The Washington herald., 1914-09-20
tCopyright, lsll.l
tOopyright. lsA.l
THE governor of the State sat at
i his desk and held his poor head,

ground OF greenish tint; for the COVER
nor was, as it were, staving OF a BILL
ious attack with one hand and guiding
the ship with the other.
II had been a hard day. for the gov
ernor, a day that had strained his ceie-
brated smile to the breaking point. Out
side in the lobbies the great hive was
buzzing, buzting, talk, talk-that cease
less afiatus of ideas, arguments, bum
comb, patriotism, statistics, palaVer.
which the small politician breathes and
lives upon.
The governor was about to open a
campaign for reelection, and commit
tees with all sorts of strange requests,
taking advantage of the situation, had
surrounded him like wolves around the
desert campfire, confusing him with
their hungry yawping.
The governor wiped the crystal beads
from his three-Story brow and envied
the ancient mariner. His secretary, a
hard task-master, entered hurriedly.
"A committee from the Adulteration
League has been waiting since noon
to
rs that man Dogberry with 'em?"
asked the chief, attempting to rear
range his public smile.
Certainly. He's chairman The
secretary's manner was memorable.
"Phew! He shutters and insists on
long speeches" murmured the afflicted
man.
He holds the Twenty-eighth in the
hollow of his hand" replied the secre-
tary.
Who else:" inquired the governor,
pointing toward the ante-room.
Hiram Lewis, the Blarney County
leader; two editors and eight reporters;
a delegation from the Pessimists' Club,
and-let me see" The secretary con-
suited his pad. "Oh, yes. There's a
lawyer named Higgins with a petition
to commute sentence on the convict,
DinIel, under sentence for that Ansen
Jail delivery murder last spring.
Isn't he hanged yet?" inquired the
executive, absentmindedly.
Hes due for the twenty-third-it's
now the twenty-frst. The case has
been before you for several weeks"
ITO be sure" sighed the governor.
"Send the man in and tell him to be
brief"
A tall young man with white eye
lashes and complexion Of such tender
blondness that when he blushed--which
he often did-the rosy color of his skin
showed plainly through his faxen hair,
entered and began at once to talk in
the silvery, mechanical voice of an
agent selling a set of Macauley's works
on the easy i1stallment plan. This was
Mr.. Higgins, attorney for Dinkel. He
began to analyze the law profoundly,
assuming his favorite jury-winning at
titude The governor raised a fat, re-
straining hand.
You can't impress me with legal
phraseology," said the great man. Give
me the human side of the case-I don't
want to spend the rest of the afternoon
listening to 'sforesaids.' Dinkle, as /
have it, was one of three convicts who,
in breaking out of the Ansen prison
last April resisted the guards. and in
the fracas two prisoners and one guard
were killed. Dinkel, the surviving man,
was condemned to die. That's the case,
is it not?"
Yes, sir. But l have here twelve
pages OF afhdavits swearing to my
clients good character and denying his
actual participation in the murder. If
you have time, should like to read
them TO you"
DON'T" moaned the governor, hold
ing his throbbing temples. DO you
want to talk me to DEATH"
Under the peculiar circumstances,
my client wishes me to make plea of
clemency in his behalf"
What peculiar circumstances?
asked the governor, gazing into the
SlOTIny court NlluOuly "AClC q OOHIPy
statue of Nathan Hale dripped for
lornly.
Here's the mans deposition, ex-
planned the attorney, laying long,
folded manuscript on the desk ITS
his story. told in his own words. II
you'll allow me to suggest it, the pc
tition must be acted upon at once, as
Dinkers execution is set for Friday
morning"
I'll look it over, Mr.. Higgins" said
the executive, motioning the young man
to the ante-room. As Higgins with
drew, the governor adjusted his eve
glasses and read:
My name is Rienzi D. Dinkel (the D. .
stands for Demosthenes) and nv faith
sr gained his early education as
barker" or 'ballyhoo man." emploved
by the Job at county fairs. Later In
life he took up the more disnihed
trade of life insurance solicitor, II
vas then the period of tontine poiicie,