Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-03-11
"Iudge ostrandar has from the first

Judge Ostrander has from the first
expressed a strong desire that some
associate judge should be called upon
to preside over the trial of John SEQ
vile for the murder of AIgernon Eth
eridge. But Judge Saunders sudden
illness and Judge Dole's departure for
Europe have put an end to these
hopes. Judge Ostrander will take his
seat On the bench as usual next Mon
day. Fortunately for the accused. his
well-known judicial mind will prevent
any unfair treatment Of the defense"
''The prosecution, in the able hands
Of District Attorney Foss, made all its
points this morning. Unless the de-
tense has some very strong plea in the
background the verdict seems fore
doomed. 4 logged look has replaced
the callous and Indifferent sheer on
the prisoners face, and sympathy, If
sympathy there is, is centered entire
y upon the wife, the able, agreeable
and bitterly Inundated Iandlady Of
Claymore tavern. She it is who has
attracted the most attention during
this trial, little as she seems to court
it."
We omit further particulars which
followed to save repetition; but they
were carefully conned by Deborah
Scoville. Also the following.
'The defense is in line with the
statement already given out. The
prisoner acknowledges taking the
watch, but from motives quite opposed
to those of thievery. Unfortunately
he can produce no witnesses to sub
stantiate his declaration that he had
heard voices in the direction Of the
bridge while he was wandering the
woods in search OF his lost child. No
evidence of any other presence there
is promised or likely to be produced.
It was thought that when his wife was
called to the stand she might have
something to say helpful to his case.
She had been the one to ultimately
find and lead home the child, and,
silent as she had been up to this time,
it has been thought possible that she
might swear to having heard these
voices also.
But her testimony was very disap-
pointing. She had seen nobody but
the child, whom she had found playing
with stones in the old ruin. Though
by a close calculation of time she
could not have been far from Dark
Hollow at the instant of the crime,
yet neither on direct or cross examina-
ton could anything more be elected
from her than what has been men
toned above. Nevertheless, we feel
obliged to state that, irreproachable
as her conduct was on the stand, the
impression she made was, on the
whole, whether Intentionally or unin-
tentionally, unfavorable to her hus-
band.
Some anxiety was felt during the
morning session that an adjournment
would have to be called, owing to
some slight signs of indisposition on
the part of the presiding judge. But
he rallied very speedily, and the pro-
ceedings continued without Interrupt
ton
"Ah!"
The exclamation escaped the lips
of Deborah ScoviIle as she laid this
clipping aside. 81 remember his ap-
pearance well. He had the ghost of
one of those attacks, the full force of
which I was witness to this morn
ing. I am sure of this now, though
nobody thought of it then I happened
to glance his way as I left the stand,
and he was certainly for one minute
without consciousness of himself or
his surroundings. But it passed SO
quickly it drew little attention; not
so the attack of today. What mis-
fortune rests upon this man. viii
they let him continue on the bench
when his full condition is known?"
These were her thoughts, as she re-
called that day and compared it with
the present.
There were other slips, which she
read. The fate of the prisoner was
in the hands of the jury. The posi-
biIity suggested by the defense made
no appeal to men who had the unfor-
tunate prisoner under their eye at
every stage Of the proceedings. The
shifty eye, the hangdog look, out
weighed the plea of his counsel and
the call for strict impartiality from
the bench. He was adjudged guilty of
murder in the first degree, and SEN
tence called for.
This was the end; and as she read
these words the horror which over
whelmed her was infinitely greater
than when she heard them uttered,
in that fatal courtroom. For then she
regarded him as guilty and deserving
his fate, and now she knew him to be
innocent.
When her eyelids finally obeyed the
dictates of her will the first glimmer-
ing rays Of dawn were beginning to
scatter the gloom of her darkened
chamber!