The San Francisco call., 1910-09-18

1t seemed the whole room had risen.
and voice somewhere in front of us
was speaking--had spoken.
There was a moment OF dreadful
silence, and then all about me broke
out quick whispers, suddenly. like a
refrain. Not once but over and over
heard them around nae.
"Murder-yes, yes, murderi"
"Oh, no. guilty In the second degree"
woman near me tainted, and
wished could have lost consciousness
so as to be rid of those terrible words
but could not even cry. I raised my
hand to my throat and pressed 1T there
hard, because there seemed to be con-
striction there.
The police were thick about the door.
but even they. struggling with the
hoodlums who had crowded the back
Of the room, couldn't get passage
open, and the large sergeant of police
lifted me up as If had been child
and carried me out and set me
down on the sidewalk. There I
stood in the lovely. mild twilight
looking at the familiar Surroundings
as IL I had never seen them be-
fore. Among the vehicles that filed
the street noticed the Spanish
Woman's carriage. with its beautiful,
nervous horses. Father put my arm
through his and said, DO you think
"Oh, yes" I said, surprised that he
should suppose could not since, except
for that queer feeling OF not having
any emotions at all. I felt quite we'll
He took me over to the restaurant
but 1 am not hungry" I said. And
father answered Probably not" Then,
turning to the waiter, IA glass OF
brandy. please. and call me a carriage" :"
sat down at a table near the win
tv4o~ acfy5
little. looked out at the courthouse en-
trance on the other side of the street
in front of 1t a little group Of men in
uniform was waiting. I could see the
last OF the sunlight catch on their side
arms and bayonets. A good many people
were coming out, and more were gath
ering in from Kearny street and UP
from Montgomery. The police kept
shaking their clubs and trying to make
them walk away. But in spite of all
they could do the crowd gathered and
gathered and made sort of narrow
lane down the steps and across the side
walk. Presently the Spanish Womans 8
carriage drew UP just opposite
this narrow way and down the steps
she came, like queen, with her black
veil sweeping over her face. stepped in
and was carried quickly down the
street But as she passed l saw that
her head was bent and that she was
holding a handkerchief in front of her
face.
I swallowed the brandy in a few
gulps, scarcely knowing what 1t was,
and kept watching the prison door, for
had the greatest longing to see Johnny
Montgomery again. But presently our
carriage came, so I had to go out and
get into 1t. Just as we were makinga the
turn across the street / was face to
face with the prison door, and at that
moment they brought him out.
The guard passed close to us. and
saw his face as white and set as If he
were already dead
II have killed him." I thought.
though that thought did not bring me
any special feeling.
For few moments we seemed to be
caught in the crowd, the driver couldn't
get forward with the horses, and I
could turn my head and watch the lit
tie escort moving off down the street.
1t was after sunset now, just begin
ming to be dusk. The sad gray twi-
light was over everything. and as the
figures retreated they merged into
single dark mass in the throat of the
street AS this mass reached Jackson
street corner, there was an outcry. In
the peaceful stiffness of the evening it
came with shril1, terrifying sound. The
crowd at the corner broke and scat
tered before a rush of horsemen They
seemed to come from all sides, and
meet in the middle Of the street. Then
we couldn't see the guard, but shots
rang out. yells, and then more firing:
and the mounted men swept on across
the street Men on foot were running
after them and firing. In their wake
a wounded horse was rolling on the
ground and there was something else
spTawled away from 1t that might have