Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-10-11
A SINGULAR
CASE
By MARGARET BARR
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

Ellen Graham and | had been school
mates We had separated after school
days. and | had neither seen nor heard
anything Of her till one morning, taking
q newspaper, had read an item with |
the heading Jumped Els Bail"
| read that Edward jerks, we'll !
known confidence man. had been ar
rested some time before. charged with
lnnumerable swindles He had pro-
cured bail. the case had been called for
trial, and the bail had been forfeited
4 singular feature Of the case was that
jerks had found q young woman who
moved in the best social circles. Miss
Ellen Graham, to marry him. A pri-
vate wedding had taken place few
days before the day set for the groom's
trial. and the couple had gone on
wedding journey. This" remarked
the facetious reporter. was certainly
preferable to court ceremonies, fol-
lowed by journey to the peniten-
tiary."
There was mystery. and | am
woman The consequence was inevi
table. put on my walking costume
and went out to satisfy my curiosity.
| felt assured that the person most
likely to give me the inside of the
case was the crooks lawyer noted
his name as given III the article and
called on him. telling him that was
friend of Miss Graham and should
be Obliged # be would tell me how
she had come to oemean herself by
marrying a confidence man The law
yer smiled. invited ne to bn seated and
told NE the following strange happen
ing:
One Gay Edward Jerks. who was a
resident of another city. came to town
late at night during a political roETe1
ton and finding all the better class
of hotels full was obliged to seek a
, nights lodging at a cheap house lie
went to bed, and an hour later was
awakened by knock at his door
, Opening it in walked several men. one
. Of whom ordered him to put on his
clothes and come along. No explana
ton was given him When be tooh
up his clothes to put them on he was
. astonished to see that they were en-
tirely different from those he had TAX
t en- off His protest that they were no
his own produced no effect upon hi!
t captors, and he was ordered to put OF
: the clothes, which fitted him indffer
: emily. One OF the men rided the peck
e cts and took ont several letters ad
e dressed to Edward jerks Then th
e prisoner was handcufed. marched t
/ the police station and locked up
= The next morning jerks, who wa
r engaged to Miss Graham and whor
= he had come to town to see with
Il view to arranging for their wedding
:. sent for her father to come TO the ja
8 at once When Mr. Graham saw hi
# son-in-law to be and learned that th
k police had long been looking for hin
$ he was profoundly affected. FL
n daughter had met jerks while trave
K ing abroad. and the acquaintance b.
l. tween the two families had been shor
Jerks putting up at cheap hotel. b
r. apparel, the letters found in b
20 pocket. which plainly proved that
I'd was working certain confidence game
ID was too much for the old mans fat
or He turned on his heel and left the ia
IN Jerks sent for me and told me Il
story as far as | have told it to 20
rs | told him that the first thing to
es was to get bali. This was done. Jen
went to a clothing store, where i,
bought new outfit and came to my {
fee. | can tell a gentleman from
crook very easily, and | knew tn
. some mistake had been made in Jenl
,'case. But before we attempted
solve the mystery my client insist
or that l go to his fancee and indu
her to come and meet him in my Off
She did so. and the two were broue
IN together in this room. jerks was I
&c long in convincing her that sol
r-o strange coincidence had happened
him, and she was much affected at
,te position She went home thinking Il
W. she could Df1ng heF IaCner 10 ner U
m; views. but she failed. She was f
hidden to see jerks again.
ic, 1.-THE evidence against the accus
leI was so strong that r saw no hope
ar clearing him. l was convinced that
,al had been made a victim Of some r
md cality, but | couldn't explain it. b
his, he and Miss Graham were in so depl
Ii able a condition of mind that | fe
Der ed one or both would break down
ale der the strain. dreaded the wear q
,,n. tear of trial for both Of them, ant
didn't see how | could get jerks
/, at least not without spending mon
~ In hunting up evidence. and then b
- IS any one going to tell how j
will decide any question?
"A few days before the trial l 2
posed a plan that was great re-
to both the lovers. Marry l said.
abroad on your wedding trip
They jumped at the suggest
were married secretly and under
sumed names sailed for Europe. Jel
left the money to reimburse the
fixture of his bail.
"a Ionp while aftprward [ lear