Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-12-15

at him curiously. Then he called n
messenger and sent him or posthaste.
When the messenger returned n.
brought the sheriff with him. who.
without word OF explanation. clapped
pair of handcuGs on Rothwell's
wrists. The prisoner was taken TO
town and lodged In jail charged with
the murder OF Henry Palmer and the
embezzlemcut Of the funds he claimed
he had intended to put in the bank.
The case WAS one OF circumstantial
evidence-or. rather. OF motivc-alone.
1t was assumed .llnt Rothwcll had got
behind In his accounts. had emheZZled
the amount of which he claimed he
had been robbed and. fearing thar III
detected he would lose his Inheritance.
had killed the man whose property he
would inherit
This made Il strong case against
him. and there WAS very little to be
said in his favor. 40 trace OF any
one having attacked Palmer and no
evidence OF l;ojhwclrs story that he
had been robbed appeared. The court
retained charge of Palmcr's property.
but allowed the icc8toc sufficient
funds 10 pay lawyer "a defend him.
His attorney did the hest I'm lis power
for him. but was unable la establish
his Innocence. The jury hung for
some time between murder i'm the
first and second degree. but finally
brought i'm a verdict az guilty of the
former He WIS sentenced To suffer
the death penalty.
And SO Ii was that RuthTell. having
escaped death from tuberculosis. hav-
Ing reached Il condition where he
might bring his sweetheart to him as
his wife. was doomed 10 suffer on the
gallows for II crime he had not com
mittcd. There are not the DELAYS In
punishment for crime in new countries
there are where the safeguards against
infringing ON the rights of accused
persons are more strictly enforced.
Rothwell was sentenced to be hanged
a Few weeks after his conviction. No
new triai was granted. no stay of pro.
ceedinSS. and ;he day of doom was
near " hen something happened.
a young woman stood looking in
through the window of Il pawnshoD i'm
the town where Rothwell was convict
ed. At the time nm officer of the law
dressed in plain clothes was i'm the
shop interviewing the pawnbroker
ABOUT some stolen goods that he had
loaned money on. The woman entered
the shop and produced Il watch on
which she asked for loan. The bro.
ker Inspected the watch and at once
caught sight OF two letters. II. F."
on the case.
Whose initials are those:" asked the
broker.
The woman said she did not know.
The detective took hand in question.
Ing her and. her replies being contra
ulctorN. took her 10 police headquar-
iers There after nauy surmises
some one noticed that II. T." were
the Initials of Henry Palmer for whose
murder Rothwell was to be hanged in
"a few days. The chief of police nut
the woman through the third degree"
process, with the result OF confession
that she had murdered Palmer.
Many were inclined to doubt that
the confession was genuine. Had II
not been for the fact that the woman
had attempted TO borrow money on Il
watch with Palmers initials on IL III.
tie attention would have been paid 10
her statement. She claimed 10 h1y.
been discarded wife of Palmer's. and
u was for this casting off that she had
hilled him. The watch was shown to
kothwell, and he told the police where
he had seen IL. This identified the
woman with Palmer. she was charged
with his murder. and RothweM was re.
leased. lie asked TO see the person
who stood In his place and was taken
to her cell
what was his MANAGEMENT to recog-
uDe Alice swain.
Before he had time To- brtray ,b.jr
relationship she gave him a look thai
put him ou his guard She then smoke
10 him as stranger. telling him that
ii he could get permission 20 see her
a."n" She would throw additional light
'n thc murder Permission was grant.
~i. and The two were lpft alone.
N"i darling 90 embrace each other
tI'N rriIH.u"d Alice talked ahou, ,b..
uurdrr. beat. fearful Of being over.
beard id nothing 90 reveal the tlrI,
'.iw'Inu Meanwhile she scratched
900 90. - p0prr.
r' r 90 r-Ne GU Luckily YOU
200 n.' nf ttf f.r I.H. c.fu, foIr ft,
.t..N .ri rtarri Do 'p 4,-t arrested 90
i Nti convince them Of ny I'M
Do Nat a-r""l between thru through
i7' same urdW tu1' Harold should
u.'' "r.h before Alice revealed
ih" tr.b Whom thr period nnd r,.
p.-rd au1 Hr vas sar. iu h.d.,r ..c
'iHl fur f.. lawyer uip Ina III.
f'Ha-I hIm GOOD iuII hu bow Roth.
u,i h.l Written I.r 20 90. u..rEf..
.r hI MI uHh Palmer auf o. l.,
N1 '"t showing hiI fHn Irtrr ..,v
'" H.H -u. 90 'lr hrr. ut...
'HaaI ile watch uul fuv a,,I %. know
H- flr uHu uhY was at .lp iImr vItt