Lincoln County leader., February 21, 1902, Image 9

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CHAPTER XXI.
"John D. Lloyd!"
The words fell from the lips of not only
the judge ou the bench, but from those of
every lawyer within the bar.
"John D. Lloyd!" echoed the voices of
many iu the court room.
"Mr. Sheriff," said the judge, "place a
ohair beside me and assist my old friend
Lloyd to a position here, if the Lord has
mercifully spared his life."
Sheriff Cobb looked very gloomy, but
he obeyed the order of the court with
alacrity.
I "Yes, judge and friends," said Mr.
I Lloyd, as the sheriff, after shaking hands
j with him, assisted him to the judicial
i bench, "the sea has given up its dead the
asylum its mental wreck. John D. Lloyd
is with you once again. Nor has he yet
J greeted his own family. He is in the
hands of the great detective."
i "I can well believe you, old friend."
said the judge as he grasped his wasted
hand. "But if you have not visited your
family, we must not long delay you."
"Mr. Cellars has made me acquainted
with (he contents of the will, said to be
the banker's last and final one," said Mr.
Lloyd. "If such is the case, and my name
and that of my lost friend Elliott appear
as witnesses to the same, there has been
a forgery committed."
A groan burst from the breast of Her
man Graven. He sat the picture of ab
ject terror a living, breathing wretch.
Mis DeRosette sat with pale face,
clinging to the arms of her companions.
"Your uames signed to the will consti
tute the forgery?" asked the judge.
"No, your honor, the signatures, I pre
sume, are valid; but in the body of the
will Herman Craven was left but the
sum of five thousand dollars. I am told
that the will now shows that fifty-five
thousand dollars was the banker's be
quest to his nephew. There was no ad
ministrator named in the will. A space
was left vacant with the understanding
that it I returned safely from my trip to
Europe my name was to be filled in. At
(Mr. Dellosette's solicitation I had con
sented to act, should I survive him.
Neither was there a guardian named;
but the understanding there was the
rame. He desired me to constitute that
,uardian and my name would have ap
, arwl there but for my trip abroad."
('? "Miserable wretch, what have you to
'j Say"rv atiketl the judge, turning his' gihse
"jf on the features of Stephen Craven.
"What can I say, judge?" was the
sneering reply. "Except that Sellars has
; got me dead to rights. I knifed the bnnk-
er, and my delectable son there the
j Craveu coward forged the will. That is
all there is about it. A Craven need
not die a coward! Die game! Be a game
1 sport to the last; that's my motto, and
J it's all I have to say."
Are there any here who recognize this
man as Stephen Craven, the man who
married Alvin Dellosette's sister?" asked
the judge.
"I do, your honor," said Attorney
Dobbs. "I never saw him but once. The
marriage was an elopement. Miss DeKo
sette was a school girl, and this villain
eloped with her from Hillsborough, where
she was attending school. At Alvin De
Rosette's request I visited Richmond, to
which place Stephen Craven at first con
veyed his bride, and there begged his wife
to abandon him and return to her brother
with live. She would not do so, how-
ever, and Stephen Craven, entering the
house and surmising my object, ordered
j me ut. I cannot be mistaken in the
5 mai."
j "N, you are right, old duffer!" cried
Stepbeu, with another sueer.
I "This man is a monster!" exclaimed the
judge, shuddering.''
' "No, no! You are wrong, Judge, wrong.
SI am nothing' if not a dead game sport!
Life is a farce a field in which we each
i play sur part, then make our exit to be
seen no more. There is no hereafter.
j This is the end of life; that is all, and I
j will die an I have lived a dead game-
Is sport! Yes, without a fear for the pres-
put or the future; but look at that livid,
; woe-begoiie picture! That is my son.
1 Ain't he a beaut? He denies his own
l father, now that a day of peril is at hand.
He put up this job. lie forged the bank-
er's will and was too cowardly to remove
1 his ttnrie from his path. I willingly aid-
ed him. Look at him! The bell-ringer
of Wilmington. His hand from the stair
way pulled the wire that drew Robert
Campbell to the door, leaving the coast
clear for me. I thrust the blade of the
heath knife home, secured the bag of
coin and ran upstairs and secreted myself.
