Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-01-27

49,. SPtOutl illOlIlIt, tti llt'
self surrender and had pleaded not
guilty. The grand Jury was In session
Indeed, had about finished It's labors
--and there had been no reason for de-
lay. All necessary witnesses for the
state were OH the ground. and Fielder
for his part had no others to summon.
SO that when DR.. Brent one keen fore
noon swung himself Of Pullman at
the station. returning from his ten
days absence. he found the town
thrilling with the excitement of the
first day Of the trial. Before he left the
station he had learned of Irendcrgast's
death and accusation and knew that
Tom Fielder had come to the prisoners
defense. Dr. Brent had taken no stock
in the young lawyers view of Hugh
Stires.
lie betook himself to the filed court
room. The court had opened two hours
before and half the jury had been SO.
lectcd. Ills attention was given first
TO the bench where the prisoner sat
and second TO Il chair close to The rail
Ing beside Mrs Halloran's. whore a
girls face glimmered palely under Il
light veil.
Toward this chair the hundreds OF
eyes in the room that morning had
often turned Since the day Mrs. Hal.
loran had surprised Jessica ut work
upon the rock statue she had kept her
counsel: but. as the rhysican had CON
jectured, the monument bad been stunt
bled upon and had drawn curious Wis
itors. Thus the name on the grave had
become common property and the coin
cidence had been chartered of. That
Jessica had chiselcd the statue WAS not
doubted. She had bought the tools in
town. and old Paddy Wise. the black
smith, had sharpencd them for her.
The story Prendergast had told in the
general store, too had not been forgot
ten, and the aid she had given the
fever stricken man had acquired new
significance In face of the knowledge
that she had more than once been ad-
mitted to the jail with Fielder. From
the moment of the opening of the trial
Jessica had divided interest with the
prisoner.
Circumstnntially speaking the evil
dence WAS flawless. Or. Morcau. while
little known and less liked. had figured
In the town as n promoter and an in
ventor Of "slick" stock schemes. He
had come there with Hugh Stircs from
Sacramento. where they had had d
business partnership of short duration
There had been bad blood between
them there. as the latter had once nd
mitted. The prisoner had pre-empted
the claim on Smoky mountain in an
abortive boom" which Moreau had
engineered. and over whose proceeds
the pair, it was believed. had fallen
out. He had then. to use the attorneys
phrase. 'swapped the devil for the
witch" and had taken up with Prem
dergast. who by the manner Of his TAX
ing off had finally justified jail rec
ord In another state. Soon after this
break Hugh Stires had vanished. On
the day following his last appearance
! in the town the body of Moreau had
been found on the Little Paymastel
c!ulIn shot "! coWhTuII ouiIe
through tho back. fact which pre-
cludod f." possibility that the deco
had hecH lone in self defense. There
was "vi i'c that he had died Il pain
| full ana aErng death, Suspicion hat
natu"l'r "n'Htcd to the vanished man
and this suspicion had grown until
after some months absence. he ha(
returned, alleging that he had lost hi:
| memory OF the past. to resume his life
in the cabin on the mountain and hi.