Year: 1871

men in it jumped out, while the fourth
held the reins. They were all masked.
| One of them seized his horse by the bit
and stopped him, the second snatched
the lines from his hands, and the third,
climbing half way into the buggy and
taking him by the arms, demanded his
money. He said that he instantly
shouted as loud as he could when the
| ruffian dealt him a savage blow with q
slung-shot, which knocked him sense
less. When he came to himself again,
| both robbers and money were gone.


He recognized only one of the, four
the man that struck him. AS he drew
back to give the blow, his mask drop
ped, and revealed the face of Joe Slifer,
the prisoner at the bar. He knew it, he
was positive of it, and all the ingenuity
of the cross examination could not
weaken or shake his evidence on this
| important point.


No other witness was called for the
prosecution none seemed necessary.
The prisoners lawyer got up and made
a plausible statement to the jury that
the complainant was mistaken about
recognizing Joe Slifer on the occasion
referred to that Slifer was not there at
all, but that he was at Norcott, fifty
miles north of Carlisle, at the very hour
of that robbery, and that he should
prove it by at least two witnesses. He
sat down and called out Caleb Wye"
and everybody leant forward expect
antly.


The witness came forward with slow,
limping gait, leaning on a cane. He
was apparently a man of middle age,
and dressed in a suit of sober black,
| with white choker about his neck. His
| hair was silver gray, and as he mounted
the stand, and leaning on his cane,
turned placidly to the prisoners coun-
sci, he presented an appearance which
would attract attention and respect
| anywhere.


saw him, and though 1 did not
betray any surprise. [ knew that my
heart gave tremendous thump. For
saw the bilious, thin face, crooked nose,
aad the Scared forehead of the dodger
whom | seen twenty four hours before
in the doorway of the saloon. With this
difference, however, the hair of that
man was almost white, while this mans
was silver gray.


[ edged my chair quietly up beside
that of the District Attorney, and while
the man was testifying | managed to
whisper in the others ear without at
tracing the attention of the witness.
The latter testified that he was deal
er in ready-made clothing at "Norcott,
and one of the firm of Wye & Peasants
That on the day testified to as the rob-
berry, both he and his partner were at
their store at Norcott, and there was an
unusual call for goods. Joe Slifer was
then in town they knew him well, and
had often employed him to help in the
store. On this particular day they sent
for him he came Immediately and he
remained at the store, waiting on Gus
toners, from two o'clock till eight,
without once leaving it. Mr.. Pleasants
was in court, and he could testify to the
same facts.


The first question of the District-At-
torney made the fellow start and shiver


care you in disguise, sir ?''
Wh--what? ?n stammeIed the man.


"Have you a silver-gray wig over your
dark hair?'


The man looked amazed and then
frightened, but said nothing and before
he could recover his self-possession the
District, ttorney had stepped forward
and removed the wig, revealing a
smooth-brushed head of dark brown
hair


"What does this mean p" he asked
sternly.


"Only fancy" was the surly answer;
"Tve worn that wig for years.


"Have you indeed? Did you wear it
all day yesterday?'


Yes, sir" was the confident reply.


Where p


At Norcott, to be sure


"All day?"


Certainly. was there the whole
day."


HWhen did you arrive here at Car
lisle?'


"At 20 this morning"


The District Attorney gave me q tri-
nmphant look and when he stated to
the Court that he desired this witness
to be detained till the close of the trial,
the Sheriff was directed to take charge
of him. Mr.. Caleb Wye came down
from the stand with his wig in his hand
and took seat by the Sheriff, looking
decidedly more bilious than | had yet
seen him appear.


Mr.. Peasants was now loudly called
for by the defense, but no one came for
ward. The unexpected reception which
the last witness had met probably chill
ed the ardor of his confederate and he
wisely chose to keep himself in the
background. This, then, was all of the
defense, and my evidence at once blew
it to the winds. I looked directly at
Mr.. Wye (so-called), while | was telling
the jury when, where, and under what
circumstances had seen him the previ-
Gus day, and | saw him tremble like an
aspen leaf. The jury convicted the
prisoner without leaving their seats, and
the witness was locked up for further
consideration.


| left Carlisle the next morning, and
heard nothing more of the affair for
several weeks. Then letter from the
District Attorney, thanking me for the
assistance [ had rendered him, conveyed
more details.


"The witness Wye," he wrote, "whose
real name is Nicholas Bray, was indicted
for perjury. A very slight investigation
showed me that he could prove that he
had no right to the name OF Wye; that
neither he nor any man by the name of
Peasants ever kept store in Norcott,
and that neither of them were known
there at all. This, with your evidence,
would have been sufficient to convict
him; and understanding it as well as
anybody, he concluded to save trouble
and plead guilty. So he and Slifer are
both in the penitentiary, and will stay
there for term of years"


Saturday night seven men, in dis
guise. went to the cabin of Wiley and
William Kimbro, colored, in Rutherford
county, Tenn, and after discharging
firearms, demanded admittance, which
was ref11sad A window was broken