The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-01-31

zzgRaaxzEz 49,
The courtroom in the dingy old court
house of New Chelsea was crowded
on a certain day in May. past the point
of mere discomfort.
The voice of the defendants counsel
rose and fell He was something of
an actor. and he put deal of con-
vincing passion into his words. In
New Chelsea oratory is still loved
The audience hung intent. almost
GREATNESS, on the scene enacted before
them. They had the feeling of being
not spectators, but participants in the
little drama. Perhaps they were. for
IT was the trial of Jim Shcehan.
Senator MurcheII was not listening
to the speech. He was intently regard
ing the set profile across the counsel
table and measuring the man be saw
there against the boyish. eager and
very Iikeable young man whom. al
most year before little boss and
a big had sought to press into their
service John Dunmeade had grown
One saw that in the already grave, al
most sad lines of bis face Work and
thought and responsibility and pur
pose-and something else of which the
senator had no inkling-had set their
stamp upon him
There had been no lack of accom-
plishment during the five months Of
Office holding To this truth eloquent
witnesses might have been called
Butch Maley and Red Bricker, al
ready serving terms in the peniten-
tiary: Slayton, a fugitive. bail forfeit
ed: Brown and Parsons, free only
pending appeal: and now Sheehan. his
fate hanging in the balance The ma
chine. Senator Murchell knew. would
be rebuilt better and stronger than
ever, but for the present 1t was sadly.
sadly out of gear.
He let his glance stray from John TO
the defendant Sheehan sat slouched
In his chair In an attitude that he
vainIy sought to render jaunty. conf
dent. His cheeks had fallen in slight
Iy. his eyelids were puffy and red rim
med. Els mouth hung fabbily. His
hands played neryously with piece of
paper.
Whittredge, the famous lawyer
brought from Steel City to defend Shee-
han. brought his brilliant peroration to
close. The audience relapsed into an
expectant silence, all eyes fixed on the
district attorney. For moment he
remained as he had sat throughout the
plea for the defense. motionless, lean
Ing little forward and staring fixedly
at the wall behind the judge, as though
he saw a vision.
The moment ended. He rose and
stood before the jury box, first ad
dressing the court He smiled gravely
at the jurors. 1t had taken whole
days session to select them, but he
knew them and that they were well
chosen Then the smile faded from
his lips and eyes, replaced by look to
which his neighbors were growing ac-
customed. He began TO speak.
Gentlemen of the jury, what l have
to do is not pleasant But there is a
thing called duty"
AS the first words fell Murchells in
terest leaped He knew that he was
seeing a man mount to climax in his
life. From the beginning the audience
was caught in the mans spell by some
thing that breathed through his voice
and that had been absent from Whit
tredge's perfervid periods. He had a
clear. flexible voice and knew how to
use 1t
The speech had been skillfuIIy plan
ned. At first be confined his argument
to the jury and the case at bar. Logic
ally he marshaled the evidence against
the defendant and analysed the de
Tense. Then when be felt that he had
brought intellectual conviction to all
he began to direct his words at the au-
dience not for the telepathic effect on
the jury. but because he believed YER
dict OF guilty would be worthless un-
less it aroused a common horror for
the crime,
Never afterward in a speech did John
reach quite the same heights as on the
afternoon when the bright blade of his
young Indignation cut into the con
sciences of his hearers The matter be
came deeply personal with them. Each
man suddenly felt himself aggrieved,
felt that shameful attempt had been
made to take advantage of his good
faith and trust And then. even while
they were condemning Sheehan. John
seemed to arraign them. He set them
to asking the question. What part have
In this crime? Such offenses are pos
sible only among people asleep.
They were both aggrieved and aggres
sors.
Senator MurcheIl sat to all outward
seeming impassive. He listened. as as
tonished as the rest. but with under
standing and-he was himself amazed
to mark it-sadly. For he read In the
ardent face and words passion for a
hopeless ideal So much power. he
thought, going to waste, For he
knew. better than did those who pos
sessed it, the power of moral passion
controlled-but always properly con-
trolledI Was there not some way TO
bind this force to his interest?
Bribery at the polls and Justification
of election returns, familiar weapons
of machine politics, so long used that
they had ceased to arouse horror and
revolt in the careless, calloused hearts
OF the people. were Johns text They
explained the continuance of the ma
chine in power. They she'd a bright