The Clio messenger., 1919-03-27
CHAPTER XIII.
The Bolt Falls.


Three times that winter I had seen
Benjamin Grimshaw followed by the
Silent Woman clothed in rags and
pointing with her finger.
The trial of Amos came on. He had
had "bloOd on his feet" as they used
to say, all the wa- from Lickitysplit
to Lewis county in his flight, having
attacked and slightly wounded two
men with bowie knife who had tried
to detain him at Rainy Lake. He had
also shot at an officer in the vicinity
OF Lowville, where his arrest was ef-
fected. He had been identified by all
these men, and so his character as
desperate man had been established.
This In connection with the scar Cn his
face and the tracks, which the boots
OF Amos fitted, and the broken gun
stock convinced the jury of his guilt.
l remember well the look Of the
venerable Judge Cady as he pro-
rounced the sentence of death upon
Amos Grimshaw. A ray of sunlight
slanting through a window in the late
afternoon fell upon his gracious coun-
teLance, shining also, with the softer
light of his spirit. Slowly, sOlemnly,
kindly, he spoke the words of doom.
1t was his way of saying them that
first made me feel the dignity and
majesty of the law. The kind and ia
therly tone of his voice put me in
mind of that supremest court which
is above all question and which was
swiftly to enter judgment in this mat
ter and in others related to it.
Slowly the crowd moved out Of the
courtroom. Benjamin Grimshaw rose
and calmly whispered to his lawyer.
He had not spoken to his son or
seemed to notice him since the trial
had begun, nor did he now. Many had
shed tears that day, but not he. Mr..
Grimshaw never showed but one emo
tion-that of anger. He was angry
now. His face was hard and stern. He
muttered as he walked out of the
courtroom, his cane briskly beating the
floor.
The Silent Woman-as ragged as
ever-was waiting on the steps. Out
went her bony finger as he came down.
He turned and struck at her with his
cane and shouted in shrill voice that
rang out like trumpet In his frenzy:
"Go way from me. Take her away,
somebody. can't stan it. She's KILN
me. Take her away. Take her away.
Take her away"
His face turned purple and then
white. He reeled and fell headlOng,
like a tree severed from its roots. and
lay. still on the hard, stone pavement.
1t seemed as If snow were falling on
his FACET grew so white. The Silent
Woman stood as still as he, pointing
nj. him with her finger, her look un-
changed. People came running toward
us. ! lifted the head Of Mr.. Grimshaw
and laid 1t on my knee. 1t felt like the
head of the stranger in Rattleroad.
Old Kate bent over and looked at the
eyelids of the man which fluttered
family and were still.
"Deadw she muttered.
Then. as IL her work were finished.
she turned and made her way through
the crowd and walked slowly down
the street. Men stood aside to let her
pass, as IL they felt the power of her
spirit and feared the touch Of her gar
ments.
Two or three men had run to the
house Of the nearest doctor. The crowd
thickened. As / sat looking down at
the dead face In my lap, lawyer who
had come out of the courtroom pressed
near me and bent over and looked at
the set eyes of Benjamin Grimshaw
and said:
"she fioored him at last. I knew she