Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-28
DAILY SHORT STORY.
Continued From Page Four.D

Continued From Page Four.)
retained ci.argv u runners property.
but allowed the legatee sufficient
funds to pay lawyer to defend him.
His attorney did the best in his power
for him, but was unable to establish
his innocence The jury hung for
some time between murder in the
first and second degree. but finally
brought in verdict of guilty of the
former. He was sentenced to suffer
the death penalty.
And so it was that Rothwell, having
escaped death from tuberculosis. hav-
ing reached condition where he
might bring his sweetheart to him as
Ills wife. was doomed to suffer on the
gallows for a crime he had not COM
mItted. 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 trial was granted, no stay Of pro-
ceedings. and the day of doom was
near when something happened
A young woman stood looking in
through the window of pawnshop in
the town where RothwelI was convict
ed. At the time an officer of the law
dressed in plain clothes was IN the
shop interviewing the pawnbroker
about some stolen goods that he had
loaned money on. The woman entered
the shop and produced a watch on
which she asked for a loan. The bro
ker inspected the watch and at once
caught sight of two letters, H p"
on the case.
Whose initials are those?" asked the
broker
The woman said she did not know.
The detective took a hand in question
ing her and, her replies being contra
dictory, took her to police headquar-
tiers. There. after many surmises,
some one noticed that H. P" were
the initials of Henry Palmer, for whose
murder Rothwell was to be hanged in
a few days. The chief of police put
the woman through the third degree"
process, with the result of a confession
that she had murdered Palmer
Many were inclined to doubt that
the confession was genuine. Had it
not been for the fact that the woman
had attempted to borrow money on a
watch with Palmer's initials on it lit
tie attention would have been paid to
her statement. She claimed to have
been a discarded wife OF Pa1mer's, and
it was for this casting off that she had
killed him. The watch was shown to
Rothwell, and he told the police where
he had seen it. This identified the
woman with Palmer, she was Charged /
with his murder. and Rothwell was re- !
leased He asked to see the person |
who stood in his place and was taken |
to her cell.
What was his amazement to recog-
nize Alice Swain.
Before he had time to betray their .
relationship she gave him look that /
put him on his guard. She then spoke
to him as q stranger. telling him that
If he could get permission to see her
alone she would throw additional light
On the murder. Permission was grant
ed, and the two were left alone
Not daring to embrace each other
they refrained. Alice talked about the
murder, but, fearful of being over
heard, said nothing to reveal the true
situation. Meanwhile she scratched
On bit of paper:
This is a plan to save you. Luckily you
wrote me of the tin box. I came, took the
watch and pawned it to get arrested. Go
away and l will convince them of my in
locence.
1t was agreed between them through
he same medium that Harold should
lave a week before Alice revealed
he trick. When the period had ex-
bred and he was safe in hiding she
jailed for the lawyer who had de-
'ended him and told him how Roth 4
we'll had written her of the interview
lie had had with Palmer and of the
in box, showing him the letterShow
she had gone to the hiding place,
AIKEN the watch and pawned 1t, know
ng the man who was at the time with ,
he pawnbroker to be detective. The
attorney soon obtained a dismissal of
he charge against her, and later she
vas set at liberty.
She at once went to the ranch house
md in her future husbands name
laimed for him his Inheritance. Max
ng a more thorough examination of
he contents of the tin box, she found &
bit of paper, on which were written
he following words:
II am murdered it will be by my old l
artner Jacob wilcox When we sep {
rated took some bonds that he claimed r
elonged to him He told me then that :
e would have the bonds If he had to kill 1
ne to get them. I
In time Rothwell came into his in I
ieritance and married the girl who t
lad saved him. He spent considera- I
lie money trying to find Wilcox and r
ring him to justice. but never sue
eeded. The RothweIl ranch is now
ne of the largest In that section OF G
ountry. q