During the commotion below I secreted
the gold where Sellars found it not an
hour ago. Herman had provided me with
a key to the attic, and I remained there
three days and nights. When I took my
departure I left the coin behind, beneath
the hearth In. Miss Dellosette's room.
You have everything dead to rights now.
What are you waiting for? Why don't
you get a move on yourself? Let Camp
bell get out of that box and put my
sneaking son and myself In it! Do some
thing!"
"This man must be an incarnate fiend!"
exclaimed the judge.
"I'm a beaut, I am!" ejaculated the as
sassin. "But I'm not a coward!"
"Gentlemen of the Jury," said the
judge, turning to the twelve men in the
Jury box, "the court Instructs you to ren
der a verdict of 'not guilty' in the case of
tat Stat against Robert Campbell, and
no one can more regret than does the
court the unfortunate position in which
an innocent man has been placed, but
through the efforts of Mr. Sellars an hon
orable name has been vindicated and the
murderer of our old friend and his ac
complice are before you."
"What say you, gentlemen of the jury
guilty or not guilty?" asked the clerk.
"Not guilty!" responded the foreman, in
a loud voice.
A cheer went up that resounded
through the building.
"Order! Order in court!" cried the
sheriff.
"Robert Campbell, you are discharged
from custody," said the judge.
The young man arose to his feet, and
with a happy smile on his countenance
passed within the bar, where his first act
was to grasp the hand of the great detec
tive. "My preserver!" he cried. "May
God bless yon. Lanir Sellnrs!"
"And he will," were the words that fell
from the lips of the Widow Campbell.
Hattie 'DeKosette had nrisen to her
feet as Robert approached. Her face
was marble-like in its whiteness, and she
had sat throughout the proceedings as
one iu a trance.
The effort had been too much for her,
and with the word "Robert!" she fell for
ward, to be clasped in the arms of the
man she loved.
Another cheer went up from the lips of
the vast throng in the court room.
"Order in court!" cried the sheriff.
"Conduct your prisoners to the box, Mr.
Sellars," said the judge, "that they may
be arraigned for a trial that will speedily
follow. I judge its duration will not be
long."
"First," said Sellars, "I will shackle
this scheming villain," and with a pair
of steel bracelets in one hand he reach
ed towards Herman Craven.
A shriek burst from the White lips of
the bank president, and the loud report
of a revolver followed it.
Herman had held the weapon concealed
in his hand, and it had been instantly di
rected at the detective, but as unexpect
ed as it had been, Sellars had reached the
arm of the assassin in time to divert the
messenger of death from himself, and It
found lodgment In the bosom of Stephen
Craven, who for a moment stood motion
less, then tottered and fell forward to the
Sellars had secured Herman's weapon,
and ere the father had been raised to a
chair hnd him securely shackled.
The ladies present screamed in terror,
and the court room was In commotion.
"Order in court!" cried the sheriff, who
was bending over the form of Stephen
Craven.
The detective literally carried the man
acled form of Herman to the prisoner's
box, where he placed him, shrieking, on a
seat.
"I'm done for!" presently gasped his
father. "Murdered by my own son! The
cur! It was your life he aimed at Sellars.
Well, better so. There will be but one
victim at the hanging liee. I I might
have escaped and carried him with me,
coward though he be. Better so! Better
so! It was a fatal shot, boy. I I have
nothing to regret no favors to ask. No,
no, nothing. J. die as I lived a a dead
game sport!" And with his head on the
sheriff's arm, the soul of Stephen Cra
veu passed before Its maker.
"Court is adjourned for the day," an
nounced the Judge, and a half hour later
the court room was untenanted.
The body of Stepheu Craven had been
conveyed to the morgue.
Herman Craven, the president of 'The
Cape Fear Bank," occupied a felon's cell
in the county jail.
John D. Lloyd had been accompanied
by Judge Fowler to his residence, where
there was joy over the return of one who
had long been mourned as dead.
Sullnrs was captured by the mother and
sinter of Itobert Campbell, and accom
panied them home. Leaning on Robert's
arm with the same party was also the
young heiress, whose form still trembled
with emotion.
