Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1910-06-18


and 1t had been copied in 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 l had become very anxious. The
result was that when | saw my EN-.
ployer looking at me as IL comparing
me with the description | turned pale.
lie looked away, and that ended the
matter, at least for the time.
Several days later a 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 a printed slip from his
pocket and referred to 1t. evidently
comparing me with It, At last he took
out a 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. l resolved to say that had
succeeded In getting away from the
man who had intended to murder me
altogether 1t didn't occur to me that
such a 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 it here. And
what was his comment? 1t was this:
Young man, IL you can't make up
better yarn than that you'd better
be prepared for the worst
This startled me. l had deemed it
misfortune to be taken back to
Mertford on a case of mistaken iden-
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?" 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 n
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 sympathizc, 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 well as
my handouts would permit and gave
myself over to the most gloomy re-
hections.
When we reached Mertford and
had been examined, not having any
means with which to employ counsel,
I was assigned one. He came to the
jail and heard my explanation. When
1t was finished he said that he would
not think of conducting 4 case on any
such improbable line as that and II !
insisted on his doing so I must find
another defender.
What was l to do? All these people
that I must not claim that ! was my
self asked my lawyer whom he
thought I'd better claim to be. He
said that 1t 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 IA
vor, he added. was that the body of
the man l had murdered had not been
found. He would make as much Of
this as possible and expected that he
would be would be able to get me off
with a sentence of life Imprisonment
instead of death.
He seemed to consider this quite
comforting assurance. For myself
thought that even Imprisonment for
life in the case Of one who had COM
mitted murder on himself or suicide.
II 1t can be so construed, is rather
hard lines. However, l told my law
yer that wouldn't venture to suggest
a 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
cases where 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.
l won't go into the details Of the
trial. My lawyer was congratulating
himself that he would get me off with
life sentence when the police, who
had long suffered before the public
for what was considered their negli-
gence In the case Of my murder, by
continued digging in the wood where
had been murdered unearthed q
body. learned long afterward that
1t came from a corner of an old burial
lot. But 1t was enough, with all the
other convincing evidence against me,
to hang me.
The only bit Of good luck have had
at all has been the capture of the gang
Of counterfeiters to which my double
belonged. begged my counsel so hard