Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-07-12
The Cross on
the Moon
By John H. Warnack

his great heart surged conflicting emo
tons like warning waves in time OF
storm. He had just been visited by
the mother of Jim Turner, the man
who at o'clock that evening was to
be hanged for the murder of his
father. The governor had remained
apparently calm during the interview,
but the woman's visit had shaken his
nerves, had made him question the
justice Of the law and caused him to
doubt his own judgment
Governor" the woman had said,
If Jim Turner dies tonight. the soul
OF an inrocent man will whisper into
the ear of God the story Of legalized
murder. My son was accused of tax
ing tie life of his gentle father. my
husband. He has been tried before
the courts of This state, and has been
pronounced guilty by Jury of twelve
ignorant mountaineers; but the evil
dence produced against him is almost
entirely circumstantial, and before God
| swear that my noble boy is innocent.
| would gladly give my own life to be
able. to absolutely prove his innocence
and to take the unearned stain from
the name of Turner in this state"
He was called the pardoning gov
ernor, and his political enemies had
made the most of the fact that already
during his brief tenure of office he had
robbed the gallows of four men who,
under the law, had been condemned to
death. A pardoning governor, yes;
merciful man, surely; a leader whose
heart was as great as his MINDFUL
was he allowing his brain and his
heart to be ruled by moral weak
ness? Was he going to pardon this
man who had been sentenced by the
Judge to be hanged by the neck until
he was dead, for the murder of one
of the bestowed citizens of the state?
He had only thirty minutes in which
to decide
He reviewed all the evidence in the
case. Turner and his father were last
seen together strolling through the
woods, during the early autumn. The
son came home alone, and an hour af-
terward his fathers body was found,
half-covered by leaves. A bullet had
pierced his heart. causing instant
death. The young man, Jim Turner,
had returned home with a rife which
he and his father had taken with them
into the woods. On the day previous
to the murder, If murder 1t was, the
young man had threatened to leave
his home on account of a misunder-
standing which had arisen between
him and his father. That was all. but
was 1t not enough? What further evil
dence was necessary to prove young
Turner's guilt? And yet, why did he
not leave the rifle by the side of his
fathers body in order that the coro-
ner's jury might return a possible YER
dict of suicide? On the other hand,
how could 1t have been suicide, when
no weapon was found by the dead
man? Who else could have committed
the crime, If not his son? The elder
Turner had not had an enemy In the
country. He was a generous man,
and one of the mildest and most for
bearing. Could some one have shot
him accidentally? This could not be,
for the shot had been accurate. Sure
ly 1t was premeditated The bullet
had entered the heart. passing entire
ly through that organ, and the cloth
ing over the wound was powder
burned, therefore the shooting must
have been at close range. Yet the
young man had been seen and spoken
to when he and his father had entered
the woods-and he had returned with
the rife! And Turner was no fool.
This was the puzzling part of the af-
fair. Surely, or at least possibly,
there was another explanation, if it
could be found. However, the courts
had given the accused man the benefit
of every plausible doubt. and still he
had been found guilty.
Suddenly the governor lifted his
head and looked out through the win
dow screen at the early rising moon.
Did his eyes deceive him? What was
this he saw? Across the great orb, ex-
tending above and below it, shone
brilliant cross, the emblem of Cal
vary, the sign of the death of one who
had pardoned his crucifers.
The governor was not superstitious
Again and again he looked in won
The cross still shone |
clearly across the yellow moon.
Mary" he called suddenly, and al
most Immediately his beautiful daugh-
ter stood In the doorway.
where have you been, child?"
ION the veranda, star-gazing, or
rather moon-gazing. The moon is
lovely tonight, don't you think?"
Yes" said the governor, 1T is beau
tiful"
1T never seemed SO golden" she
went on. How soft and sweet the
night is! Cant you come out a while
with me. fatber?"
I'm a few minutes, perhaps, dear
not Just now. / only wished to know
where you were. / had not seen you
for such q long time, almost three
hours"
Her ripping laughter fioated back
TO him as she skipped from the room.