Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-06-18

one chamber discharged in the drawer
of my dresser. I myself had seen
them find it. While German still held
that there was possibility that they
themselves had put it there, 1 knew
that neither of them had been near
the dresser after 1 had admitted them
to my rooms. The only person whom
I had the slightest ground for sus-
pecting was Claire Bradford, yet what
motive could she have had?
Wick undoubtedly would testify
that he had met me at the door of the
Lutan apartment directly after he had
heard the shot. He might say that /
appeared to be greatly excited. This
would be the exact truth. There was
even the possibility that he might
swear that he had found me coming
out of Miss Lutan's apartment. Even
if he did not make the statement di-
rect, shrewd questioning on the part
of the district attorney could easily
make it appear that 1 had just left
the Lutan apartment. How could we
possibly controvert his testimony?
Then, in addition, there were the
damaging statements that would be
offered by Nellie Kelly. She would
swear that the evening before I had
taken her out to dinner and had been
questioning her about the other ten
ants in the house. Even though we
knew that she was a tool Of Wick and
was the wife of Lefty Moore, the bur-
glar, unless German was able to dis
cover that she herself had a criminal
record, it seemed utterly hopeless to
attempt to confute her statements.
1t would also initiate. against me
that at the time of the murder I was
out of job and almost without funds.
They were likely, too, to bring out the
fact that I had been discreditably
discharged from the only position !
had held in New York. The only man
who knew anything about the matter,
Mr.. Wood, the head of the firm, had
been suddenly called to France in con-
r nection with an order for munitions.
and was not expected to return for
: several months. The fact would
weigh against me, too, that would
be unable to offer the testimony of
any character witnesses. Birge and
, Roller, my classmates with whom had
roomed ever since had come to New
). York, were somewhere in France
II with the American troops and could
not possibly aid me.
- All of this was pointed out to me
. by John McGregor. young attorney
!, whom German had employed for me
:. While German and had, think, sue
: ceeded in convincing him of my limo
r cence, the fact that he was continu
- ally citing the difficulties in the wa!
of our proving it made me realizt
that he was very dubious as to th'
! outcome.
), The trouble was that we were abso
lutely without witnesses. Old Rufu
!. Gaston's whereabouts still remained
;. mystery. If we could discover hin
:. - gin time, we could at least explain sat
= isfactorily my presence in the Grand
fA deck and could establish that I wa
not the homeless, penniless vagran
Hi they would try to prove me. TIL
l longer old Rufus remained in hiding
hI the stronger became my suspicio
Il that he might be in some way involve
in the plot. His action in keeping hi
III address a secret from me seemed
IlI1 have been with deliberate intent.
HUI After some discussion German an
I had agreed not to mention either c
VI the Bradford girls.
M eff one word about either of the1
IN
LA "they'll be in for it. The papers wi
M jump to it and print their picture
W and all that. We'd better leave the
Nj out of it."
81 With this I heartily concurred.
81 was determined that Barbara Bra
IN ford must be in no way involve
N come what may. I knew that she he
M self would be apt to be restraine
- from attempting to communicate wit
me by the fact that her sisters ma
rage was set for the day after t
morrow. Her loyalty to her fami
.s was such that she would not risk sea
J, dal by trying to aid me, at least n
until her sister was married and Il
ne future for Claire and her mother a
~ sured.
rA Two small rays of sunshine ligh
ened the gloom of my cell-the ia
that the newspaper mention of Il
" tragedy seemed thus far to have e
lat capped my mothers notice and Il
fact that Barbara still believed in n
'er innocence and trusted me absolutel
en- A day or two after my arrest Gormt
IN had managed to see her and had to
Tor her that it was my wish that s.
1t keep entirely quiet her knowledge
we the affair and that she should ma
on no attempt whatever to communiea
with me while I was in prison.
I've had brought back with him a hast
ow penciled note which often in my c
I read and re-read:
OF ''Dear Mr.. Nelson:
see ''Tm so sorry to hear of your trc
BILE and the absurd charges agar
-. : you. I'll do whatever you wish,
~ course. 1 trust you absolutely.
r. 4 anything 1 can tell will aid you at a
time, 1 am ready to speak-cost WI
it may. 1 know you are innocent a
rod must soon be freed. Hoping to S
Vos you,
49, "With all confidence
49, 'B. B.
i'm. Each time I read anew the pencil
ust lines, my heart rejoiced. Come wi
,at- may, 1 felt sure that Barbara's he
f a was mine. 1 joyed to know that CO
live out of prison to her though 1 mig
lys- she would be glad to see me. Joyf
he ly would have gone to the elect
ing chair rather than have her fair ma
Bar In the least smirched by scandal
ard trying to defend me. She alone col
,ag- prove an alibi for me, but no {
was must ever know it.
and What would a scandal-loving wo
s a say if the fact became public t
she had been alone with me in
ster apartment near midnight? If only
the sacrifice of her good name co
I go free, then let me stay in my C
Let me even go to the electric ch;