Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-08-23
IN THE SHADOW
-:OF THE CHAIR
BYA MAN WHO WAS TRIED FOR HIS LIFE

of reporters waylaid me in my apart
ments. Ny wife, my siX-year-old lit
tie girl and / were coming home that
evening from spending the half holiday
picnicking on the sands of seaside
resort when we found the men camped
n front of our house awaiting our re-
turn.
For something like two weeks the
reporters had pestered the life out OF
us, ringing the door bell at all hours
and asking me to go over and over the
same ground of questions To find
them besieging my door on this occa-
sion was exasperating. 1 was angry
clear through but 1 invited them up
into our apartment.
The little girl, exhausted in play,
had dropped and nodded on the way
home until she lay asleep with her
head pillowed against my neck and l
carried her into my bedroom and laid
her on my bed where her mother un-
dressed her while l returned to the
front room to talk to my callers.
Look here. gentlemen" 1 said, Il
know quite as we'll as you do that am
an important witness in this murder.
l know that it's up to you to get any
information, old or new, that can pos
sibly be squeezed. On the other hand,
l think have treated you very square
ly. But everything has a limit and l
have reached mine. 1 have just come
n,nff frp will
my wife and little girl and there is not
the remotest chance that l have any
thing new to say. Therefore, ask
you to stop annoying me further and
to quit my home.'
Among the reporters was tall,
feshy fellow with a foreign, military
air and a face like a fighting parson.
His name was Watkins and he now
acted as spokesman.
He suggested that give him lone
fifteen minute interview, the other re-
porters to withdraw, he himself to
give up to his colleagues later what
ever l might have to say. In this way
he argued, l would be relieved at least
of the evaporation of having my home
overcrowded.
No sooner were we alone that he
closed a door shutting US off from the
hearing of my wife, neither Of us no
ticing that the transom over the door
was open. He waxed suddenly dra-
matte.
do you really mean to pretend" he
said, that you do not know why you
are the center of interest in this af-
fair? Come here-look" He strode
toward a window and pointed to
pair of stalwart forms beneath the
glare of the electric light on the OPP
posite side of the street. "Those are
detectives" he said, cutting off your
escape by way of the street. Two
more are on the roof overhead watch
ing that you do not get away across
housetops. Two more are in your back
yard waiting for you to come down the
fire escape. Do you know what all this
means? 1t means that before morning
YOU will be behind steel bars accused
of murder in the first degree"
II | had suddenly found a sizzling
bomb sputtering away last inch of
fuse at my feet my blood could not
have run colder l was not such an
innocent, of course. that failed to see
that circumstances had connected me
with the crime in manner to make
me unusually interesting TO the police.
but | had no inkling that things had
gone so far. Despite violent effort l
felt my self going alternately red and
white.
Listen" the reporter continued,
then. step by step, he outlined the high
spots in what he called the case against
me: but he had not gotten more than
fairly warmed up when the door open
ed and my wife entered.
One glance and / knew that our
voices must have penetrated to her
She was very pale and stately as she
entered. erect. cold. chin uplifted. She
fixed disdainful eyes on the face of the
reporter. in her manner the oVerbear-
ing demeanor of outraged womanhood
She walked calmly to the door leading
at the reporter who understood and
took his hat and arose. Under the
spell of the woman who stood with di-
lated nostrils he graSped my hand and
wrung it.
"Is there anything I can do for
you?" he asked. us there no lawyer
no friend you would like me to call up
for YOU on the telephone? 1t is bet
ter, of course if you do not attempt to
leave the house"
1 never had had occasion to use a
lawyer but l recalled Samuel NJ Tay-
lor. which is the name l am giving
prominent lawyer of whom | had read
i'm the newspapers from time to time
who used to be my fathers attorney.
I asked the reporter to send me Mr..
TAYLOR at once. adding that my wife
and | would sit up for him.
I'D like to help you more. You
know my name and my paper when
ever you want me. Good luck to you.
he said. As he passed my wife. his
heels clicked together and for an In
stant he stood at attention. Then he
bowed and left us hastily.
For a half minute my wife stood
gazing at the closed door and then
turned toward me and twined her
arms about my neck. The enemy rout-
ed. her nerve forsOOk her. She laid
her cheek against my breast and wept
nc II her heart must break
Edith" | said. holding her close.
You know it is absurd to fear that
anything can come of this. 1t is i'm
possible to fasten a crime on an inno-
cent person. The mere fact that they
have surrounded the house instead of
arresting me proves that they them
selves are not confident of their
ground. At most within two hours
someone from Mr.. TaylOr's office will
be here and after that these fellows
will not have things their own way"