"I always distrusted Herman Craven,"
said Hattie, when the party were seated
In the Campbell home, and Aunt Caro
line had placed before them an urn of
ten, of which the good soul thought the
ladies stood sadly in need, "but I little
dreamed of the villainy in his nature. In
receiving him Into our home my dear fath
er received "
"A viper!" exclaimed Sellars. "But un
der the tutelage of Stephen Craven he
could not have been less."
"Oh, dear Robert, bow you must have
suffered," said Hattie.
"I was never alarmed as to the out
come, my love, from the time that our no
ble friend Sellars assured me that I
should not stand upon the gallows trap."
"You could pay me no higher compli
ment than that conveyed by those words,"
said the detective, grasping the young
man's hand.
At this time Arthur Dobbs and his
father Joined the party. "All honor to the
man who has vindicated a noble name;
unraveled a double mystery, and brought
to justice a father and son, who for cold
blooded villainy have never been equaled
In America!" exclaimed the senior man,
as he approached Sellars.
"There was one quality a man could
respect In the father, notwithstanding his
villainy," said Sellars. "Bravery. lie
was not a coward! In the character of
Herman there is cot one redeeming
iraur
"Not one!" exclaimed tho hgnlrr.
daughter. "If hp hnri npvpr pntprpd nm
home, dear father would not be in his
grave to-uay. '
Before the residence of Sellars two ne
groes were seated on the grass, and they
were happy Africans, to judge by ap
pearances. "I spec' you feel mighty proud now,
Adam, an' to-night you jes' 'bout make
dat gal Cindy tiuk yous de debbel his
self." "G'long, Calban! How I gwine win
dat gal, if she tink I's de debbel? I Is
suah 'nuff gwine blow my horn mighty
hard. I's gwine tell her 'bout my trip
up to Baltimore, on de 'ralroad wid Mars
Lang, an' how I says in dat spress ollice
'Dat's de man, Mars Lang.','
"G'long, nigger! You didn't do noth
in." "What you do? Now tell me dat!"
"Adam, you's a fool! Didden I keep
dese yere two eyes ou Herman Craven
night and day? Yes, even when he was
iu he bed. Whnr is he now?"
"Dat's so, Calban. You's had more
sperience dau I is."
"Now yo' talkin'! Say, Adam, I spec
yo misses will buy dnt gal Cindy for you
now, an' you ken mek her yo' lawfully
wife."
"Golly, Calban! Does you reckon so?"
Suah I does."
"Well, I gwine hint 'roun 'bout it
mightily, directly she get ober dis Uus
tration. I spec da hang Mars Herman
now."
"Fer suah da hang him!"
"Da cam hang he daddy!"
"G'long home an' tell Hannah and Mil
lie. I seed Unc Duke at de court house.
You s a fool! What da gwine hang a
dead man fer?"
i Y1 'hut he '"'"Jed as a withering
look, Calban left his sable companion and
entered the house.
At 2:45 p. m. on the ninth day of No-
wlfci " terrib'e SCene was
within the county jail at Wilmington.
.twenty persous-the number allowed by
law-were gathered before a grewsome'
structure that occupied a position at the
east end of the room of execution. The
grewsome object was the gallows, and
l Zf Cbb M1 from an
hp Y 5 at 8t'l,nratI the room from
the lower tier of cells, followed by Jailer
iMbaw and an assistant, who between
then, were fairly dragging along a whke
h7kiS Kre, a pallor over
spread the faces of those assembled.
Iwo clergymen followed the main ac
tors in this fearful drama.
The scaffold was reached. The frantic
shrouded form was bodily raised and car
ried upon the platform. More, he was
Placed in a standing posture on the very
center of the trap.
f,"If youhave worl8 to speak, speak
them now," said Sheriff Cobb.
"Mercy! Mercy!" screamed the ab
ject, horror-stricken wretch. "You all
know I did not strike the blow!"
The condemned man's hands were
shackled together behind him with a
leather strap while he was speaking, and
his lower limbs were securely bound to
gether with another.
One of the clergymen stepped to the
side of the trap and uttered a short, fer
vent prayer, closing the same with the
words: "May God have mercy on your
soul!"
