Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-02-17

6A1OT guilty, your Honor ~
Such was the unexpected
verdict in, 10 Portugaiss
murder trial at Montreal. This result
/ was due to the remarkable pleading
Of Charley Steele, popularity called
Beauty Steele" a brilliant, handsome
young lawyer. addicted to strong drink.
His success in this case also won for
him the hand Of the beautiful Kathleen
| Vantage, whom he admired, although
he did not love her, any more than
she loved him.
After the trial 10 tried to thank
Charley: Get out of my sight" he re-
Piled, "yOu are as guilty as He'll" Five
years later found him still more bril-
liant and more a slave to the bottle
He had corrupted Kathleen's brother
Billy, and demorallzed the popular
preacher, the Rev. John Brown. Billy
forged Charley's name and squandered
$4,000 of trust money but Charley
resolved to save him from ruin. He
went that night to the Cote DoriOn"
tavern where he drank heavily, quar-
relied recklessiy with some rough-driv-
ers and was kicked senseless and flung
into the river.
Just at that moment 10 POrtugals,
on a raft opposite the tavern, heard
the scuffle and the splash, jumped into
the water and rescued the insensible
man, whom he'recognized as his form
err deliverer. Taking him to his hut on
Vadrome Mountain, near. Chaudiere
Parish, he nursed him seven months
till he was restored to health, but with
his memory completely gone. After
the cures brother, NJ. Loisel, a skilled
surgeon, operated on him his memory
returned. He did not know 10, but his
eye Glanced to fall on a newspaper
which told Of his ownt death, of the
marriage of his wife to former adj
mirer, and accused him Of having EN-
bezzled the trust money.
What was he to do? He could not
go back even to clear himself. He de
cided to remain unknown, as Charles
Mullard, in Chaud;ere. The village
postmistresS, Resale Evanturel,
charming girl of fine family and con-
vent education, made his acquaintance
by bringing up to him a parcel-pOst
package from the surgeon. Charley be-
came apprentice to the elderly crotch
ETY. tailor, Louis Trudel and went
to live with him. Louis was suspicious
Of him because he was an infidel, and
determined 10 show him a sign from
Heaven so as to convert him. He
stole from the church-dOor the little
iron cross blessed by the Pope, and |
late one night after Charley had gone
to bed, heated it red-hot, and rushing |
upstairs, dropped it on Charley's bare
chest. ROsalie from the postoffice
opposite noticed light under the
tailor'S door at that unusual hour and |
suspecting something wrong saw
through the shelters what the man
was doing. She hastened through the
kitchen and upstairs but too late to
stay the taiIor's hand. He turned and
fell heAdlong and died soon after, call
Ing Charley "a black infdel from
He'll"
Rosalie took the cross to the post
office and afterwards restored II to the
church door. Chnudlere believed that
the taflor's death was due to4he infidel
and was ready to mob him, but the
cure took his part and urged the peo-
pie to pray that he might be brought
INTO the fold.
Charley lived on in the taiIor's house
and continued his business giving
most OF hls.earnings to the poor ana \