Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1922-02-10
sKINNY's DIFFICULTIES.
From an Exchange }

Z
rather who did not kill him. for tn,
interest of "The Hermit of Turkey
Hollow" by Arthur Train (Macmil-
LAM, lies in the effort of a lawye.
10 prove the innocence of a penfI,.
nait-witted man who is suspected OF
the murder. e-'sN "
In the neighborhood of the smau
town of Pottsyille was shack ter,
ated by a man of whom little was
known and about whom, in conse-
quence, much was surmised. He yas
supposed to be possest of myste,
ious wealth, he was known to drink
ne was generally shade woozy g.
tne upper story, and no one co,,,r
remember when he had not liveJ ~
the shanty in Turkey Hollow. n e,n ~
iciently comfortable place Of obona
winch contained one .inconpr',o','
clock. ''"e' Ola tail
Skinny the Tramp is foo,.
minded youth with fondness, for ~.
open road. He is the recipient a,a,.'
year OF two hundred dollars. etbe in;
come OF a trust fund created bv hi.
inothers will and twice a yenr tb;s
wanderer turns up in PottesyilIe tn
receive his isemi-annual DIVIDEND
from the hand of Squire Mason bis
mothers executor. Hezekiah Mason
is an unpleasant type of COUNT.
lawyer, avar:cious, dishonest and ca.
tremely unpopular. His efforts +.
become member of The Sacred
Cameis of King Mcnelik. the seIecr
secret society to which all desirable
Fottesyhle males belong, having
peen unsuccessful, he devotes him.
self to the task of getting even with
ehe community. In pursuit of this
.ongenial job he finds himself in n
Dosition to get stranglehold on one
d the leading county politicians if
ne can produce five thousand dol
RS. Inc opportunity is too good to
'se and he appropridtes the trust
ana belonging to James Hawkins.
thefwisS known as Skinny th1
ramp. Unfortunately the man de-
lauits whose mortgage he holds anu
back Skinny, and when the latter
appears to collect his income Mason
is obliged to borrow the money from
a local tradesman.
Things ARE in this state. when on.
lay a man named Emerson, who
as cutting brush in Turkey Hollow.
ears shetland n cry for help. am,
ushlng to the shanty finds the her
/ ut lying on his back on the floor,
lie blood gushing from his mouth,
piece of gold in his hand, ami
| roken clay pot beside him. In ii
loment he has breathed his last
I'd Emerson dashes from the hui.
arches the woods in the immedia,.
! entity, but in vain, and then makes
| i speed for PottesvilIc. ].
Just before hearing the shot EN-
rson had seen Skinny cruising
bout among the bushes and nov
aspects him of having had a hand
| the killing. He rushes into TIN,
=. wn shouting "murdcr" and Squire
ason hearing his story, at once, al
bic prosecutor, orders the arres.
Skinny, who has just passed by.
lie Is overtaken, and things look
ack for him, for there is mud OF.
boots, blood on his hand and gold
his pocket. Some instinct warn,
I'M to say nothing and no amount
questioning can elicit anything
rom him, so he is locked up, to
wait the acton of the Grand Jur,
The case comes to the notice of
Mr. Ephiaim Tut, lawyer of
Fhom VIC have heard before, and he
undertakes the defense of Skinny,
whose innocence he feels sure.
Whether he can convince the jury is
mother matter. After much uues-
,loning the case stands thus: Tn.
Tramp was seen in Turkey Hollo ~
ust before crime was committed. =
footprint rear the hermit's door cor
esponds with Skinny's shoes. Colo
ieces are found upon him similar
% the one claspd in the dead mans
land. AS an offset to this is set tn.
indy nature of the prisoner ana
he fact that Emerson swears that
t was four o'clock by the hermit's
.imepiecc when lie foundthe body,
nd it was almost precisely at that
our that Skinny had been seen II,
ne baibcrs shop in Pottesville, thus
owing an alibi.
1t has entered Squire Mason :,
cad that if Skinny were out of the
ay he could absorb the tramp.s an.
lual income without any one beins
he wiser and this adds to his te,
or as prosecutor. Mr.. Tut is q keen
eader of faces ard he soon per
lives the Squire's anxiety to fasteu
he murder OH the prisoner. He alsu
scos something else, to his great
d.sm ay. a glance at some photo
graphs Of the scene. taken couple
of hours after the murder, shows
that the hermit's clock had stopped
at four. If Skirny's albi is to u.
established other evidence must be
Forthcoming. Tut doesn't know
whether the Squire has noticed the
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