A wild wail broke from the lips of Her
man Craven as a knotted noose was pass
ed over his head. Another! Still anoth
er. 'But the last, half mufllcd, came from
beneath the black cap that now concealed
his livid features.
Jailer Filyaw was supporting the crim
inal on one side, his ussistnnt on the
other. '
The clergymen had stepped back from
the prisoner's side and the sheriff had dis
appeared within a small enclosure to the
left of the trap, and through which pass
ed the rope that held the trap in place.
"Mercy! My God, mercy! I will not
die! I "
The clock on the market tower sounded
the first stroke of the hour of three.
The blow of an ax resounded from the
box that concealed the sheriff.
The tr.ap fell. The shrouded figure fol
lowed it, leaving the jailer and his assist
ant with their arms extended over a va
cant space.
The taut rope creaked. The body spun
round and round. A movement or two
of the limbs, and then a pendant figure,,
hanging lifeless. '
The murder of Alvin DeRosette had
been avenged.
John D. Lloyd was appointed by the
court as administrator of the late bank
er's estate and guardian of his daughter;
but the term of his guardianship was
short, for on the twentieth of the follow
ing June the fair heiress became the bride
of Robert OamplK'll, and the same day
saw sweet Jennie Campbell the wife of
Arthur Dobbs, the young attorney.
The two weddings occurred at midday
in the DeRosette residence, and a Inrge
number of friends were there present;
but the one whose good wishes to both
brides and grooms brought the most fer
vent pleasure, it is safe to say, was a
certain detective, and tears tilled the eyes
of the two happy brides when they bade
him good-by to start on their wedding
trip.
"May your trip through life be as hap
py as the one before you promises to be,"
said Sellars, "and may there be no thorns
by the roadside."
"That all here are happy to-night," said
Attorney Dobbs, "is owing to the vigi
lance of one man, and that man Lang
Sellars, the great Southern detective, who
fulfilled his pledge. Robert Campbell did
not stand on the gallows trap." t;
Sellars passed a hand before bis eyes
to hide the tears that had gathered as he
turned away. And he thought what
might have leen had he not traced down
the man with three names.
(The end.)
A Iloulton (Me.) man Is exhibiting
an Iron rod three Inches long, three
eighths of an Inch In diameter and
weighing one and a half ounces, that
was tken out of the stomach of a
trout that was less than half a pound
In weight
FAMOUS HOPE DIAMOND.
Picture of the Bare Gem and How It
Looks on the unman Hand.
Half a million dollars Is the price
placed on the famous Hope diamond.
now In this country, by Its present
owner, Simon Frankel, of Joseph Frau-
uels Sons, New York. According to
Mr. Frank Frankel's declaration when
offered $350,000 for the gem by Eman
uel M. Gattle, of the diamond firm of
Gattle & Stern, the wonderful blue gem
will not be sold a penny less.
In order to escape a duty of 00 per
cent ad valorem the stone was unset
and was subjected to a duty of only 10
per cent. A fortune alone was saved
on the diamond. The stone was reset
In Its original setting and put on exhi
bition. The Hope diamond Is of a deep
sapphire blue, weighs 42 carats and
has about 200 facets. It Is cushioned
shaped and reflects the light In a thou
sand brilliant rays. In the setting It
Is surrounded by twenty lVfc-carat
white diamonds that give It a dazzling
effect.
The origin of the stone Is a mystery.
One authority says that It was handed
down from the earliest rulers of Egypt,
and another states that It came from
HAND AND RING.
(For comparison.)
India. This much is a matter of record:
The stone was purchased In India by
M. Tavernler, a French traveler, in the
early part of the eighteenth century.
At the time it was In the rough, and
weighed 112 carats. Tavernler sold It
to Louis XV. and It was one of the
French crown Jewels until 1792, when
It was seized by the revolutionists and
placed In the Garde Meuble. It was'
afterward stolen and lost from public
knowledge.
Toward the middle of the nineteenth
century the stone In its present shape
came Into possession of a London deal
er named Ellason, who sold It to Hen
ry Thomas Hope:
MOTHER OF WOMEN'S CLUBS.
The Late Jennie June, Mrs, Croly, Was
a Pioneer in This Field.
