Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-10-14

SWnaS sne eatu rang tFuos
tinued, "and tell him to post 1t at
once" ...
Glider brought forth a box Of cigars
from a drawer of. the desk, opened 1t
and thrust 1t toward the waiting law
yer, who. however, shook his head In
refusal and continued to move about
the room rather restlessly.
Three years-three years! That
ought to be a warning to the rest Of
the girls" Glider looked toward DEM
arrest for acquiescence.
Most unusual case, in my estima-
tion," Demarest replied. "You see, the
girl keeps on declaring her innocence.
That, of course, is common enough In
way. But here it's different. The
point is somehow she makes her pro-
testations more convincing than they
usually do. They ring true, as 1t
seems to me-"
"The stolen goods were found in her
locker" Glider declared in a tone Of
hnality. Some Of them, 1 have been
given to understand, were actually in
the pocket of her coat.
WELL" the attorney said, with
smile, that sort of thing makes good
enough circumstantial evidence, and
without circumstantial evidence there
would be few convictions for crime.
Yet as a lawyer I'm free to admit that
circumstantial evidence alone Is never
quite safe as proof of guilt. Natural
ly she says some one else must have
put the stolen goods there. That Is
quite within the measure Of possibil-
ity. That sort Of thing has been done
countless times" .H q
"And for what reason? It's toe alb
surd to think about ... ss@....,...s
IN similar cases." the lawyer an
swered, those actually guilty of the
thefts have thus sought to throw sus-
picion on the innocent in order to
avoid 1t on themselves when the pur-
suit got too hot on their trail. Some
times, too, such evidence has been
manufactured merely to satisfy a spite
against the one unjustly accused"
"a court of justice has decreed her
guilty" ...... ...... .. ...
Nowadays" Demarest shot out,
I'VE don't call them courts Of justice;
we call them courts Of law" .
Anyway" Glider declared, becom-
ing genial again, 'it's out of our
hands. There's nothing we can do
now." ...;.' ... -
why, as to that" the lawyer re-
piled, with hint Of hesitation, Il am
not so sure. You see, the fact OF the
matter is that though I helped to
prosecute the case, I am not a little
bit proud Of the verdict. am not sure
that Mary Turner is guilty-far from
it, in fact! Anyhow, the girl wants to
see you, and I wish to urge you TO
grant her an interview"
Whats the use?" Glider stormed.
Il can't have her crying all over the
office and begging for mercy" he pro-
tested truculently. But note of fear
lay under the petulance.
Demarest's answer was given with
assurance.
| "You are mistaken about that. The
girl doesn't beg for mercy. In fact
that's the whole point Of the matter.
She demands justice-strange as that
may seem in a court Of law-and
nothing else. The truth Is, she's q
very unusual girl, a long way beyond
the ordinary salesgirl, both in brains
and in education"
| 1.-The less reason, then, for her be-
ing a thief" Glider grumbled in his
heaviest voice.
"And perhaps the less reason for be-
lieving her to be a thief" the lawyer
retorted suavely He paused for
moment, then went on. There was a
tone Of sincere determination in his
voice. Just before the judge imposed
sentence he asked her If she had any
thing to say. You know, it's just a
usual form-a thing that rarely means
much of anything. But this case was
different, let me tell you. She sur
prised us all by answering at once
that she had. It's really a pity, Gid
er, that you didn't wait. Why, that
poor girl made a fine speech!"
Pooh, pooh!" came the querulous
objection. "She seems to have hyp-
Noticed you" Then, as new thought
came to the magnate. he spoke with
a trace of anxiety. There were al
ways the reporters looking for space
to fill with foolish vaporings.
'"Did she say anything against me
or the store?"
gravely. "She merely told us how her
father died when she was sixteen
years old. She was compelled after
that to earn her own living. Then she
told how she had worked for you for
five years steadily without there ever
being a single thing against her. She
said, too, that she had never seen the
| things found in her locker. And she
asked the judge If he himself under
stood what it means for a girl to be
sentenced to prison for something she
hadn't done. Somehow, Glider, the
way she talked had it's effect on every
body in the courtroom. I know! It's
my business to understand things like
that. And what she said rang true
What she said and the way she said
it take brains and courage. The ordi-
nary crook has neither. So 1 had q
suspicion that she might be speaking
the truth" There was a little pause.