The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-05-18
WHOLE NO. 1859

P"PNAS-
l noticed one day on looking up sud-
denly at my employer that he was
scrutnizing me. 1t had occurred to
me before this that my giving a de-
scription of my murderer that. would
answer as well 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 saw my en-
ployer looking at me as if comparing
me with the description turned pale.
He looked away, and that ended the
matter, at least for the time.
Several days later Il man came into
the store where l worked, had some
words with my employer and then, nd
vancing toward me, eyed me sharply;
then he took printed slip from his
pocket and referred to 1t, evidently
comparing me with 1t. 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. l knew
l 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 l had
| succeeded In getting away from the
man who had intended to murder me
and had left that part of the country
altogether. II didn't occur to me that
such Il story In the face of n 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 1t here. And
what was his comment? It was this:
Young man, IL you can't make up
n better yarn than that you'd better
be prepared for the worst"
This startled me. l had deemed 1t
misfortune TO be taken back to
Mertford on case of mistaken iden-
tity and to be put to the trouble of an
explanation, but that would be liable
to conviction for numbering my own
self had appeared so monstrous that 1t
had not even entered my head.
"If you can't prove an alibi," added
my keeper. you're gone"
whats an alibi?" / asked.
being somewhere else at the time
the murder was committed"
But | shall prove that | am the
man l am accused of numbering"
He turned and regarded me with
cynical smile.
"See here" he said, "I've been mixed
up with cases like yours for twenty
years. Juries are ready to believe
lot OF rot from prisoner with whom
they sympathize, but my advice to
you Is not to endeavor to work Off on
them any such rubbish rs that"
This frightened me- leaned back
on the cushion Of the seat as well as
my handouts would permit and gave
myself over to the most gloomy re-
Elections.
When we reached MertfOrd and l
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
IL was uiloutu lic suiu tiul hC WYNN
not think of conducting case on any
such improbable line as that and II /
insisted on his doing so ] must find
another defender.
What was to do? All these people
who were used TO such cases agreed
that l must not claim that was my
self. asked my lawyer whom he
thought I'd better claim to be. He
said that It didn't make any difference
what my name was. Criminals usual
| ly had plenty Of names and used such
as were convenient under different cir
cumstances. The only point In my fa-
vor, lie added, was that the body Of
the man I had murdered had not been
| found. lie would make as much of
this rs possible and expected that he
would be would be able to get me off
instead of death.
He seemed to consider this quite a
comforting assurance. For myself I
| thought that even Imprisonment for
| life in the case Of one who had COM
| mitted murder on himself or suicide,
| II It can be SO construed, is rather
hard lines However. l told my law
line OF defense to one who knew The
law perfectly. and he might consider
me either dead or alive, innocent or
murderer, as he saw fit. To this he re-
piled that there had undoubtedly been
eases where a lawyer knew his client
to be innocent. but the evidence had
been SO strong against him that he has
advised him to plead guilty and throw
himself on the mercy of the court.
| won't 70 into the details of the
trial. My lawyer was congratulating
himself tina; ne would get me off with
life senteuce when the police, who
had long Suffered before the public
for what WIS considered their negli-
gence IN the case OF my murder, by
continued digging In the wood where
had been murdered unearthed
body. leaeaed long afterward that
Il came frcu Il corner of an old burial
lot But :. aas enough. with all the
other cons'.,:ing evidence against me.
to hang u
The oal3 hit of good luck have had
Mt all bas tim the capture of the gang
Of counter tiers to which my double
belonged. legged my counsel so harI
TO find him that to humor me he did
SO. The result was the bringing into
court the real murderer of the man
who was not murdered. Which Of us
would have had to swing for the muir
der II the other one had been absent