Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1914-07-03

were not convicted of murder in this
unitarian court of mine, but of an
other sin. For fifteen months you
have been living under the shadow of
crime you did not commit. | was
reserving complete punishment for
you in the shape of an ignoble mar
riage, which was to have served two
bitter ends. Well, l had the truth
from you. believe you to be abso-
lutely innocent of the charge | held
over you, for which l condemned you
without a hearing. Then, why should
| not employ my own means of max
ing restitution"
You have condescended to believe
in me. That is all I ask"
True, that is all you ask. But is
it altogether the fair way out Of It?
To illustrate: our criminal laws are
less kind to the innocent than to the
guilty. Our law courts find a man
guilty and he is sent to prison. Later
on, he is found to be in1Socent-abso-
lutely innocent. What does the state
do in the premises? 1t issues a formal
pardon-a mockery, pure and simple
| and the man is set free. 1t all comes
to curt, belated apology for an error
on the part of justice. No substantial
recompense is offered. He is merely
pardoned for something he didn't do.
The state, which has wronged him,
condescends to pardon him Think of
| it! 1t is the same as if man knocked
another down and then said, before he
! removed his foot from the victims
neck: I pardon you freely My IA
Their was opposed to the system we
have-that' all countries have--of par
doning men who have been unjustly
condemned. The innocent victim is
| pardoned in the same manner as the
guilty one who comes in for clemency.
| accept my fathers contention that
an innocent man should not be shamed
and Inundated by pardon. The
court which tried him should reopen
the case and honorably acquit him of
the crime. Then the state should pay
to this innocent man, dollar for dol
lar, all that he might have earned dur
Ing his term Of imprisonment, with an
additional amount for the suffering he
has endured. Not long ago in an ad-
joining state man, who had served
seventeen years of life sentence for
murder, was found to be wholly limo.
cent. What happened? A pardon was
handed to him and he walked out of
prison, broken in spirit, health and
purse. His small fortune had been
wiped out in the futile effort to prove
his innocence. He gave up seventeen
years of his life and then was par
doned for the sacrifice. He should
have been paid for every day spent in
prison, That was the very least they
could have done"
II see now what you mean" unused
Hetty. 81 have never thought of il
in that way before"
well, it comes to this in our case
Hetty: l have tried you all over agar
in my own little court and have &C
quilted you of the charge had against
you. | do not offer you silly pardon
You must allow me to have my way
in this matter, to chsose my owl
means of compensating you for"
you saved my life" protested Het
ty, shaking her head obstinately.
my dear, l appreciate the fact tina
you are English" said Sara, with {
weary smile, but won't you please SEE
the point?"
Then Hetty smiled too, and the wa!
was easier after that for Sara. Sht
gained her quiXotic point, and Hett,
went away from Southlook feeling tina
no woman in all the world was SO be
wildering as Sara Wrandall,
When she sailed for England, twt
days later, the newspapers announce
that the beautiful and attractive Mis-
Castleton was returning to her nativ
land on account of the death of Lor
Murgatroyd, and would spend the yea
on the continent where probably sh
would be joined later on by Mrs. Wrar
dali, whose period of mourning an
distress had been softened by the cor
slant and loyal friendship of this el
quisite Englishwoman."
Four hundred miles out at sea sh
was overtaken by wireless message
from three persons.
, Brandon Booths message said:
!, am sailing tomorrow on faster shi
than yours. You will find me waitin
for you on the landing stage" He
, heart gave a leap to dizzy heights, ant
=, try as she would, she could not crus
it back to the depths in which it ha
, dwelt for days.
+ The second bit Of pale green pape
contained cry from most unexpec
ed source: Gable your London az
y dress. S. refuses to give it to me.
! think I understand the situation. w
? want tc make amends for what 20
q have had to put up with during tn
year. She has shown her true natur
, at last" 1t was signed Leslie"
From Sara came these crypt
: words For each year of famine ther
will come seven years of plenty"
All The way across the Atlantic sh
+, lived in state Of subdued excitemen
, Conflicting emotions absorbed he
q waking hours but her dreams were a
8 of one complexion: rosy and war;