Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-06
The Red Mouse
A Story of Love, Jealousy and Politics
By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE

or coloring and glow upon Mriams face,
but actually loathing himself for ever hav-
Ing admired the ugly lines which he now
saw on the sunlit face OF Lefty Love- and
his whole nature revolted against her.
IF only | had left her to Colonel liar-
graves" he muttered to himself; and i'm
mersed in similar bitter reflections, he lost
all but his counsels concluding words
- and all that l want. all that
ask Of you, gentlemen Of the jury, is that
you give us what we have not had so far
fair, equare deal"
Thorne sat down, satisfied that he had
made an impression At all events, he had
done the best he could--under the crcum-
stances. out Of his material he had hewn
the inevitable result-debauchery out. of
his debauchery he fashioned the conclusion
insanity; out OF a victim he had made
a murderer: out of murderer he had made
a hero whose irresponsible emotions cried
out to jury Of his peers for justice
even for retributon against the murdered
man. Base metal though II were, 1t seemed
pure gold to his listeners. Even the Jurors
drew long breaths and looked each other
questioningly in the eye; the crowd mur-
INJURED its sympathy; and Thorne, glancing
at the little coterle behind the prisoner,
was pleased to see that even in the eyes of
Shirley BloOdgood he had raised a new
| hope for Chaloner.
In the interim that followed Shirley and
| Miriam leaned over and shook hands with
| Thorne.
I'VE can't lose" whispered Miriam, and
| again there returned to her face that mis-
| terious expression of confidence which was
decidedly inexplicabe to her lawyer. And
| so 1t was that little while later he turned
| to Shirley and said
| Does she understand that we must lose?"
| Miss Bloodgood shook her head
| "Oh, no! No one can tell her that" And
bestowing upon him rare smile. she added
| And now. Mr.. Thorne, after what you
n NTn co t.ttx .
| Well pleased with her flattery, Thorne re-
turned the smile, but he warned her that
| when those twelve men got into the jury
room they would get down to facts. And 1t
so happened that the twelve men got down
to the facts before they even started for
| the Juryroom. for already the prosecutor had
pegun his speech and was stripping the case
OF everything save the truth
! rms, gentlemen" he now told the Jury
| quietly, rs not an unusual case; it's an
everyday story growing out of jealousy
ana hatred one bad man shot another bad
man-that's ALL"
AT this the temperature of the crowd
dropped from the fever heat of frensied
| sympathy down to the freezing point of
common sense Challoner stirred uneasilv |:
Shirley Bloodgood shivered; Miriam Chal
| lOner sat with the san,e p,acid Iool, -, -
| face. ' 'o'
Murgatroyd now left his Jury. walked to
the table where the prisoner sat and with
out taxing his eyes from the face of the ac-
cused' he continued
This man Challoner is a WILL
iui' deIiberate murderer! This Is not his
Ist olense-he began to murder years
| Al this point the prosecutor went back TO
the time when Challoner married n haa,,tt
tul young girl, emphasizing the fact that he
had married this mere slip of a girl for her
money. 'o'
Her money! And he has never earned n
dollar since" he tsld his listeners with
great scorn. And his life! What has he
niaue OF II! An! You men know the things
that are done in this city between midnight
and morning. and the uphill fight that 10
| pelng made to clean II of corruption and
vice Wen, this degenerate this profiigate
ala these things of the underworld ,Tbsv
appea'ed to him; he was no mere youth IN
be led astray!" ' "
Chailoner WINGED: not that he ouai,ed
petoIe 'ne menacing posture that the prose
cutor mad assumed, but because of a pu,Itv
| consciousness that the ACCUSING Iina -,
every word that they uttered The audience
snited uneasily in their seats. Shirley
bioougood held her breath as she placed n
protecting arm about Miriam, which Mira n,
sentiy snooK ofr' for what need had she for
| sympathy? -''
Murgatroyd returned to his place in frort
OF the jury rail and briefly reviewed the
| evidence. '"e
Then with great emotion in his vo,ca hs
| went on '''Se he
And what part. gentlemen. did tbe u.ifo
have In all this? His wife who sat thro,,ah
| the weary hours Of the night waiting Tor
the thing she loved, while herNbusbard NOT
only laVished his affections but her money
on others-his friends His friends Had
he friends? II so, where are they? No
long ago he turned his back on his real
friends they were in the light; he sought
| the darkness"
As the prosecutor went on with his mer-
ciless laying, Challoner grew hot and cold
| by turns.
Gentlemen, behold the result
OF riotous living y he declared, pointing his
finger at the prisoner. "The pace that
And so. In view of these facts. In view
OF the prisoners private history, ] tell Won
| that the defense here is absurd ridiculous,
| Gentlemen. on behalf Of the people, i'm the
name OF justice, / ask you to convict this
| man."
For an instant he stood eyeing the twelve
jurors. Then, raising his right hand SOL
emnly. he brought 1t down with full sudden
force upon the railing between himself and
them.
"And let me warn you. gentlemen of the
jury" he continued ominousy, that the
honor, the integrity of this metropolis hangs
In the balance. IL you acquit this defend
ant and set him free, the people of this
State, the people of the country, will say
henceforth that all that murderer need
have 10 secure an acquittal-his freedom
is money. money, money"
As the prosecutor seated himself there
was a gasp of relief from the people In the
courtroom. Broderick yentured inside OF
the rallied space set aside for counsel and
shook hands with Thorne.
ant
handled that trial like = veteran. You "a v
|yoQs duty and Yen did z
ssss 3easss -; .. |; 49, - 81 = =. .sEss;