Year: 1872

''oouC tHaI tlme, WhIch were thickly in
crusted with the peculiar red clay Of that
neiighborhood. The evidence against him
being thought sufficient, he was arrested
and lodged in jail; from which place he
dispatched note to Robert Fairway, San


Francisco.


In due time Fairway received the letter.
and the bar of Placer were somewhat s,,r-
prlsed to receive the announcement that
th's Spanish gambler was to be defended
oy the ablest criminal lawyer on the coast.
IL was notorious that Spanish joe had no
money save what little he could win at
cards; and why Fairway should enter up
on MS case was matter of much specu-
latlon and discussion. However, he came.
The clerk OF the Carey House greeted
hlm with an obsequiOus bow as he regis
tered his name; the landlord, in person
showed him to the best room in the hotel;
Judges and lawyers greeted him cordially.
But he scarcely seemed himself. His
ustial genial manners were overcast with
a look OF sadness, and his face was paler
than usual. Hastily cxcusing his1self, he
requested that his horse-a valuable ami
mai, which he had ridden over from Au-
hurn-should be taken good care of, and,
IN company with the Sheriff. started for
the Jail to see his client When the two
were left alone, the Spaniard was the first
to break the silence


"Fairway," said he, .you once said
that you would grant any request of mine.
I on must save my life.'


Yes, Jose Alvido," he replied; II re-
member, and am here"


A long conversation ensued between
the men, in the course of which Alvido
freely admitted his guilt. Said he:


when you left me a homeless pauper,
in San Dioso, did not complain; what
you had. you won fairly. l murmured
not. had left me my health and strength
and my knowledge of cards. Upon the
latter relied to retrive my fortunes. You
were wiser than /, but no matter. Del
phina"-and, as he mentioned her name,
an almost demoniacal light glittered in
, his eye-'Delphina soon found out that
4 was ruined. She tainted me with it;
and when spoke of my intentions for the
: future, She brazenlv told me that she had
y long anticipated this end; and reused me
to fury by her talk. In my rage struck


her, and she left me- One week after,
f she was the acknowledged mistress of an
| American gambler, and tlaunted her silks
at me from the rooms over the faro-bank


The man who bought her was the man |
killed. / left them anil came into the
G mines, where | have dragged out an ex-
, istence by rough gambling. l knew of
; your prosperity. but never troubled you.
5 had almost got over all thoughts of what
had been until one Saturday night this
{ man came into the saloon where / was
sitting. | did not recognize him. He
1 had his own tongue to thank for that. He
9 never was man to talk much but this
night he had got a letter from home, and
/ it ioosened his tongue. He went on to
tell the boys what good mother he had
and how he had been the black sheep, and
how he had come out here and learned to
deal faro, and about his going to the low
cr country; and then-curse him he
told about how he had fooled rich
'greaser, and got his wife-for he thought
she was my wife, and she never told him
any better-and how long they had car
ried on, and the 'greaser' was as blind as
newborn puppy. / kind of suspected
it, though; and | knew enough to make
me fly up the way did the day we rode
over the old rancho, if you remember.
Well, he went on, and told all about it,
and how he had sworn off gambling and
turned honest miner, until all the blood
in my body was ON fire. That was Fri
day night and the next day / borrowed
the pistol, walked out to his cabin, and
shot him like the dog that he was. You
made me what | am. Fairway; you must
get me out of this scrape. You've done
worse things than this; and this you
must do"


Fairway acknowledged the difficulties
of the case, frankly telling him that he had
no hope, but promised faithfully that all
that man could do should be done. Delay
was the only chance to get the trial over
the term was the only possible outlet to
ultimate escape; and to this end he bent
all his energies Meanwhile public opin-
ion was growing more and more deter
mined that an example should be made.
The miners held meetings, and quiet
threats and distant murmurs of Vigil
lance committee were heard among them.
But Fairway put all the powers of his
mind into the case. lie searched with Ca
ger eye every particle of the evidence;
he found defects in the indictments he
prepared atlidavits and worked with an
untiring zeal that made people think that
Spanish Joe must have had stored away
untold piles of gold. When the court sat,
and the prisoner was arraigned. such
showing was made in his behalf that the
Judge ordered continuance, and the
prisoner was remained to jail


1t was well on the afternoon when this
was done, and Fairway went to the hotel,
|
bill, and went to the Jail to pay a parting
visit to the man for whom he had labored
so hard and thus far successfully. He had
been so frequent visitor to the Jail that
the sheriff would go up with him and US
ually lock him in when he went to stay
any time, returning at the appointed hour
TO release him. This time Fairway re-
marked, as they left the hotel, II will
leave my horse tied here i'm front of the
house; and as l suppose shall have to
have good long talk with the fellow.
you need not come up till the moon rises,
about half-past eight o'clock, as intend
, to ride to Diamond Springs tonight, and
, don't care about starting before it is
|, moonlight" So turning the key upon
them, the two men were left alone again
. for the last time.


: The storm which had been brewing so
= long, broke that night. As soon as II was
dark, band OF over two hundred men.