Year: 1878

One raw morning in March the janitor OF
the court house OF B. entered the judges
private room for the purpose Of making a
fire ard was frightened almost out OF his
wits at finding the honorable dignitary lying
motionless on the ground


The janitor was about to retreat and raise
the alarm by ringing the court house bell,
when he bethoueht himself that the Judge
might have but fit, and that he could rem
der him the needed assistance. Therefore
he hastened forward and tried to lift the
PROSTATE man, who lay on the floor with one
hand partially hidden in his bosom. while
the other, lying near his head held his PEN
holder, the gold pen Of which had its nib
broken. But the judge was large man,
given over to some extent to obesity, and
the ianitor a c2daverous fellow. who had
been denominated Bones by the attaches
of the court house, he found his attempt
useless, and soon gave il up as futile.


The stare IN the judges eyes and the
CHASTITY hue OF the skin told the janitor that
life had departed, and moment after this
discovery the court house bell was spreading
wondernent throughout the town.


At this time an unusually interesting
court was ia session at B, presided over
BY Judge Blakely. A large number of GRIM
inal cases had been disposed of, and but few
remained which were of more than passing
importance. The session just drawing 10 u
close had attracted many people from the
rural districts, and the several hotels were
nightly taxed TO their utmost capacity. At
torneys from distance were in attendance,
and many friends OF the prisoners still re-
mained in town.


Therefore the wild ring of the court house
bell fully three hours before the opening of
court, startled everybody who heard il.
There was catastrophe in lis unwonted tones,
and, while Jabez Throck, the janitor, still
held the rope, he heard the patter of a null
nd Of N ho corridor hQlnU
Releasing the rope he planted himself at the
top of the stairs and forbade the crowd surg
ing up, saying that the judge was dead, and
that the coroner was needed.


The report of the judges death now spread
like wildfire, and the court house was speed
lily surrounded by the most excited crowd
ever seen in B..


After some delay, caused in great mea-
sure by the extraordinary excitement, the
coroner, slow but precise man, announced
himself ready for business, and, accompanied
by the sheriff several surgeons and the jani-
tor. proceeded to the Judges room, the door
of which was locked behind them in order to
keep Intermediates out


Judge Biakely was found in the manner
in which the janitor had left him, and the
examination was begun.


The surgeons, who had come to the con-
clusiOn beforehand that apoplexy had taken
the Judge off. were forced to abandon such
ideas, for q brief examination told them that
an assassin had been there. A crushed skull
over the left ear and four dagger stabs IN the
region OF the heart were the proofs OF the
murder. Lying in It's accustomed place by
the coal stove was seen one of the insJru-
ments OF death-a short, iron poker TO
which adhered both hair and blood But the
dagger was missing.


The assassin, whoever he was, had first
struck the Judge from behind with the poker
-. /. =
desk as the position of the chair and body
Indicated, and then dealt the blow with the
dagger.


In bearing off the sharp instrument of
death il was at first believed that the MUIR
derer had left no clew behind, but after the
surgical examination discovery was made
that startled every one.


Lying upon the desk, and almost entirely
concealed beneath mass of legal documents
was piece of legal cap, upon which was
traced. in a spasmOdic hand, these words:


sJason Bowers did thisi''


Below this brief but startling sentence.
which seemed at once to nix the identity Of
the assassin, was what appeared to be an at
tempt of the writer TO atfix a signature, but
after 'J'' the pen made a long mark,
which the behclders could follow across the
desk to the very walnut edging.


Ii seemed that death had suddenly stricken
the writer in the act of signing his name,
and the broken pen in the judges ifeless
hand pointed almost positively to the writer.


There was such a man as Jason Bowers.
He was not a resident of B; for some
time past he had been an inmate of the
county jail-held there on charge of for
gerry. On the day prior to the night OF the
judges murder this man Bowers had been
acquitted by the jury selected to try him
and at the moment Of the commission oi
the crime be was free man. He had never
been heard to say aught against the judge
more than to remark that he thought that IN
the charge to the jury he (the judge had IA
vored conviction. At home the young mar
had not borne an irreproachable character
having been engaged in affairs Of question
able honor; but the trial for forgery was hil
first appearance before q criminal court.


Upon the evidence Of the writing on th'
paper which was pronounced by all to be il