Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-05-06

the ndng-oOS look we all noteu
That there were other reasons-that
the place recalled another scene Of
brutality In which intention had been
followed by act. | did not then know.
II was sufficient to me tEsn that my
safety was secured by his own guilty
consciousness and the pre~yarications
into which II led him. Instead Of
owning up to the encounter he had so
barely. escaped he confined himself to
the simple declaration of having heard
voices somewhere near the bridge.
which to all who know the ravine ap-
peared impossible under the condi-
tons named.
Yet, for all the i%ncongruities and
the failure of his counsel to produce
any definite impression by the prison
er's persistent denial of having whit
tied the stick or even of having car
ried it into Dark Hollow, ! expected
a verdict in his favor. Indeed, | was
so confident of it that l suffered less
during the absence of the jury than
at any other time, and when they re-
turned, with an air of solemn decision
which proclaims unanimity of mind
and a ready verdict. | was so prepared
for his acquittal that for the first
time since the opening of the trial !
felt myself a being of flesh and blood,
with human sentiments and hopes.
And it was: Guilty.
When | awoke to a full realization
of what this entailed flor | must have
lost consciousness for a minute,
though no one seemed to notice., the
one fact staring me in the face was
that it would devolve upon me to pro
nounce his sentence; upon me, Archi.
bald Ostrander. an automaton no
longer, but a man realizing to the
full his part in this miscarriage OF
justice. Chaos confronted me. and in
contemplation of it, | fell i'll.
Somehow, strange as it may appear,
l had thought little of this possibility
previous to this moment. | found my
self upon the brink of this gull
before the dizziness of my escape from
the other had fully passed. Do you
wonder that | recoiled, sought to gain
time, put off delivering the sentence
from day to day? | had sinned-sinned
irredeemably-but there are depths Of
infamy beyond which a man cannot
go. l had reached that point.
What saved me? A new discovery
andN the loving sympathy of my sor
Oliver. One night--a momentous one
to me-he came to my room and. clos
ing the door behind him, stood with
his back to it, contemplating me in g
way that startled me.
What had happened? What lay be
hind this new and penetrating look
this anxious and yet persistent man
ner? | dared not think. | dared moi
yield to the terror which must follow
thought. Terror blanches the cheel
and my cheek must never blanch un
der anybody's scrutiny. Never, never
so long as | lived.
"Father'-the tone quieted me, for
knew from it's gentleness that he was
hesitating to speak more on his owl
account than on mine-"you are no
looking we'll; this thing worries you
| hate to see you like this. Is it jus
the loss of your old friend, or-or-
He faltered, not knowing how to pro
coed.
Sometimes l think" he recon
menced, that you don't feel quite sur
of this man Scoville's guilt. Is tina
so? Tell me, father?"
did not know what to make of him
There was nc shrinking from me; n
conscious or unconscious accusation
in voice or look, but there was a de
sire to know, and a certain latent re
solve behind it all that marked tn
line between obedient boyhood AM
thinking, determining man. With al
my dread-a dread SO great l felt thu
first grasp of age upon my heart
strings at that moment recognizes
no other course than to meet this in
quiry of his with the truth-that Is
with just so much of the truth as wa
needed. No more, not one jot more
I therefore answered, and with a shoV
of self-possession at which now wor
der:
you are not far from right, Olive
l have had moments of doubt. Th
evidence, as you must have noticed, !
purely circumstantial."
What evidence would satisfy you
What would you consider ~a'conclusiv
proof Of guilt?"
told him in the set phrases {
my profession.
Then" he declared as | finishe,
you may rest easy as to this man
. right to receive a sentence of death
| could not trust my ears.
, 81 know from personal observation
he proceeded, approaching me with
. firm step, that he is not only capabI
: Of the crime for which he has bee
. convicted, but that he has actual
committed one under similar circur
: stances, and possibly for the san
end"
! And he told me the story Of tn;
: night Of storm and bloodshed-a stol
! which will be found lying neal thi
. In my alcove of shame and contritio
. (TO BE CoNTINUED.)
=