Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1916-01-20


: torney, who asked him what he ha,
to say.
whats the use o. tellin' a story?
asked Fergus. Isn't my wife dead
l don't care If they hang me-"
You'd better make up a story" salt
the lawyer Tell me something tina
can hang a theory on
So Fergus told him his story. FL,
and his wife had lived happily togeth
err but for a brother of hers. who wa:
always applying to them for money
and threatening his brother-in-law Il
he didn't get it, One night this broth
err came for money. His sister defend
ed him against the anger of her hus
band Fergus. losing his patience, tolc
her that If she preferred her brother
to him he (Fcrgus) would go away
from her. Then he had left them and
gone to the home of an old friend who
lived alone some distance from the
MacGregor home. Fergus declared
that was all he knew of the tragedy.
but how do you account for the
murder of your wife? Surely her
brother would not have killed her."
II can't account for 1t any more than
you can"
"Her brother must be living. Can't
you suggest some way Of finding him
His testimony, If you are innocent.
would save you"
HE has never had any fixed abode
that l have heard of. | would not
know where or how to look for him.
Besides, If he were not implicated in
the murder he would show himself Of
his own accord"
HE might keep away to prevent his
being called on to testify against you"
mo fear of that; he had no love for
me-"
The lawyer pondered for awhile, then
said, 1.-The only defense I can make is
to prove an alibi, and that could be
done only by fraudulent means"
"Put me on the stand and I'll tell
my story"
Its doubtless the BEST" said the
lawyer, that can be made out of the
ever on jury"
The trial of Fergus MacGregor was
looked upon as mere formality, and
there was no doubt whatever that he
would be convicted. His lawyer made
the most out of his story, and proof
was furnished that his client had been
where he claimed to have been since
he had left his home. The fact that
the face of the body found in the
thicket could not be recognized was
dwelt upon by the prisoners counsel;
but, since the garment on the corpse
was one Of Mrs. MacGregor's dresses,
the hypothetical methods to show that
the body was not that of Mrs. Mac
Gregor fell fat Besides, there was
the strand of red hair that several
witnesses who knew the lady swore
was the exact shade of Mrs. MacGreg-
or's.
The Judge. the jury and the specta-
tors were bored by the counsels de-
Tense of MacGregor, the jury listening
to it perfunctorily and the others talk
ing together while it was being spok-
en-. When the lawyer sat down the
public prosecutor arose and said:
There seems, your honor, no occa-
sion for me to sum up this case at
length, and l will do so very briefly.
Sounds of a quarrel were heard in the
MacGregor home. The prisoner dis
oa@1o-o1 J1,,btIoro "a tyfnO thu 20 rniIU
valuables with him, though they have
not been found. His wife's body is
concealed in a thicket near the house,
identified by dress belonging to Mrs. |
MacGregor and by strands of hair
found in the house which she lost dur
ing a struggle for her life. Counsel
for the defense has claimed that the
case is one of circumstantial evidence. !
If 1t should not convict the prisoner,
then no circumstantial evidence should
convict any criminal"
The words were no sooner spoken |
than a woman came running into the
courtroom.
Fergus" she cried. ''they tell me
they're going TO hang We for kill
Ing met!
The live body of the murdered wom-
an pushed its way to the prisoner.
threw her arms around his neck and
patted him lovingly.
your honor cried counsel for the
lefense, ut has been stated that If
he circumstantial evidence in this
case should not convict the prisoner
hen no person should be convicted by
such testimony. Therefore it follows /
hat no person should be convicted on
evidence"
Every one present was dumfounded.
When the prisoner could filA his voice
ne asked his wife to tell where she had
been.
with Walter. I've been tryin' to
ret him out of scrape he got into in
Lunnon."
The mystery of the MacGregor case
remained a mystery for ten years.
Then a man was convicted of murder
n Australia who before he died on the
,allows made the following confess
lion: