The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-03-15

/ terry.
! "Any one who was present at the for
mer trial, will remember that when the
| case was nearly concluded, in fact, just
before the jury retired, there was
scarcely person in court who was not
convinced that the case was as clear as
any could be, and that the conscience of
the jurymen would not be troubled in
any way by pronouncing a verdict of
|. Guilty But an hour or two afterward
all were agreed that they might with
just as easy mind pronounce verdict
of Not Guilty Might not the same
thing happen today
Il am not so fortunate, it is true, as
my colleague, who was the counsel for
the defence on the first occasion. | have
not, at any rate, succeeded in producing
evidence which would compel the prose-
cution to drop the case,--but | have at
least succeeded in showing that if the
public prosecutor is correct in his state
ments, then my client must be super
natural being"
The counsel concluded with a passion
ate appeal TO the jury on behalf of his
client, and sat down.
"The jury consulted for three hours"
continued Monk, and when they at last
returned into court, their answer to the
question of Guilty or not guilty" was:
mol Not Guilty"
A sigh of relief escaped simultaneous
ly from Clara and myself, and Monk
locked up with strange melancholy
smile.
Eyes, ! understand. | felt just as you
now feel when the verdict was made
known. The first impression was one
of infinite JOY and relief but it was not
TO last long. The verdict was received
by the public with deep silence; and
when Sigrid was liberated, and about to
leave the court, she was received with
hooting and kissing by the large crowd
which in an incredibly short time had
collected outside. Stones were thrown
after her carriage, and it was with the
greatest difficulty that the police got her
safely away"
"How terriblel" said Clara. How
could any one have the heart to torture
the poor girl any further Did they be-
lieve then that she was guilty?
Guilty." exclaimed Monk, with an
other melancholy smile. Il don't believe
there were ten people in Christiania the
next day who were not convinced that
Sigrid Frick had stolen her uncle's dia-
mond, and that there were dark pages
in her life which were the cause of her
being in need of money Then, besides
this, she was looked upon as the cause
of Evelina's suicide
The next day the papers contained
accounts of what had happened the day
before in the court, and the trial was
the general topic of conversation No
one seemed to doubt that Miss Prick
was guilty. The suicide of Evelina had
especially tended to inhame the minds of
the public. Most people were convinced
that the cause of the suicide was, as I
have already mentioned, the treatment
TO which she had been exposed while
being accused of crime of which she
was innocent.
In one paper appeared furious lead
er with the heading: rs there one law
for the rich, and another for the poor?"
1t dwelt at some length upon, the posi-
ton of the poor young girl in the SER
vice of the rich young lady How the
rich lady had stolen the diamond in or
der to use the money for-wel, / will
not repeat the words bow the poor
girl was arrested by the police, driven
out of her wits, and eventually to sui
eide. How the police, who apparently
seemed to be on friendly footing with
the rich lady, tried to screen her guilt,
and how riches had eventually succeed
ed in getting the wealthy criminal ac-
quilted
The result of this article was that
large mob proceeded next day to tricks
villa, in the belief that Sigrid was still
there, and broke all the windows, boot
ing and Kissing all the time
Old Prick naturally became furious,
and, armed with his revolver and his
sabre, he single-handed attacked the
mob which surrounded the house
He was no doubt under the impress
sion that he was followed by force
consisting of the coachman and the gar
dener; but these cautious warriors did
not fcEow him further than the gate,
Fortunately, old Prick had forgotten
to load his revolver, so no great mis-
chief was done He was at once sur
rounded and forced up against his rail-
ings He managed, however, to use his
sword, if not with dexterity,. at least
with such fury that it took some time
before any one ventured to come near
him.
He had succeeded in wounding sew
eral half-tipsy roughs, who attempted to
'close with him, when finally an ingeni-
Gus young cattle driver caught up a gar
den seat and rushed al him, using this
as shield. Old Frick's sword got
jammed in the seat; he was disarmed,
and struck on the head with an empty
bottle, and thrown to the ground Some
mounted police at last appeared on the
scene, charged the crowd, and saved the
old man, after which the mob dispersed