Montgomery County sentinel., 1931-04-17
Order of Docket
Was Observed
BY CHARLES 5. REID
TO- 1854, Mcclure Newspaper syndicateh

(WNU Service.D
UTORACE MELDRUM busted him
self with tracing out visunlly
network of cobwebs against the high
ceiling Of the courtroom, while he
drummed on his table with a lead pen
Gil. There was much for him to think
about, and apparently the network OF
lcobwebs with its intricate meshes and
tracings, offered sort of background
against which to project the Irritating
figures of his fancy. Being young
lawyer in the midst of an aggregation
old old and highly sophisticated attor-
neys, who were wise to all Of the
tricks of the profession. had Its dill
culties. Only three years old In the
practice of law, he nevertheless had
encountered q number of serious stu
atlons; but nothing had been quite so
serious as the final aspects Of his most
important case, that Of Mrs. Sadie
Lawrence, charged with the murder
of her husband, and convicted of the
crime. Meldrum had spent many days
and many hours Of his nights at work
upon the structure Of self-defensc
which he felt sure would convince the
jury of the innocence of his client of
murderous intent. He had not been
averse, however, to using the factor
of his clients rare beauty In the care
fully wrought structure which he had
builded
The prosecuting attorney had shown
old thot
cused had had lover with whom sha
had been more than duly intimate;
and that her husband, the murdered
man, had carried considerable
amount OF life Insurance In her favor.
It had been sort of repetition of the
old. old story, according to the prosecut-
ing attorney--a fond and mercenary
lover and q husband very much In tho
way, with very tempting price on his
head. On the other hand Medium
had shown that the husband In reality
was brute of unqualified vlciousness
who was In the habit of abusing his
wife on every occasion, and who In all
justice had merited the punishment he
had received The jury had brought
in verdict of murder in the first de-
gree, and without recommendation
for mercy. Medrum's client had
swooned; and Medium himself had
stood in speechess horror. The
words Of the sentence stIll rang In
his ears:
death by electrOcutiOn."
Meldrum's thoughts could not dwell
upon the scene without that frlghtful
sentence racketing through his brains.
He promptly had moved for a new
trial. and had come upon the strong
wall of technicaIlties with which the
bar of justice Is hedged about He
had set out upon frenzled search for
new evidence, and with each step In
acquiring the necessary facts, renew
ing his hard fight for q hearing The
rebuffs and delays which had beat him
back like rampageous tidal waves had
settled into a verltabls nightmare of
tempestuous activities. Weeks had
passed and still he had not been heard,
when on this morning he sat In the
courtroom waiting as usual while sur
veying the cobwebbed ceiling with his
eyes, for his turn on the docket which
had strange habit Of becoming upset
and readjusted according to olrcum-
stances Of whose manipulation he new
er had yet learned the secret. Ills ef-
forts with the governor for an exten
sion Of time or stay OF execution had
been as frultless as had been his ur.
gent appeals to the court for hear.
Ing. The court had been uncOnsclOna-
bly, curt and severe. A number Of times
he had been incOnslderately squelched
by the maJestlcally gowned Judge,
When he had offered explanations Of
the urgency OF his case, he had been
cut of with word and assured that
he would be heard In his own good
time, that the order Of the docket
must be observed.
so. this morning Meldrum sat wait
Ing. There was a Dallor on his face.
lie had devoted his time almost excu-
slvely to the Lawrence case, no other
considerable interest finding place In
the daily routine Of his pursuits; and
the strain had told heavily upon his
nervous system.
Meanwhile his client, the pretty Mrs
Sadie Lawrence, quite way under
thirty years Of age, had languished In
cell waiting the day OF her execu
ton amid all OF the horrors which
might come OF such a contemplation
witt the uncertainty of reprleve before
her For the past two days Meldruin
had not visited her. He could no;
have borne the sight Of those appeal.
ing eyes Barely thirty days Of life
had been given her IN the sen
tence Of the court and these days
had been vanishing with narrowing
rapidlty, Meldrum shuddered as hls
thoughts ran backward through the
events OF those few days.
At last the call Of "Meldrum" arose
clearly above the other sounds Of the
room
Meldrum's pencil came TO rest and
his gnze came away from the cobwebs
against the ceiling, II was unbelev.
able that he was to be heard at last.
But the fncts were clear lie had
been called forward. Ile nrOse and
answered to bis name.
"The Case OF Lawrence, Convicted
Of Murder" sounded the court. "The
court Is ready for the hearing fur
ther dinned the august voice.
Meldrum's hands dropped TO the
back Of convenient chair una
strange smile passed his clanimy lips
II am here" he began in sepulchrnl
tones, "to inform the Most High court
that my client. Mrs Sadie fnwrcnfq,
wN- executed au hog lgc."
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