The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1911-09-12
Silence Prevailed.

In their brackets and one on the
judges desk.
Silence Prevailed.
For many long minutes there was
not a sound in the packed room. A
few benches away from the bar where
the lawyers sat were close packed
rows of faces all streaked and shad-
owed Enthusiastically in the lamplight
Henry Beattie sat with his hands
folded on the table before him, per-
fectly immobile, his face toward the
judges seat. 1t was sharpened in
outline and the peculiar feline ex-
preston about the eyes was height
ened by the Wilderness Of the pupils,
and the thin, in-drawn lines that
stretched straight from the bridge Of
the nose. Excitement glittered in his
eyes. The mouth was drawn in so
that only slight dark smudge mark
ed it's position.
Sheriff Gill's pugnacious CHA wills
kers showed over the head of the
nethermost men who blocked the aisle
to the stairs; the man was pushed
aside and then the sheriff marshaled
his II men through the pack and to
their seats over in the corner behind
the judges desk.
Judge Watson instructed the clerk
to call the roll of the jury. He did
so. Then, "Mr Beattie, stand up"
the court directed, and Beattie arose
in his place. He rested one hand on
his hip, arm akimbo, and the other
hand he put, fist clenched, on the table
before him. The lamp over mis- head
showed that all the blood had fed
from those frightened knuckles, but in
the face not a culver. and the eyes
were steady.
Gentlemen Of the jury, look upon
the prisoner. Prisoner, look Upon the
jury" the clerk chanted in the old
formula of dread. Then, Gentlemen
of the jury, have you reached a YER
dict?" the clerk asked.
A single muff1ed answer. Eyes"
What is that verdict" Guilty
guilty-guilty- guilty"
No foreman spoke, but all of the
u, nearly in unison. The succession
of their short chopped iterations
smote the silence ponderously.
AT that very second a puff of wind
from the nearby windows smote the
flame in the lamp on the judges
desk. The flame elongated into a
streaky flare, then went out. Out in
the horse shed by the courthouse
green a mule dreaming of his straw
bed and long delayed oats raised his
voice into a quivering scream that
rasped and rasped, then was still.
w. L. Burgess, who was nearest to
the judge, handed up the folded in
dictment which had been taken with
the jury into the juryroom. Across
the back of it was written the words,
eve, the jury, find the defendant
guilty as charged in the indict-
ment."
Jury Sent Back.
The jury having failed to indicate
the degree of murder they were sent
back to their room. The judge told
Beattie's counsel to have him set
down. When the son took his seat.
he looked not at his father nor at his
counsel The father sat with eyes
tight shut. His hand slipped over
the back of the prisoners chair and
the fingers wavered as if undecided,
whether to touch the back of the ad-
judged murderer. They did not.
The jury was away many minutes,
and VIXEN the jurymen filed back
into their places the clerk ordered
the prisoner to stand and once more
demanded of the jury if they had
reached a verdict This, time the jury
handed up their finding of guilty" of
murder in the first degree, as charg-
ed in the indictment.
Judge Watson lifted his eyes from
his desk and saw Beattie still stand
ing, one arm akimbo, and the white
face all puckered in the lamps
shadow.
"Sit down, Mr. Beattie," ne said.
Then he turned to the jury and
thanked them for the faithful service
of three weeks that they had rem
O0r0Q 10 Iuo county. ne ulSlulSSou
the jury with a wave of his hand,
but still they kept their seats.
Motion OVerrued.
Attorneys for the defense then NOV
ed that the verdict be set aside as
contrary to law and the evidence,
which was promptly Overruled by the
court. A motion for a stay Of execu-
ton was also overruled and Judge
Watson, after a lengthy address to
the prisoner, sentenced him in the
following language:
"The judgment of this court is that
you be transferred to the state peni
Tertiary and that between sunrise and
sunset on Friday. Nov. "a, your life
be taken in the manner prescribed by
law; and may God have mercy on
your soul. sir"
The judge finished, Beattie still
faced him with his cat-like eyes un
winking. When the last words fell
from Judge Watson's lips the pris