Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-11-11
CHAPTER XIV.
A Phopheey Comes True.

stared unseeingly at the blank wall OF
my cell. I couldn't sleep; felt that
never wanted to sleep again.
Torturing me every instant came the
thoughts Of Alice and her father.
was afraid-afraid that Mike Garven
would somehow learn the thing had
taken such care to keep from him. For
they were the only ones who could tell
him where the money was; even
though they had no idea Of its where
ahouts.
In the morning they took me to
Cranston; gaunt, hollow-eyed scare
crow, whose eyes saw nothing, but
stared-stared into space.
There was not a word from Jami-
one thing. His encouraging words Of
the night before were a mockery.
/ didn't want the life of horror they
promised. longed for the swift,
merciful death of the electric chair.
The inquest was held in the barn
like town hall. 1t was crowded with
curious townspeorle as they pushed
me to seat at the end of the long
table inside the rail.
I could feel the curious glances-
heard the excited buzz of talk my en-
trance aroused-but I paid no atten-
tion. Jamison was whispering to the
coroner, who I recognized by the scar
OH his chin as the man my fist had
hit that night on the path in the
bushes.
My lawyer came and sat beside me,
and took one of my manacled hands
in his and told me to buck up. Ho
unwrapped bundle that had been
or the other end of the table and took
from it a brown raincoat and
SLOUGH hat.
ITO make the Identification easy"
he said grimly. l looked up at that,
then dropped my eyes. 1t might as
well be over quickly.
Came to my ears another excited
buzz Of talk, and man pushed his
way through the crowd to take seat
at the other end of the long table.
l glanced up mechanically, and-it
was Mike Garven!
He consented to come gladly"
whispered Jamison, and there was a
note of triumphant Joy in his voice.
He never wants anything to come up
in the future regarding his inno-
cence."
I nodded DULY. 1t was Just like him.
He would sit there, and his devilish
blank eyes would show no sign Of feel
ing as was held for the murder he
had put at my door.
He would go back to his Wall Street
office and continue his work Of rob
bing innocent people. met the gray
eyes as they stared into mine unwink-
ingly, then turned away.
Jamison had said as Slivers 'Ha-
gen had said: the boiler would blow
up some day. Vain, foolish hope. The
lawyer did not know! The dead Sliv-
ers O'Hagen had not known! Mike
Garven could not be stirred.
The coroner-or Judge, as everyone
seemed to call him-put his jurors in
the box, and did not even see their
faces. They were only part of the
blur. I heard several witnesses tell
Of the discovery of the murder:
heard the city lawyer who was stay.
ing at Cranston for the summer tell
OF the ash.tray, and his care that no
one should touch 1t and destroy the
prints. But the words were only part
of the nightmare.
The coroner halted the questioning
| for a minute, and / saw Jamison rise
and hurry to the rear of the hall. The
buzz of talk rose again, and the coro
per made no attempt to still it.
The whole thing seemed more like
a family gathering than formal in
quest, and several times had noticed
the witnesses calling the presiding Of
fetal by his first name.
Jamison came back, and looked uI
as he placed chairs at the end of the
table beside Mike Garven. The new
comers were Alice, her father, and the
banker! They had been found!
looked up eagerly now. JamisoI
had seen her and had given my mes
sage. She looked at me, and I smiled
wanly. Her hard eyes never softened
She knew did not have her father
money and still refused to believ'
that ! was not murderer!
That was the last straw. I buriet
my face in my hands and became oh
livious to everything. My closed eye
saw nothing; my ears heard nothing
Jamison's hand on my elbow jerke'
me awake.
PUT ON that raincoat and hat" h
ordered.
Like an automaton I obeyed. II
had found her. My prayer had bee
answered, and she, knowing, col
demned me again.
"F.ace the Witness" ordered Jam
son again. If he had spoken befor
during the inquest had no idea of i
/ turned to the black-bearded ma