Show A 1EAIUTL MISTAKE C = IIF CASK AH HI ported br Oeorlte Itedscre sheriff of rounty Mis o v nourt I one of the meet remarkable r nn record and atC r1 thaws that too 1 much care cannot C Ie exercised In the fW reception of Mr curndlentlM evidence evi-dence Wr give the facto as nearly 00 pos elhle In the words nf the narrator In the summer nf m Ida Curium laughter of A well lnrlo farmer left home to IIDlh r a basket of berries from a pasture lot about half a mile from the dwelling saying that oW would he back Iwfore evening When night pet In she lad ant returned re-turned her family lcame alarmed and Initltuteit a search for her She was not found that nllhl and the neat morning the searchers were Inrreafed in number She was at last l discover < 1 dead munlereil under circumstance calculated calcu-lated lu exrlte the greatest wrath and honor There hail evidently haven along a-long fierce struggle her fore arm and hand were scratched and bruised her clothes wen torn and a portion of them mixing some cold bead which she had worn around her neck were aluo miffing two gold rings 1 hail teen taken from her tinier and she had apparently been choked to death by human hands The news spread rapidly crowds gathered at the farmhouse and about the trade scene and Ids clIKens In the vicinity became almost will with excitement ex-citement and face Who hid done the foul deed What fiend In human shape had dared to come Into that iwaceful vicinity and perpetrate such a horrid crime If they could tint him they would tear him to Pieces r Ida Carlton had been much Moved 1 > y all who knew her Nile woo 20 years of age tall and handsome and was engaged to In married to one lilicn Slaver a young man of 23 who had biu lit a nice farm about n mil from her fathers and was In laks boons > Inn Immediately after the nuptials which were to bo celebrated tho following fol-lowing print Ms was not at home nt the time of the murder In fact lie had left Hint very day and could l not lie found Ills analuu family eould Sin no clew tobin to-bin whereabouts and wen much sour riot In consequent un the third day however he ap bonnet al the coroners Inquest nearly pnxtraied with grief and said he had Inwri tu look at a quarry about three miles from Iwrne and had fallen down and Injured his head so lordly l that he I had bern delirious for two days and knew nothing of what had happened I mraiitlme Ills family also 1 stated that be I hind dime home weak gaunt and nearly starved and when Informed of the nv fill tragedy and loss b of his helnvnl be had taken the matter 10 deeply to heart that fur a time It was feared bo would lore his reason It Is I possible that In the minds of some under the circumstances a trou t 1 1 I J i h r y Ytl au r j LPAVINO WHAT AITRAURU TO 111 A nitAI WOMAN tillHome suspicion might have been excited I ex-cited agalnsl the unhappy lover If It I had nut suddenly been diverted to another I an-other quarter A dirty tramp though a young man had been found two mile fnim the scene lying at the foot of a large tree n short distance from tho < Irk so Ir-k and III that he could not travel soy farther Ills face was bruised and scratched and swollen his clothes wore torn as It In a struggle t and as Ito It I to nimpleto the chain of suspicion n inlsilng ring of the dead girl was found on his little finger fortunately for the ends of Justice the Under of this trump was n respectable respect-able lawabiding farmer who Instead nf tint proclaiming his I discos ery to the furious mob and hating the fellow torn to pieces without a trial brought the news to meA me-A sheriff of the county I I Immediate summoned all my deputies and swore In a large horse of the beet cllliens 10 aid me III protecting the man from the violence of a tool who would seek to murder him as noon as the facts should become known After first lodging my man In Mil for security 1 summoned ph > lelan who soon discovered that the fillow h1 been badly handled hid probably teen unconscious and delirious a hart l of Iho I time In cnnseauence and that his Im mediate weakness was due to n tola lack of foodln fact that he was hal dyad from starvation Under proper treatment he rapid recovered so as to te able to sit III and convene Us then gave his name ns Adam Wheeler said he wan from Indiana was a joiner by trade and being out tit work and money was tr > lnx to mooch Toi > eka Ian where he had n frlem a boss carpenter who had promised tll give him steady employment that In i Ids nay lie I had turned Into the lot where the tragedy hud occurred to lIck some berries that while time engagei lie hail been startled b > faint crle 1 of murder In a female voice and on bur rylng to the plan whence tint sound had proceeded he had discovered it I > oung man In the act of leaving what appeared to be a dead woman thai the man seeing him had at nine aswtultei him and a flora struggle had take place that he had been over > ouii and lost oenselousneM for n time unit that un coming to hlitiMlf he lead seen tin woman dead within a few tNt ot him