The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-28

is scarce.
On the morning following the ar !
rest Of John Rowland. three reporters
sent by three such aditors, attended ,
| hall OF justice presided over by one
of the late-rising magistrates mem
toned above. In the ante-room OK
this court. ragged, disfgured by his
| clubbing, and dishevelled by his night
/ In cell, stood Rowland. with other
| unfortunates more or less guilty OF
| offence against society. When MS
name was called. he was hustled
! through a door. along line OF poiice-
/ men--each of. whom ADDED 10 MS
! own usefulness by giving him snoVe
! and into the dock, where the stern
! faced and tired-iooking magistrate
/ glared at him. Seated IN corner OF
| the courtroom were the ola gentie-
| man Of the day before, the young
: mother with little Myra IN ner zap:
| ana a number OF other ladies-aii
! excited in dcmeanor; and all but the
] young mother directing yenomous
chances at Rowland. Mrs. SELF
! ridge, pale and hollow eyed, put nap
! py-taced, withal, allowed no wander
I ing glance to rest on him.
| The officer who had arrested ROW.
| land was sworn, and testified That ne
/ had stopped the prisoner on Broad-
( way while making off with the enid.
| whose rich clothing had attracted his
! attention. DisdaIntul shifts were
heard in tho corner with muttered re-
| marks: rich indced--the idea--the
fiimsiest prints Mr.. Gaunf, the pros
| ccuting witness, was called TO testliy'
This man. your Honor he began.
cxcitedly, was once "A gentleman ana
! "A frequent guest at my house. ne
| asked for the hand OF my daughter.
! and as his request was not granted
| threatened revenge. Yes. sir. ana
/ out on the broad Atlantic. where ne
! had followed my daughter in the guise
/ of a sailor, he attempted to murder
I that child-my grandchild; but was
/ discovered"
/ Wait" interrupted the magistrate
"Contine your testimony to the pres
/ ent offense."
/ Yes. your Honor Failing in this.
/ he stole, or epticed the little one from
/ its bed. and in less than five min
/ utcs, tho ship was wrecked, and ne
must have escaped with the child in
( We're you n witness Of this?
Il was not there, YOUR Honor; but
We have It OH the word Of the first
officer. Il gentleman
| step uoNU- bdt wiz W. ~
! flcer was this offense committed in
I New York;
| Yes, your Honor: ! caught him me-
/ self
who did he steal the child from" /
I That Teddy over yondcr.'
Madam. will you take the stand?
With her child in her arms. Mrs. |
Seltridge was worn and In low, /,
! quavering voice. repeated what her |
father had said. Being a woman. she |
was allowed by the woman-wise !
magistrate to tell her story in her |
own way. When she spoke OF the /
attempted murder ut the taff-rail, her !
manner became excited. Then she /
told Of the Captains promise to put |
the man in irons on her agreeing TO I
testify against himof the consequent i
decrease In her watchfulness, and her /
missing the child just before the ship /
wreck-of her rescue by the gallant |
! first officer. and his assertion that lie !
had seen her child in the arms OF /
this man--the only man on earth who |
would harm it--of the later news that !
n boat containing sailors and children !,
had been picked up by a Mediterra- |
mean steamer--of the detectives sent
over and their report that sailor |
answering this mans description had
refused to surrender a child to the
| consul at Gibraltar and had disap-
| peared with it--of her 10y at the news
1 that Myra was alive. and despair ut i
ever seeing her again until she had
met her in this mans arms on Broad
way the day before. At this point,
outraged maternity overcame her.
| With cheeks flushed. and eyes blaz-
| Ing scorn and anger. she pointed at
, Rowland and all but screamed: And
he has nutilated--tortured my baby
There are deep wounds In her little
back. and the doctor said only last
night. that they were made by sharp
| instrument And he must have tried
to warp and twist the mind OF my
child. or put her through frightful
experiences; for ne has taught her to
! swear horribly-and last night at
/ bedtime, when told her the story
of Elisha and the bears and the chill
dren she burst out into the most un-
| controllable screaming and sobbing"
/ Here her testimony ended in a
breakdown of Mysteries. between sobs
of which were frequent admonitions
| to the child not to say that bad
word: for My-a had caught sight of
Rowland and was calling his nick
name.
What shipwreck was this-where
was it," asked the puzzled magistrate
Of nobody in particular.
| THE Titan." called out half a
dozen newspaper men across the
room.
The Titan" repeated the magis-
| trate; then this ofrense was COM
| mitted on the high seas under the
| English flag. I cannot imagine why
1t is brought into this court. Prisoner,
have you anything to say?"
Nothing. your honor" The answer
| came In kind Of dry sob.
| The magistrate scanned tho ashen.
faced man in rags. and said to the
] clerk Of the court: "Changs this
charge to vagrancy-eh-"
| The clerk. instigated by the news
| paper men. was at his elbow. He laid
a morning paper before him. pointed
, to certain big letters and retired Then
| the business OF the court suspended
while the court read the news After
moment or two the magistrate look |
| ed up.
| Prisoner he said sharply: take
your left sieve out OF your breast.
1 Rowland obeyed mechanically. and 1t |
| dangied at his side Tho magistrate |
| noticed. and read on. Then he fold !
! ell the paper and said:
| You are the man who was rescued !
| from an iceberg. are you not"" The |