The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1913-07-31

most Of them would be loyal.
The state ticket had ii narrow escape
from defeat that autumn only the
two great cities with their machines.
their frand and their snpinpneSs saved
it. Benton county went for the o.ro-
sition. not entirely. however, One
brand was saved from the burning.
although j certain fas.tion Of the party
was not greatly elated over Dun-
meade's victory.
A young man, pale stirred to the
depths by victory he had not !"
iieved possible. could not understand.
was at his window gazing worship
e;lliy up into the sky.
Il have found my place. My reo
pie. ! am willing to pay
1t was a VOW of conservation
The courtroom in the din=y old conrt
house Of New Chelsea was crowded
on 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 lie put Il deal of con
vincing passion into his words. In
New Chelsea oratory is still loved
The audience hung intent, almost
breath'eSs. on the scene enacted before
them. They had the feeling Of being
not spectators, but participants i'll the
little drama. Perhaps they were. for
II was the trial Of Jim Sheehan.
Senator Murrhel was not listening
to the speech. He was intently regard
ing the set profile across the counsel
table and measuring the man he saw
there against the boyiSh. eager and
very Ikea bic young man whum. al
most year before. d little boss and
q big had sought to press into their
service. John Dunmeade had grown
One saw that in the already grave. al
| most sad. lines Of his 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-
piishment 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 it was sadly,
sadly out of gear.
He let his glance stray from John tc
the defendant Sheehan sat slouched
in his chair in an attitude that he
vainly sought to render jaunty. conf
dent. His cheeks had fallen in slight
Iy. his eyelids were puffy and red rim
med His mouth hung flabbily. His
hands played nervously with piece OF
paper.
Whittredge, the famous lawyer
brought from Steel City to defend Shee
han. brought his brilliant peroration tt
close The audience relapsed into al
expectant silence, all eyes fixed on tht
district attorney. For Il moment hi
remained as he had sat throughout th'
plea for the defense. motionless. lean
ing Il little forward and staring tixedl!
ut the wall behind the judge. as thougl
he saw il vision.
The moment ended. He rose ant
stood before the jury box. first ad
dressing the court. He smiled gravel!
ut the jurors. 1t had taken who'll
days session to select them. but h
knew them and that they were wei
his lips and eyes. replaced by look t
which his neighbovs were growing &C
customed. He began to speak.
) "Gentlemen of the jury, what hav
to do is not pleasant But there is
thing called duty"
AS the first words fell Murchelrs in
terest leaped He knew that he wa
seeing 4 man mount to climax In hi
life From the beginning the audienc
was caught i'll the mans spell by some
thing that breathed through his voic
and that had been absent from Viii
treage's perfervid periods. He had
clear, flexible voice and knew how
use it.
The speech had been skillfully p!al
ned. At first he confined his argumer
to the jury and the case at bar. Losi
. ally he marshaled the evidence again:
the defendant and analyZed the d.
:. Tense Then when he felt that he ha
brought intellectual conviction to a
he began to direct his words at the al
dience not for the telepathic effect {
: the jury. but because he believed We
dict Of guilty would be worthless III
- less it aroused a common horror fl
the crime.
= Never afterward in speech did Jol
e :. reach quite the same heights as on Il
afternoon when the bright blade of b
young indignation cut into the co
sciences of his hearers. The matter y
- came deeply personal with them. Eat
'' man suddenly felt himself aggrieve
felt that a shameful attempt had bet
" made to take advantage of his go'
faith and trust And then. even viii
= they were condemning Sheehan. Jol
seemed to arraign them. He set the
to asking the question. What part ha
I in this crime? Such offenses are pt
;" sibIe only among a people aslee
x They were both aggrieved and agSr'
" sors.
- Senator Murchell sat to all outwa
y seeming impassive He listened. as
-. tonished as the rest, but with und'
- standing and-he was himself amaZ
III to mark it-sadly. For he read in
~ ardent face and words passion fol
c.