description Of
the supposed murderer in the newspa-
per had become very anxious. The
result was that when l saw my en-
ployer looking at me as If comparing
me with the description l turned pale.
He looked away, and that ended the
matter. ut least for the time.
Several days later man came into
the store where | worked, had some
words with my employer and then, ad-
vancing toward me. eyed me sharply;
then he took printed slip from his
pocket and referred to it, evidently
comparing me with it. At last he took
out pair of handouts, put them on
my wrists and led me out of the
store. 1t didn't occur to me to pro-
test or to ask any questions. knew
was to be taken back to the scene of
my former troubles to answer to the
charge of having murdered myself.
1t didn't appear to me then that
should have any trouble in identifying
myself. resolved to say that had
succeeded in getting away from the
man who had intended to murder me
and had left that part Of the country
altogether. 1t didn't occur to me that
such a story In the face of charge
Of murder would appear pretty thin.
The first realization Of my danger that
came to me was in talking with the
official who Was taking me back to
Mertford. told him the story just
as l have thus far told it here. And
what was his comment? 1t was this:
Young man. if you can't make up
better yarn than that you'd better
be prepared for the worst"
This startled me- had deemed it
a misfortune to be taken back to
Mertford OH Il case of mistaken iden-
tity aud to be put to the trouble of an
explanation, but that l would be liable
to conviction for numbering my own
self had appeared so monstrous that it
had not even entered my head.
'lf you can't prove an alibi." added
my keeper. you're gone"
whats an alibi?" l asked.
Being somewhere else at the time
the murder was committed"
but l shall prove that am the
man l am accused of numbering"
He turned and regarded me with Il
cynical smile.
"See here" he said. i've been mixed
up With cases like yours for twenty
years. Juries are ready to believe a
lot of rot from prisoner with whom
they symra'hiZe. but my advice to
you is not to endeavor to work off on
them any such rubbish as that
This frightened me- l leaned back
on the cushion of the seat as we'll as
my handouts would permit and gave
myself over to the most gloomy re-
fections.
When we reached Mertford and |
had been examined. not having any
means with which to employ counsel.
was assigned one. He came to the
Jail and heard my explanation. When
it was finished he said that lie would
not think of conducting case on any
such improbable line as that and if !
insisted on his doing so l must find
another defender.
What was to do? All these people
who We're used to such cases agreed
that l must net claim that ! was my
self. | asked my lawyer whom he
thought Id better claim to be. He
said that it didn't make any difference
what my name was. Criminals usual
~ had plenty of names and used such
as We're convenient under different cir
cumstances. The only point in my ia
vor, he added. was that the body of
the man | had murdered had not been
found. He would make as much of
this as possible and expected that he
would be would he able to get me off
with sentence Of life Imprisonment
| instead of DEATH
He seemed to consider this quite q
comforting assurance. For myself
thought that even Imprisonment for
life in the case of one who had com
mitted murder on himself or suicide,
If it can be SO construed. is rather
hard lines. However. ] told my law.
yer that wouldn't venture to suggest
q line of defense to one who knew the
law perfectly. and he might consider
me either dead or alive. innocent or a
| murderer us lir saw fit To this htA re.