Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-11-23

even Judge Gainsborough- 1t had been
drawn three weeks before and had
been witnessed by George Whitman.
who died ten days after signing, and
Mortimer Simms, who, strangely
enough, died three days later"
''It was a forgery-a false will~ she
cried, trembling violently In her excite
ment
81 know It was-1 know It. Ny
grandfather had told me Of the deed
This was the envelope and the paper.
There was no such deed to be found
That makes me half believe that he did
sign the will, thinking it was some
thing else My story about the deed
was not believed AS for Isaac Perry,
my uncle said that he left for New
York soon after my grandfather's visit
to Richmond, doubtless when the will
was drawn and signed He could not
have been near Jenison hall at the time
of the shooting. Uncle Frank produced
a letter from Isaac, received that very
day from New York, in which he said
that he was going to Europe as the
body servant of a New York gentle
man who had helped him to secure an
education.
"They locked me in the cellar and
put a guard over me until the sheriff
could come up in the morning Chris
tine, there wasn't a single chance for
me to prove my innocence 1 knew
that Uncle Frank and Isaac Perry
had arranged the whole devilish plot.
How nicely they arranged it too! 1t
worked even better than they expect
ed, for 1 unwittingly damned myself
I can never tell you of my feelings
when the whole thing became clear to
me. 1 must leave that to your tmagi-
nation. 1 was as innocent as a babe,
and yet in the eyes Of every one as
guilty as any murderer has been In
this world. My only chance to escape
certain hanging lay In escape. 1t was
after 3 o'clock in the morning when I
began to think of fight. 1 made up
my mind that I could never hope for
acquittal. 1 thought only of getting
away from them and then devoting
my whole life to finding the proof of
my innocence. Isaac Perry can prove
it or my uncle. But my uncle will not
do it, and Isaac is not to be found. I
discovered that when I reached Rich
mond two nights afterward- He had
left nearly three weeks before, never
to return, 1t was said.
well, 1 hit the darky guard over
the head with chunk of stove wood
1 hated to do 1t, but 1t was the only
chance. You can't kill a niger by
hitting him on the head. Then crawl
ed through a small hole in the cellar
wall into the potato bins beyond
From there 1 could easily get into the
back yard, provided no one was watch
ing. They were all on the other side
of the wing discussing the murder
and me. They said I'd surely be lynch
ed the next night. Oh, 1t was awful!
1 crawled out of the window hole and
sneaked off toward the henhouses be-
low the old slave building. 1 don't
know when they missed me. I only
know that I reached the woods and
ran and ran till 1 thought 1 should
drop. Some other time I will tell you
of all 1 went through during the next
week. You won't believe a lot of it.
know. it was so dreadful. There were
good many times when I was ready
TO give up and a good many times
when they almost had me. God help
ed me. though. He heard my prayers.
I'll never again think there is no God,
lot of us used to think at the uni
versity. You don't know the agony of
dread and fear in which I'm living
now Something tells me that they
will get me and that I'll never have
the chance to find Isaac Perry to force
him to tell the truth"
ct am sure you will find him, Da-
vid.' she said. but her heart was very
cold
The circus tents were just ahead of
them now. The band was playing and
people were hurrying along the poorly
lighted streets. sheltered by umbrellas.
all bound for the grounds.
David's lips were rigid. christine.
I am going to kill my Uncle Frank
he said quite calmly.
"Oh. David"'
eff 1 find I can't clear myself 1 am
going back there and shoot him down
like dog, as he shot his poor old ia
father"
You must not do that" she implor-
ed. ''Then they would surely hang you"
'Ah. but I wouldn't mind 1t tnen,"
he said between his teeth.
s'David, you must let mother talk
with you. She can tell you what to do.
Don't think of-of that
He turned upon her. amazed. Don't
you think that he ought to be killed %
he demanded
Cant a judge order him to be
hanged?" she asked.
k~~