The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-04-25
A Wrong
Decision
BY ARTHUR W. BREWSTER

man who never forgave an injury. IL
any one tried to get an unwarrapted
advantage OF him he would beat him.
X possible. and In any event would
never forgive him.. He lived In a sub
urban town alone except for the sery-
ants. received no company and never
went out socially. | went to see him
at least once week. often remaining
all night.
One morning. after having dined with
him the evening before and remained
all night. intending to take an early
train to the city, went into his room
70 bid him goodby and was shocked to
find him dead in his bed. He had been
stabbed to the heart. I was about to
call the servants when 1t occurred to
me Tint. being my uncle's ,-eir, I was
in position to be suspected Of his
murder. ttEl,f
Would 1t be better for me to be be-
fore the world the discoverer of my
uncle's having been killed or to leave
the house. pretending not to know any
thing about 1t? had been asked the
night before by maid II l would
have breakfast prepared for me and
had said that would breakfast In the
city.
II ! went ont. as was to be ex-
pected. the servants would discover
and announce the murder. gave bnt
few seconds to deliberate whether
should leave the house thus or an
nounce the murder. then decided on the
former course.
On my way to the city I was much
agitated and fearful that had decided
wrong. 1t turned out that I had
maid had arisen and was descending
from the story above when I was leav-
ing my uncle's room. She saw me and
later. when she went to awaken her
master and found him dead. remem-
bered having seen me leaving his
chamber. The result was that when
! was told of the tragedy and looked
surprised and shocked I was at once
arrested and brought to trial.
The explanation l have given here
was without any effect on the jury
My attorney only relied on 1t so far as
it could be corroborated by other evi.
dence. He introduced the statements
of those who knew my uncle and who
swore that he was man having many
enemies. During his long life several
persons had said to him. lyon shall
pay for this" or "I'll have your
hearts blood" or "Just you wait" My
defender took the ground that some
one of these persons had done the
deed. But my unwise action on dis
covering my uncle's/ dead body had
fixed his death irrevocably on me I'M
less the real murderer could be dis
covered.
was convicted. My lawyer resort.
ed to the usual methods to secure de-
lay, and my execution was put of
from time to time. Finally. all these
subterfuges having failed. day was
set for my death.
Books and newspapers were allowed
mo, but + could read only the latter
one day was trying to keep my mind
of my horror by reading morning
journal when l saw that a burglary
hrh been committed and the robber
tad been arrested with the plumber on
him.
lery and identified him as Peter Rit
terhof, with several aliases. He had
but recently left state prison. hav-
ing been sent there for robbery com
mitted FIVE years before.
Ritterhof! Where had heard that
name? Some Ritterhof had crossed
my path at some time. but ] could not
remember when. the circumstances or
the person. The memory does not nj
ways act instantly. There are cases
wherein it requires time. Presently !
recalled that the name was connected
with a scene In court Then the TACT
came to me that my uncle had once
sent a workman to the penitentiary
who had been engaged In bis house
and whom he accused Of purloining
certain valuables. Lastly. Ritterhoi
and this workman became Identical In
my mind
I sent for my attorney at once and
told him what have given here. MOI
wishing to excite in me a hope that
might be dashed. he went away. sim
ply saying that he would make thor
ough investigation. In time ne re
turned, saying that he had examined
the records and found that this Peter
Ritterhof had been ''sent mp" exactly
ten years and ten days before the Date
of the murder for stealing articles,
from my uncle's house.
So affected was by the announce
ment, which l considered tantamouht
to reprieve. that ! toppled over
When | came to myself again my at
torney impressed upon me the impor'
lance of fixing the murder upon this
man and told me be proposed to do 1t
by the process called third degree.
I had another temporary breakdown
when he came to my cell the next day
and announced that he had secured
the desired confession. 10 acquired
It by assuring Ritterh"f that he had
three witnesses ready Ia swear thar NJ
had said he would kill the man who
caused his Imprisonment and had evi'
dence of his having been seen leaving
-. ,,ncIa,s house during the night OF