had become alarmed lest Le should be taken for the murdtrvri lint lId In dismay and from that time 10 the lament he eoult not r mml r anything any-thing except as a wild troubled dream Thl Improbable story lor course Waft not bellive < 1 by any but as the man lewever guilty was entitled to a fair 111 1 determined IK should have one a1 took every toes no In my power In glee him that protection which the law 1I1Inl to the vilest of criminals If your story Is I true Adam Wheel erl I said after be bad made his statement state-ment how do you account for the fact ot having one nf the murdered girl a tinge on your finger at lbe time you wen discovered and arrwteilt What ilngr he I anke1 In what appeared ap-peared 1 to he a frightened and guilty uy I dont understand you sir This I said dliplaylng the Jewel I suppoM you recognlie It though of name you are not bound to criminate nunwlf 111 take my solemn oath that I ont know what you mean sir he ssi 101 In alarm Well then ° I replied this ring whir belonged to Ida Carlton was found on your little finger when you weft arreelxl llefore Mod he now exclaimed l with a hold Innocent look I hunt know anything about that ring I Iiont remember ever seeing It before alll If II was on my finger It must hv been put there by the villain who left me for dend In nrder to make It appear as If I had murdered and robbed thin porir girl Of course this denlsl was no more lined than the other statements of the prlwiner who was regarded by the lopulsnt as a wretch too vile to lie al owed the honor of a respectable trial And only for soy precautions and content con-tent lgllsnce night and day his case ould never have come before a court or Jusllre Ho great was the excllementln fact an clamorous was the great body nf re peclabln cllliens for a summary execu lion of the fellow Ihat It was not eemed info at first to bring him out silo the jail and In order In have him resent at the Inquest the coroner eat with his jury within the walls of thin ptlllln I Of course the verdict of the coroners jury was dead against him the next rand jury found a true bill and In duo course of lime his trial came on lly that lime the murderous exclta mnl had so far subsided that there was no longer fears of his being lynched In case uf cumlcllnn though n verdict l hr not guilty by the Jury might have reeullnl In n fearful riot The trial was a long sine The Prisoner Pris-oner was defended by one of the nblet lawyer In the county who for some cause del us sup M II In In In the way or humanity for the culprit bad not n illnr In fM him had olunleervd his services and who fold me prlxntsly a1 the conclusion of the trial with the erdlrt of guilty ringing In Ids ears that he betleted the n ecu fed I to I K > ns Innocent of the murder ns himself One Incident during the pmgreM of the case had made n deep Impression on me and set me to thinking wondering won-dering and simulating In n very serious tanner It was when the lover of the murder 1 girl Ihen Htaer had been laced on Iho stand to give some nut very Irlllwlant evidence I happened 10 he standing near the accused when lie first put eyes on the witness nnd I saw him start clasp his hands turn deadly pain mind sink bark In his sent In n fainting condition and on his counsel burning to him with ft glass of vnter t henrd hlmVasp our lid Juiln urklrlml my fight with nd whod Juil murdered tho Iidyl h bloom said the lawyer Hay noth l ng more now When he came lo crnssexamtne the t vltness who had liven called l I for llIn rnsecutlon I noticed thai Walter Groh Ito hut some very curious ques Ions which the other side objected to III Irrelevant and thai the man on the land became very much agitated per ectly pallid and once or twice seemed III gasp for breath Of course cveryliody was surprised huh probably miullt of the prisoner ils counsel myself and n couple ot confidential friends not n soul In tho courtroom suspected the real cause My client Is I Innocent nnd ihen Hlnver the lover uf the murdered Ida Corllon Is I the man who committed the mil deed and ought lo swing said Iraharn to me after the verdict ot guilty bad been rendered Mark you Sheriff lletlaere we mount save this In locenl man even If III bo by hunting the guilty one down he said lmpre > tvely I confess that when I recalled the fn tot t-ot the absence for two or three data ot 11 hcn smitten his personal condlllut when ho appeared at the Inquest and ho Improbable story thai he had lob of his accident and wanderings nll1 bought how easily It might nil gild Into n sequel to the statement of the irlsoner I was n good heel shock 1 and staggered and Inclined I lo aid 1 will the lawyer Hut we have nn proof Dial Stave tan there nnd did the deed 1 I replle In Mr Graham On tho contrary everything seems to point the olhr way This young man was the accept eI lover of the girl remember Hie were actually engaged lo 100 married the farm un which they were to Ihe had actually been taught ami there Is I no evidence of n quarrel or of jenl ousy or of any motive whatever for