The Dolores star. [volume] (Dolores, Montezuma County, Colo.) 1901-current, 1913-07-11
TheCross0n
the Moon
~ JOHN n. wARNAQ

The sovernor sat In the library 81
HE beautiful new home. Biz head
bowed In deep thought. while through
his great heart surgsd conflicting emo
lions like warning waves In time 81
storm. He had just been Visited By
the mother Of Jim Turner. the man
WHO 81 . o'clock that evening was 70
DO hanged for the murder Of his
father. The governor had remained
apparently calm during the Interview.
but the woman's visit had shaken his
nerves. had made him question the
Justice Of the Law and caused him To
doubt his own judgment
Governor" the woman bad said,
~ jim Turner dies tonight. the soul
Of On innocent man will whisper into
the ear Of God the story Of . legalissd
murder. My son was accused Of TAX
Ing the life Of hts gentle father. my
husband. He has been tried before
the courts Of this state, and has been
pronounced guilty by . Jury Of twelve
ignorant mountaineers: but the svi-
dence produced against him 10 almost
entirely circumstantial. and before God
swear that my noble boy ID innocent.
would gladly give my own life to be
able 20 absolutely prove his innocence
and to take the unearned stain from
the name OF Turner in this state"
He was called the psrdoning gov.
ernor. and his political enemies had
made the most OF the fact that already
during his brief tenure Of once he had
robbed the gallows Of four men who.
under the law. had been condemned to
death. A pardoning governor. yes; .
merciful man, surely; . leader whose
heart was ~ great ~ his mind--but
was he allowing his brain and his
heart to be ruled by . moral weak
ness! Was he going to pardon this
man who had been sentenced by the
Judge to be hanged by the neck until
he was dead. for the murder Of one
Of the bestowed citizens Of the state
He had only thirty minutes In which
to decide.
He reviewed all the evidence In the
case. Turner and his father we're last
seen together strolling through the
woods. during the early autumn. The
son came homo alone. and an hour af.
tsrward his fathers body was found.
half.coversd by leaves. A bullet had
pierced his heart. causing instant
death. The young man. Jim Turner.
had returned homo with . rife which
he and bis father had taken with them
into the woods. On the day previous
to the murder. II murder It was. the
young man had threatened to leave
bis home on account Of . misundsr-
standing which had arisen between
him and his father. That was all, but
was Il not snoughf What further svi.
dsncs was necessary to prove young
Turner'S guilt! And yet. why dd be
not leave the rifle by the side Of his
fathers body In order that the coro.
ner's jury might return possible yer.
dict Of suicide? On the other hand.
how could Il have been suicide. when
no weapon was found BY the dead
man! Who else could have committed
the crime. II not his son! The elder
Turner had not had an enemy In tbs
country. He was . generous man
and one OF the mildest and most for
bearing. Could some one have shot
him accidentally This could not be-
for the shot had been accurate. Sure
" II was premeditated. The bullet
had entered the heart. passing entire
~ through that organ. and the cloth
Ing over tho wound was powder.
burned. therefore the shooting must
have been At close range. Yet this
young man had been seen and spoken
to when he and bis father had entered
the woodland he had returned with
the rife! And Turner was no fool
This was the pushing part Of the a.
fair. Surely. or ut least possibly
there WAS another explanation. n n
could be found. However. the courts
had given the accused man the benefit
Of every plausible doubt. and still b
had been found guilty.
Suddenly the governor lifted biz
head and looked out through the win
dow screen At the early rising moon
Did bis eyes deceive himf What Wa
this he SAW Across the great orb. q
tending above and below Il. shons {
brilliant cross. the emblem Of Cal
vary. the sign Of the death Of one who
had pardonsd bis cruciners.
The governor was not supsrstitious
Again and again he looked In won