The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1913-04-12

NDluS ttilt -
whom ! did not know, jostling
at my shoulder as ! went in. confided
TO mi hat what she wanted was Ito
hear Dingley tear the defense to
pieces" ] wondered II the. only people
in the room who didn't want to hear
that were myself and the Spanish wo-
man. But ii was Mr.. Jackson who got
up first.
He began with a sort of Grafton, all
about the Montgomery family and
what a fine family they had been, how
much they had done for the city!
Then he talked about Johnny. and he
drew n very beautiful picture of him.
speaking of his great promise and fine
character and then Of the blow which
was being struck at his brilliant career,
and it was somehow awful to have to
listen to it. for, even supposing 1t were
true, this seemed scarcely the time for
saying it. I could see Johnny's face
getting more and more set looking and
grim. as if he hated listening to the
words that were pouring over his
head.
Then, in some way | couldn't follow,
Mr.. Jackson got from that to talking
about courts and evidence and corrobo-
rating testimony, and. though for
awhile l couldn't make out what he
was driving at, presently il began to
appear to me that he was trying to
prove that all the witnesses on the
states behalf had been lying. He was
wonderfully clever in his way of max
ing the testimony seem improbable.
He pulled even mine TO pieces. point
ing out the reveolver's not being where
/ said ii had fallen. He declared there
was Il plot against the prisoner. that
the gunsmith who had testified about
the buying of the pistol had been brib-
ed to do so, and he appealed to the feel
ings of humanity and justice in the jury.
He spoke beautifully. And yet it
was strange. l thought, that with every
thing he said he did not bring forward.
or even try to bring forward. one single
direct proof to show that Johnny Mont
gomery WAS innocent.
! was in Il very confused state of
mind indeed when Mr.. DinGley got to
his feet. Though | had never heard
him speak in n court. | had read in
the newspapers that he was o u
golden tongued orator" and father
had been used to say that 'Dingley
was IL w%hirlwind." But now when he
rose and turned toward the jury box
and began his voice sounded stiff and
cold. rs if he brought it nj with Il
great effort. He didn't shake his fin
ger at the jury. as Mr.. jackson had
done, nor fling out his hands o lift
his arms in the air and bring them
down us if he were bringing the world
down on ones head. He simply stood
there and in Il matter of fact, even
voice gathered up the evidence of the
different witnesses as d would
beads in the hand and strung them to-
gether. and | saw Il long chain of evil
dence winding around Johnny Mont
gomery. AS lie went on measuring it
out for the first time | understood
how heavily my testimony counted.
1t seemed to do away with the whole
defense. In spite of Mr.. Dingley the
ease seemed 20 be proving itself, and
as he went on he warmed to the very
sound of his own argument. His
voice began to ring out more, and |
lost sight and memory of everything
that Mr.. Jackson had said.
All heads were craning toward him
talking ut the men in the jury box as
if they were the only people in the
world. The Spanish woman was lean
ing forward. her elbow On her knee.
her head dropped. her hand hiding the
lower part of her face. but looking
out from under her eyebrows like a
picture | had once seen of Il prophet
ess. | felt that we were being wound
up every moment more and more
tense. and when Mr.. Dingley stopped
he left us at the highest pitch posi-
BILE for human beings to bear. When
he sat down again he gave Il quick
glance behind and around him. and
as for a moment it fingered ON the
Spanish woman | thought it seemed Il
little defiant.
With the closing of the door upon
the jury the aspect of things behind
the ratings changed. the judge getting
up. walking restlessly back and forth
in front of his platform for Il minute.
then going back to his writing. the
clerk of the court keeping on with his.
and most of the lawyers going out.
Mr.. Dingley passed us with just n bend
of the head. and father glanced after
him and made a little sound in his
throat. Il sort of mcditative him" of
surprise. But the crowd kept very
quiet. As the minutes passed the room
grew more and more still.
SWELL il may he five minutes. and ii
may be all night" | heard Mr.. Fergu-
son saying to father. THAT pistol dis
appearing is going to give him a
chance" Father answered. That was
a guilty mans defense. just the same"
Rut I caama1 IN have foruOffan fharp