taking her life You see nt once that the Idea of accusing this man Is I pro osteroust l Notwithstanding returned Iraham positively I believe him In be the lullty wretch Hark tout Why did my client tell the tale he did and then when he saw this man In court for the firsl time after the murder Iweomo s 0 affected and make that horrible HP cunatlon nrmlnst him of all others What did ho know about him I tell you sheriff Uire Is I some manful lop s trry hidden which It Is I our duty to bring in light Hut how begin how lit about III I queried I see smiled Ornhnm you nre A sheriff not a deteillve ery vvvll YO both have puner to set n detective 10 work You will bear In mind that though only one poor ring atom found on the wrsoil of my client other jowels were taken from tho tenon ut the laud girl What became of hem I Hal Yes I see Ixt us find then Hherlff Iledaore lb we will lawyer tlmliam It II b loslhle and there Is tn > hand 1 on It Not a noel of our eusplclons to a llv hung soul until we are ready In strike Nol a word concluded I Adam Wheeler the condemned man tout u few days lots Mntvng to death An effnrl lad been made for a nw trlul which had not been granted A n appal was then taken to the Buprei court and In duo time tho sentence Dr I lh lot I < r fomt wax affirmed The goY irn > r was asked to grant a pardon but he refusnl Nothing was left for the poor man bul lo swing unless we could find evidence I evi-dence that would clear him In lime eyes of the public who were loudly I clamorIng clamor-Ing for his death and would hove lynched him In spite of us If a rurior had gone abroad that he was lo be set tree Meanwhile I had sent for a ililenno detective a man nol known In those parts who succeeded 1 In getting cm plo > n ut on the farm of the elder lilac er and was thus brought more or lees 1 In contact with the euspecteil son who still riled wllh his father Hut nothing came of this till the dsy fixed for the execution came no near that I became wretchedly nervous beet I should lie compelled In lie line ot my duty to bang an Innocent man for I now after many conversations with the condemned I came firmly Into the belief that he was nol guilty nf the heinous crime Al fast Ihe dreaded death warrant arrived which toy duly compelled mIn < m-In read to the prisoner toil at the same lime senor him there was no longer any hope and In the painful performance of this requirement I fairly fair-ly I broke down and wept like a child and so did his counsel though tho poor fellow himself born up bravely and even tried In console us As I left the prison with my friend Graham I was met Just outside by my detective who brought the welcome wel-come new that he had actually discovered dis-covered the dead girls missing Jewelry on the person of tan Hlaver thai he I carried II carefully concealed In his bosom and thAt ho had caught him In the act of examining and weeping over It when he thought himself concealed con-cealed from human eyes Upon this Information I lost no time In acting Oraham at once swore out a warrant and I served myself All Is discovered lttOn Slaver I said ns I placed rny hand upon his shoulder and I now arrest you for Ihe murder of Ida Carltonl Ohastly and quivering he sank down dumfuunded at rny very feet I Immediately searched him and found the mlsMna jewelry Ilehold sold I sternly thin proof of your crimeAn crime-An soon na he could command his nlro ho Immediately confessed thai It e was the solo coof the foul detrl for which nn Innocent man was 011 the polnl of tttlnn executed When taken before n magistrate he II lorslsled In Ida confession though rc t HMledly cautioned ngalnst Inerlmlnat Ing himself Aa this news began In spread and anew a-new excitement to agitato the public I hurried him off to prison to protect him ns I had previously t done Adam Vheeler from summary vengeance When questioned ns to his motive for tiling his alliance Htnver declared that he knew of none except that alan had gut possession of him He was never brought to a trial for a week later he son found dead In his cell hanging by his suspenders to Iho hara of his window I When In consequence of this llmely rev elation Adam Wheeler regained hll fee Iint the same people who were alely sn eager to tear him lo piece vi led with ear h other In doing him honor hon-or lie was earnestly urged to take up ds abode In tho county town ando nally consented lly means of public contributions ann ne shop and net of tools were fur nla a ± el Ished him nnd being n good honest ndustrlous mechanic ho nt once parted pon u pnuqieroua career which he line continued to till day mini Is now nown nn1 rrsvctr < l us ono nf the beat Itlirna of tho place I have only to ndd In conclusion l1 tat I nm Iho happier today far having 1 teen the moron of nvlnl nn Innocent man from a degrading death and that I shall nlwn > lift up my olce agalns he evil practice of Ivnchlng and gainst the assumption of absolute ertalnty In any rune of mere clrcum tnntlal evidence III which there Is I a wMlblllly of n fearful mistake |