The daily Alaskan., 1915-08-17

could be adduced, hoped that common | sense on the part of those by whom would be judged would save me. But
 the case went to trial nevertheless, It Is astonishing how In such cases
 so much may be made of so little Parker's wife before she married Par
 ker had been flame of mine, but he
 had known all about 1t, and We had
 often spoken of It during his wife's ] lifetime. The prosecuting attorney got hold of this intimacy and built up on 1t theory of motive for the murder,
 handling it so pauslbly that 1t had a
 marked effect not only on the jury, but
 on the spectators and those who fol lowed the trial in the newspapers.
 He pictured the volcano of jealousy that had smouldered in my breast till
 the opportunity came, when l could
 strike for revenge. So graphic, so pic
 turcsQue was his description of my
 condition that he almost convinced mo
 The pistol found under Parker'S pu-
 low should have confirmed my evi-
 deucc, for 1 was put on the stand in my own defense, but the prosecuting attorney claimed that 1 had placed 1t there for that express purpose. He ! even attempted to prove that the pis . tOl had belonged to me and brought
 forth a witness who swore that he had
 seen it in my possession, This was a cliucler on his theory and naturally turned many against me who had pre-
 viousiy believed in my innocence.
 However, it was impossible to convict
 me on such evidence. At the conclu' sion of the trial the judge virtually ] directed the jury to acquit me. Never l thc.css they wrangled over my case for two days, then reported that they could 1 not agree was finally discharged with
 the understanding that I would not ! again be tried, but in the eyes of the i public I was a condemned murderer.
 The object of my life now became
 the finding of Parker's murderer. But
 where should look for him? My cOun-
 scl had made inquiries that might lead i to any one who had q grudge against 1 Parker and had failed completely. But ! there was no reason why I should not 1 go on hunting l secured access to 1 parkCr's papers and spent hours in | careful examination of them. Not a
 word in them gave the slightest clew ] to any enemy. The police had ex- huustad the matter of evidence of any tracks the murderer might have left l rra@l hlm at Purkcr's house. He had ] uat even left footprint.
 ] : hired detectives to work with me 1 uUI directed them to watch every one
 who had been in any way connected with thc murdered man. These per
 sous were continually reporting clews which turned out not to be clews and
 which they invented for the purpose of remaining in my pay. If Parker had 1 ever had any difficulty with any one ] he had kept it to himself. That he ! feared some one was evident from his ! having called upon me to remain one
 night at his house and that he had told me there was a story connected with his having done so.
 ] Meanwhile l lived a life of horror. ] X few of my nearest friends stood by me, but I knew that there were times ! when some of them shrank from being l seen in my company. l could see that l I was being pointed out as Thompson | the murderer What means l possess 1 ed were gradually shrinking away un- | der the expense attending my search auI the fact that had given up every other occupation. l became despond- | ent as to ever clearing myself and was thinking of hiding my identity in
 foreign land when fate did for me what l could not do for myself. A clew i was revealed to me.
 One morning the newspapers an- nouncel that Judge NOrehOuSe had l killed a burglar in self defense in his | own house. The evening papers stated ] that the man killed was not q burglar, 1 but one who had sought the life of the judge through revenge. Years before, 1 M0rchousc giving q jury instructions l on which they were obliged to convict . q criminal accused of dedication, had l sentenced him to a term of ten years ! in the pcui,cutiary. The term had eX- 1 piryd few months before, and the criminal had been since looking for an ! opportunity to carry out a threat he had
 made to kill tue judge whom he con
 silorcd in part the cause of his con 1 victiou.
 The next development edged closely
 upon my case. It was that the criminal
 had been financial manager of the firm
 in which Parker was a partner. At this point I saw vindicatiOn for me. Piung- ing into an investigation, l unearthed |, the fact that Parker had discovered the Y dedication. did not learn that he had ' taken any especial part in securing the conviction of the defaulter but l sur
 missed that there might have been some | thing calling in Parker having run him r down and exposed him.