Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-03-11


Blacks efforts. . charge like this is
found posted up in the public ways,
the ruin of the ostranders is deter
mined upon. and nothing we a do
can stop It"
In five minutes more she had said
good-by to Miss Weeks and was on
her way to the courthouse. As she
approached 1t she vas still further
alarmed by finding this square full of
people. standing in groups or walk
ing impatiently up and down with
their eyes fixed on the courthouse
doors Within, there vas the uneasy
hum, the anxious look, the subdued
movement which marks an universal
suspense, Announcement had been
made that the jury had reached their
verdict, and counsel were resuming
their places and the judge his seat
Those who had eyes only for the
latter-and these we're many-noticed
a change in him. He looked older by
years than when he delivered his
charge. Not the prisoner himself
gave greater evidence of the effect
which this hour of waiting had had
upon a heart whose covered griefs
were, consciously or unconsciously, re-
~vealing themselves to the public eye.
He did not wish this man sentenced.
This was shown by his charge-the
most one-sided one he had given in
all his career.
Silence, that awful precursor OF
doom, lay in all its weight upon every
ear and heart, as the clerk, advancing
with the cry, Order in the court" put
his momentous question:
Gentlemen of the jury, are you
ready with your verdict?"
A hush!-then, the clear voice OF
the foreman:
I'VE are"
| How do you find? Guilty OF not
, guilty?"
: Another hesitation. Did the fore
man feel the threat lurking in the air
= about him? If so, he failed to show
it in his tones as he uttered the words
? which released the prisoner:
? mot guilty"
A growl from the crowd, almost like
! that Of a beast stirring in its lair.
\ then a quick cessation of all hubbub
\ as every one turned to the Judge to
\ whose one-sided charge they attrib-
y uted this release.
y Deborah experienced in her quiet
Y corner no alienation of the fear which
y had brought her into this forbiddine
\ spot and held her breathless through
\ these formalities.
\ For the end was not yet. Through
\ all the turmoil of noisy departure ant
Y the drifting out into the square of {
vast, dissatisfied throng, she hat
caught the flash of a bit of paper Chow
Il introduced into this moving mass o
" people no one ever knew passing
Il from hand to hand, toward the soil
W tary figure of the judge, it's delay al
!, it reached the open space between tn
VI last low of seats and the judge
III bench and its final delivery by SOM
VI officious hand, who thrust it upon hi
N notice just as he was rising to leave
Deborah saw his finger tear it's wa,
/ through the envelope and his eyes fal
fr%owningly on the paper he drew gu,
Then the peoples counsel and tn
counsel for the defense and sue
\ clerks and hangers-on as still LINGERIE
M in the upper room experienced a d.
cided sensation.
NJ The Judge, who a moment befor
u had lowered above them all in me
ancholy but impressive dignity, shrun
. with one gasp into ~feebleness an
sank back stricken, if not uncol
TO- scious, into his chair.
Up 1t happened suddenly and Shove
her the same figure she had seen ono
ul before-a man with faculties su
i'd, pended, but not impaired, facing the
ed all with open gaze but absolutely dea
sc for the moment to his own conditic
I'm and to the world about.
But, horrible as this was, what 81
tie saw going on behind him was infinit
ior ly worse. A man had caught up Il
of bit of paper Judge ostrander had
fall from his hand and was openil
ZEN his lips to read it to the curious peop
surrounding him.
bo- She tried to stop him. She fore
sc. a cry to her lips which should ha
rung through the room, but viii
red died away on the air unheard. T
elf. terror which had paralyzed her lin
vas had choked her voice.
But her ears remained true. Low
ror he spoke, no trumpet-call could ha
made it's meaning clearer to Debor
lie. Scoville than did these words:
We know why you favor crimIna