Year: 1871

Ono sunday, ABOUT ten years ago. L
found myself at Carlisle. was consid-
erably acquainted there, and had been
there pretty often on business; but my
being there at this time was the result
of an accident merely. | had been
three hundred miles west of this, trying
in vain to find a clue to the wherea-
bouts of an absconding defaulter; and
coming back to take a fresh start, |
found that flood had submerged the
track for several miles east of Carlisle,
and that there would be no getting away
till Monday, at the least. So | made a
virtue of necessity, and, telegraphing
lily, went up town.


After dinner at the hotel, dropped
in at the office of the District Attorney,
with whom / was we'll acquainted. |
found him arranging the details of a
number of criminal cases which were to
be tried at the court which began on
the following day.


Anything of importance p | asked,
rather carelessly.


Gone at least" he replied. "Joe
Slifer, notorious scoundrel, is to be
tried for highway robbery. The victim
was dragged out of his buggy on lonely
road, beaten insensible, and robbed of a
thousand dollars. He identifies Slifer
positively as one of the ruffians."


" Whats the defense p


"I can't imagine. [ don't think there
is any in reality"


"Maybe he'll prove an alibi," | jo-
cosely suggested. He shook his head.


"They'll hardly try that" he said.
"The facts are too clear"


After some more unimportant con
versation with him, [ returned to the
hotel, where l spent the remainder of
the day.


The next day was Sunday. awoke
quite early, and found the promise Of a
beautiful summer day so good that |
dressed myself and sailed out for a
walk. Nobody was stirring yet about
the hotel, and the streets were perfectly
still. walked around several squares,
and returned to the hotel, meeting only
one person on the way.


That person was standing in the door
way of basement saloon as [ passed.
| looked around casually, and saw him
standing there in his shirt sleeves. His
hair was tumbled, and he was gaping, as
if he had Just awakened. [ did not dis
cover he was doing anything in particu-
lar there; [ thought afterward that it
was quite likely he had been left in a
drunken fit on the floor or on the bench
in the bar the night before, and that,
waking up at this early hour, he had
taken the wrong door in seeking his
lodgings, and had gone out of doors in
stead Of going to bed. My look at him
was merely side glance, but that was
enough to photograph him in my mind.
1t was a thin, bilious face, perfectly
smooth, with long nose, much twisted
to one side, and a red scar over the left
eve. | marked it instantly as the face
of rascal.


How | could do that can't explain !;
our business learns us to read faces as
most other men read books, and the
glance | had at that fellow told me that
the man was lawless fellow. His &C
tions confirmed the opinion. Sleepy as
he looked and acted, no sooner had he
saw me passing than he drove back
through the door and slammed it to.


| instantly understood him. " A
scamp, on some lay or other, and don't
want to be seen,'' was my thought. And
| walked on with his photograph in my
mind, but ceased to think anything Of
him or the circumstances before | reach
ed the hotel.


The day passed, and bright and early
Monday morning | took my satchel and
went down to the depot. But it was to
no purpose the office was closed, and
placard on the door informed the pub
lie that the road would not be oponed
before Tuesday.


l went back to the hotel, too much
out of sorts to enjoy my breakfast. |
did not understand, till the day was
some hours older, that l was needed
more here in Carlisle than anywhere
else, just then.


I went from the breakfast table into
the reading.room, and after | had read
an hour l heard one man say to an
other:


"Let's go over to the courthouse !;
they're trying Joe Slifer." They went
out and, remembering my little talk
with the District Attorney, my curiosity
was excited, and | followed them.


When | entered the courtroom, the
victim of the robbery was on the stand.
He was a plain, simple old man, and
gave his evidence with apparent truth
fulness. He testified that he was stop
ped about sunset, some months before,
while passing from Carlisle to his home,
with one thousand dollars that he had
drawn that afternoon from the bank.
1t was a lonely spot, and there was not
house within half a mile of it. He
was jogging leisurely along, when light
,uano,, Drawn NV two horses dashed M