Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1936-06-19
The Goose
Woman
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1886
CONTINUED from page two)

ed; you can't permit his to be de-
stroyed."
II only told what l saw" Mrs.
Holmes declared, uncertainty. "]
swore to it and you know what it
means when you swear to a thing.
Why-they'd arrest me, for all
know"
"But there's a terrible mistake
somewhere" the girl earnestly as
serted. II can't explain the car
with one headlight-the car that
passed you after the shooting
and yet Jerry declares he left your
house an hour before the murder
and drove straight to town. He's
telling the truth: l know he is"
"They claim he laid in wait"
'But they couldn't prove it with
out you! It's your evidence that
contradicts him. You didn't ac-
tually recognize him-you said so!
And if it had been Jerry you'd
have known him. Of course you
would! You'd know your own boy
anywhere"
'I-was too far away"
Hazel protested breathlessly.
mo, no! Think! Oh, God, think
of something to show it wasn't
he! Some action, some gesture,
some popularity! Maybe there
were two headlights on that last
a and you were mistaken. It's
SO easy to be mistaken and just
that one point might ave him.
Think! If it were me T'd-think
of something. P'd-But they've
discredited me; there's nothing |
can do. Pm utterly helpless" She
broke down now and, hiding her
face in her hands, she sobbed
w%retchedly; the tears came through
her finger. There was a poignant
quality to her grief. She was very
young and very frail. Mrs. Holmes
realized that this tragedy had
bronken her like a butterfly. A
curse on men like Amos Ethridge!
Yes, and on men like Vogel!
After a while the mother said,
roughly: go away! Give me a
chance to think. Mind you, /
don't believe it's any use but"
Again she broke out in gusty vexa-
ton. "Oh, why does everything ]
do TURF out wrong? It's his fault
as much as mine. It's easy for you
to tell me to lie, to perjure my
self"
81 don't. l. merely say what
willing-to do"
"All right! ALI right! Go
along now. TIL let you know if l
can think Of anything, but Pm
sick. That's my luck. Sick!
That's how things go with me. L
I wish | were dead!"
That afternoon Vogel called at
the hotel in accordance with a
request from Mrs. Holmes, and
after she had beat about the bush
for a while she told him hating
ly that she wished to make a new
affidavit. There were certain
points in her first one that she
realized, upon careful thought,
needed explanation, modification.
Vogel listened until she had fin
ished, then he said:
"Ive been expecting this. Save
it for the trial"
"But-the trouble is Jerry's being
tried now, in the newspapers. The
verdict will be in before the jury
goes out"
Don't you believe he's guilty?"
The woman averted her eyes.
"There are some people who could
Mt commit a murder, and he's
one. There's nothing vicious
about him. He liked Mr.. Ethridge
and he knew nothing whatever
about the Woods affair.""
"Nothing vicious, Ell? Nothing
vicious about his mother, either, I
suppose?" Vogel grinned derisive-
ly. "Tell that to the reporter you
shot at"
Mrs. Holmes argued feebly until
he broke in: II understand you
perfectly, and your feelings do you
credit. But | am a servant of the
people and the law must be up
held. l sincerely regret that in
doing your duty you placed your
son in jeojardy, but it's not the
first time such a thing has hap
pened. Justice must be served and
murder will out. Truth is more
sacred even than a mothers love.
It's my task to discover the truth"
'fBut you haven't. I was
Mistaken the woman protested.
SI'm not going to let an innocent
suffer for my mistake"
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