The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1911-08-30

| nrSt or all TO discredit me as wit
ness. My lack Of appreciation for
Adelaide and my secret but absorbing
love for Carmel were inexorably
brought out: also the easy. happy go.
lucky tenor Of my life and my logged
persistence In any course thought
consistent with my happiness. MY
character was well known In this
town Of my birth. and II would have
been folly for me to attempt TO gloss
II over. had not even the desire to
do so. II my sins exacted penance
would pay II here and now and to the
full. Only Carmel should not suffer.
refused to admit that she bad given
any evidences Of returning my reck-
less passion. My tongue would not
speak the necessary words. and II was
not made to. II was not her charac-
ter. but mine. which Mr.. Moffat was
endea voring to assail.
But though I was thus shown up
for what | was, In manner most
public and undesirable. neither the
rulings OF the court nor the attitude
Of the jury betrayed any loss of con-
fidence in me as credible witness.
and. seeing this. the willy lawyer shift
ed his ground and confined himself to
an endeavor to shake me on certain
definite and important points concern
ing my finding of the body. Then he
branched Off into less narrowing
topic and cross examined me In re-
gard 10 the ring had said that Il
was on her hand when babe goodby
TO her In her own house and that II
was not there when l came upon her
dead. Had the fact made me curious
to examine the hand? No. Then
could not tell whether The finger on
which she wore It gave any evidence
of this ring having been pulled Oh
with violence? No. I could not swear
that Ia my opinion 1t was? I could
not.
The sinai. flask of cordial and the
three glasses. one clean and the 9th
ers showing signs Of having been used.
were next taken up, but with no re-
suit for the defense. had told all
knew about these In my direct exami
nation; also about such matters as the
bottles found on the kitchen table. the
leaving Of my keys at the Cumberland
house and the fact. well known. that
the two bottles Of wine left In the wine
vault and tabulated by the steward as
so left in the list found in my apart
ments were of an exclusive brand un-
likely to be found anywhere else In
town. | could add nothing more. and,
having spoken the exact truth con-
GET ming them from the very first. | ran
no chance of contradicting myself.
even under he close fire of the oppos
ing counsel
hut there was a matter ] dreaded to
see him approach and which. was
equally sure. with an insight unshared,
| believe. by any one else in the whole
courtroom. was equally dreaded by the
prisoner
This was the presence In the club
house chimney of the half burned let
ter had long ago been compelled in
my own defeuse 10 acknowledge nav
ing written to the victims young Sis
ter. Carmel Cumberland. As ! saw
District Attorney Fox about 10 enter
upon this topic gathered myself to-
gether to meet the onslaught. for In
this matter | could not be strictly
truthful. since the least slip on my
part might awaken the whole world TO
the fact that IL could only have come
there through the agency of Carmel
herself.
What Mr.. Moffatt thought OF it
what he hoped TO prove in the prison
er's behalf by raking this subject over
lit was left for me TO discover later.
The prisoner was an innocent man in
his eyes. was not. and. while the
time had not come for him 10 make
this openly apparent. he was not above
showing even now thar the case con-
tanned u factor which weakened the
factor totally disasso-
ciated with the only accepted theory
that the crime was simply the result
of personal cupidity and drunken spite.
And in this he was right II did
weaken it weakened II to the point
of collapse. If the counsel for the de-
Tense had fully acted up 10 his oppor-
tunity. But something withheld him.
Just at the moment when ! feared the
truth must come out he hesitated and
veered gradually away from this sub
ject. In his nervous pacings 10 and
fro before the witness stand his eye
had rested for moment on Arthur's.
and with this result: The situation
was saved. but at a great loss to the
defendant.
I began 10 cherish softened feelings
TO ward Arthur Cumberland from this
monIent Was il then or later that
he began In his turn 10 cherish new
and less hostile feelings toward my
self? He had hated me and vowed
my death II escaped the fate he could
now diuily see opening out before him
self. yeti could see thar he was glad
to see me slip frCn ry tormentors
hands with my story unimpeached and
that he drew his breath more deeply
and with much more evidence OF free