Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-05-12

1t had taken Joshua three days to see
peemster Taubman, and when at length
ne was admitted to the big mans pres
ence he had found him in bed. with
MS shaggy head and unshaven face on
the pillow and his lower cxtremities
through the legs Of n cane -bottomed
chair which supported his bedclothes.
What? What's that?" he had
roared. "Sit at the General Gaol? i?
.iQ back to your master and tell him
m lying here in the tortures of the
ground
Stowell drew long breath. Fate
mad spoken its last word. 1t was now
certain that he must SIT on the case
Of Bessie Collister.
his spirits rose and he began to see
things more clearly. Had he not OK.
aggerated his own importance in this
anair! He had been thinking Of his
part In the forthcoming trial as IL the
issue OF Bessie's fate depended upon
him. But not so. 1t depended upon
the jury. Guilty or not guilty--hc had
nothing to do with that. Therefore, in
the deeper sense, Bessie would not be
tried by him at all. Why had he been
frightening himself?
Had n Judge, then. no power. no
voice. no influence? Thank God. yes
It was for the Judge to direct the
jury on questions Of law. to see that
they had a right understanding Of it
and that their verdict corresponded with
the evidence. What an important fnnc.
tion-7especially. in case like this
What q mercy old Taubman was unable
to sit. on it!
lie thought again Of Bessie's posi-
tion. Pitiful. most pitiful! But the
law was no Juggernaut. intended to
crush the life out Of n poor, unfortunate
girl. Mercifully administered il was
rather her sanctuary to which she might
fly for refuge. And it should be mer.
cifully administered.
Why not? Good heavens. why not ?
What wrong would it be to temper JUS
tice with mercy--even to strain the law
little in the prisoners favor? no
one but himself would know. And if
It were suspected that he was showing
favor to the prisoner. people would con-
slider him deserving of praise rather
than censure for trying to snatch a
young and helpless creature from the
clutches Of cruel Old statute.
Besides. was it not one of the higher
traditions of the bench that the Judge
was first counsel for the accused? Judges
had not always acted on that principle. |
Some OF them. in times past. had hunted |
their wretchcd prisoners gallowswnrd |
with gibes. Taubman was still like |
that. He thought sympathy with such |
women as Bessie Collister was senti. |
mental weakness. that to deal mercifully |
with them was to encourage them, and |
thereby do wrong to public morality.
God bless me. yes. ! know Taub-
man. he told himself.
Then he thought Of Cell. Whatever
Bessie might be, Cell was innocent,
and after the girl herself the greatest
sufferer. Should he suffer further from
IN unfounded suspicion? God forbid
It would be his duty as Judge to see
hat no clustering person in court bel.
owed accusations which, once out,
might stick to an innocent man for
the rest Of his natural life.
After that he thought Of himself. The
only risk he ran was from Bessie de-
'pair. IL Cell were falsely accused she
might break silence and tell the truth
lell, himself. Fenella. But no, that
should not be. The law was no thumb.
screw a law-court was no torture
chamber. 1t would be his duty as
!udge to protect the girl against any
'orm Of legal provocation.
Last of all, with a thrill Of the heart.
he thought Of Fenclla. She had drawn
him on. constrained and compelled him
% promise to sit on Bessie's case.
But she had only wished. out of the
greatness Of her pity. to see that tho
poor girl should have a just trial. She
should too! 1t would be his duty az
judge to see to that.
"Good Lord. yes. And what a
mercy the case is not coming before
raubman.
Thus in the scorching fire of his
he tried to stand erect in
the belief that he had sunk himself
In his high office--that he was about
to become the champion and first SER
'ant of justice. But we'll he knew In