Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-13
PERSONS OF THE STORY

&c mas TO sit in judgment on q tef.
OT sinner. lie is high principled
and Hkabie. though in q moment oj
mutual passion he has. to great late,
illicit relations rith
0ESSiE COLLiSTER--A hundsomt
ont iHiterate peasant girl. She has d
child 'chich is accidentdliy smothcred
on the night of its birth. She is
arrested for murdsring her babe.
Bessie really lorcs
ALiCk GELL-Agrccabie Jut some
trhdt lccak. cho pcrsYddCS Bessie 10
q betroh herself to him despite The
SPEAhER GELL 80 The rich and
tyrannical head of the Manr Pariia
FENELLA STANLEY - A great
hearted and 6cautitM girl mith ad-
cdnccd ideas on WOnen'S rights Who
IS in lorc tcih Victor and he rith
her. She is the duughtcr of
GENERAL STiNLEl-GOrcrnor Of
/ the ISIe of Man.
DAN BALDRONWi 4 brutal
tarmer. StcPto'h'r Of Bessie, and
iohich he thinks GCR is responsible.
as icrcr to Gdrdncc his o,cn fortune.
tbHitIU'NI StlfUi' llfl' tdUl'
L the sound of hustle outside, with the
pattcr of feet on the pavement below,
and then shud'ing of steps on the
stairs. The prisoners were coming up,
but the police had difficulty in clearing
passage for them. The vOiC" Of the
Jailer. Tommy Nondy. was heard TO
cry, Make way" There was q period
of waiting. At one moment the people
In court caught the sound from the
staircase Of scarcely briCvahlc thing
the laugh of woman? Who could
she be?
At length tho prisoners were brought
in. pushed through the throng that stood
thick at the back, and hurried into the
dock. which was ike a long pew behind
the circular seats Of the advocates and
directly in front Of the bench.
There were seven of them. a sorry
company. two women and five men.
with nothing in common save tn" pallid.
come of the dank air they had been
living in
There was another moment of silence.
1t was time for the DccmSter TO take
the pleas. but again he did not speak
Immediately. He had the look of man
who was struggling against physical
weakness. The blood rushed to his pale
face and as quickly disappeared. He's
not fit for it today" people whispered.
But at the next moment. in a low
voice, and with tho appearance of one
who was making IN effort to command
his strength. the Deemstcr was reading
the indictments.
He took the prisoners in the order in
which they stood before him, beginning
with the one on the extreme left. Hc
was very young man. almost n hoy.
with face that might have been that
name was Quiggin; he had been Il bank
clerk and was charged with embezzIe. &.
ment. He pleaded guilty and looked
down as II ne expected the earth I"
"pga g uiupi MS les'' f.. ,,a,.
syed woman with red checks and many
hcavv onld rinps on her stuhhv fingers
Her name was Kopeen. and she was
charged with robbing drunken sailors in
n house she had kept in an alley off the
south quay. In torrent OF words she
denied everything and accused the police
Of Matchmaking her.
The last was Bessie Coi!ister and tn"
Deemster paused preceptibly whcn h"
came to her.
She hAd carried herself straight when
she entered the court ana was now
sitting wlth her hegd thrown DacE. But
sseihs tilae vi an tIr pr'sote.s nt sue Mos
.ne one VI Nno.l fI tnI W nv sp
.a''rs W. nv, u"H
up nea ni.n h',t ho. a.. n. mmlI" WY = ~, m"S
- dp,''r ,.or " har TOGO 0boarr;r a't ,h;.
y. ~" r,s. ,,onn,t ond th;nLi,a - .
a Tue i'ts ,hn o nno,ator,S " s'sT siIoncs " b .be
Sanou soiJ ~ an milne vbiSnnr.' I'll"
sp,,+ IN yonr faIl Hcssin
Ut W. ''"' 4,'''
she ana So olscloS'ng her MIN Wh'te
race ana larst es'S' H, Anu Inen IN a
voice so low ,n"L IL WouiH n"ne Der,
..;J.
..,,,,-,, c s.od
E''haoe'n '''.ee"' e''''" 'P'
BESSIE rose WiahouI 'tho"I,Asslnen M n.a,,
end nSeu h'r earN on h 'N' i''c''S'e' l.
ana theh ne c""fseu n'''
1T is charged against you tnat on or
about the fifth day OF April IN the par!Sh
OF Ballough, IN the Isle of Man fe-
Iohlouss Mti'Iul!' anu ~ ~ aou' 'ui, MI :.
aioretnousht, gu ~ ..n Man a,., ','u 80 tbo
= certain niu!e r.iiiu, 'otiI' h a. ~ 'i -
Iorlh vi ine S'a.u'' i,. ~ sui .bo go l -,
anu p' pioN w. ""u ~, 80" - c.or.,,
oul 81, nv U.s., "'o ,,o''
anu u'sn'tS, II1,.g1 IiTW Jay ''D' "'' ~"
sunt' vi io' s"'''
Without hesitation or hating. looking
straight into the eyes OF the Judge ana
speaking in voice so clear that 1t re-
sounded through the silent courthouse
Bessie answered,
Not guilty.
Her tone nnd bearing hai gore