Mrs. Jennie C. Croly, more familiar
perhaps to the public under her pseu
donym of "Jennie June," who died In
New York recent
ly, was the best
known newspaper
woman In the
United States and
was also known
as the mother of
women's clubs.
She was born In
England In 1830
and came to the
"jenny june." United States
when she was 9 years old, settling in
New York. She began writing at an
early age. Marrying a newspaper man,
David G. Croly, when extremely young,
she wrote for the papers with which
he was connected and for many others,
as she was an energetic worker. Over
the signature "Jennie June," Mrs.
Croly conducted departments In sev
eral periodicals and corresponded with
others until within a few years. She Is
said to have Introduced the "syndi
cate" system and many other newspa
per novelties.
She was the founder of Sorosls, the
pioneer woman's club, which was or
ganized In 1808. From 1874 to 1880 she
was the president. She refused to be
Its first presiding officer. The Federa
tion of Women's Clubs owes Its exist
ence to her.
"Spoken Sarkastlk."
"Why does the Hon. Yellan Shoute
always wind up his addresses by stat
ing that all be Is and all that be has
and all that he hopes to be he owes to
his dear wife, whose ennobling and In
spiring Influences and so forth, and bo
ou, etcetera?" inquired the gentleman
who bad occupied a front seat.
"Well," replied the Individual who
sat In the gallery, "he has to go home to
eat, you know." Baltimore American.
T Ralls.
The T rail was Invented In 1830 by
Robert L, Stevens, the president and
engineer of the Camden and South Am
boy Railroad and Transportation Com
pany. A man can't hope for any better luck
than to bave bis rival In business fall
seriously in love.
Unfa? l9V fc&iM&ffiUinh
if ' m
One thing a bald-headed man can not
do he cannot wear a pompadour.
"Does the course of their true love
run smooth?" "Oh, yes; there are
banks on both sides."
"Tom Hood was the wittiest poet,"
declared the Briton. "Oh! 1 don't
know," returned the Yank; "we have a
Whittler."
Mr. Snaggs The leaves are leaving
my dear. Mrs. Snaggs Is there any
thing odd about that? Mr. Snaggs
Yes, in the spring It was the trees that
were leaving.
"My largest item of expense Is on ac
count of advertising." "I was not
aware that you were In business." "I
am not. But my wife reads the ads.
In the papers."
Small Man Yes, sir, he's a con
temptible scoundrel, and I told him so.
Big Man Did he knock you down?
Small Man No; 1 told him er
through the telephone.
Teacher Now, Susie, you may con
struct a sentence In which the word
"literary" occurs. Susie (after much
thought) Little Willie's hands were
literary black with dirt.
"Who married you?" asked the Jus
tice of a colored citizen, who bad been
brought before him for some domestic
trouble. "You did, suh," wns the re
ply; "but I ain't voted fer you seuse."
Her Father Well, sir, what cau I do
for you? Her Lover I er called to
see If you er would give asseut to my
marriage to your duughter. Her Fath
er Not a cent, sir; not a cent. Good
day! 1
Proud Mother (complacently)-My
daughter is studying the lauguuge
abroad. She speuks French and Ital
ian as well ns she does English. Vis
itor (Innocently) And does she speak
English well?
Teacher What Is meant by "medium
of exchange?" Willie Watman?
Teacher What Is the medium of ex
changewhat do you take to the store
with you when your mother sends you
for groceries? Willie The book.
"What Is the nature of this new fan
gled malady which they call the 'golf
ing spine'?" "That," responded Cynl
cus, "Is easy. 'Golfing spine' Is what
the old man used to have after a hard
day's plowing, but he called it the
backache."
"I see Mr. Marlln has put a naphtha
engine Into his yacht, so that ho can
make It go when there Is no breeze."
"Yes; and Mr. Perfume Is putting sails
In his naphtha launch, so that he cau
make It go when the engine won't
work." Puck.
Tammany Politician (arranging for
music nt political meeting) Isn't that a
big price? You may not have to play
half a dozen times during the whole
evening. Brass Band Leader But, my
dear sir, we have to sit there and listen
to the speeches.
"Why do poets wear long hnlr?"
asked the young woman who Is anx
ious to learn. "My dear," answered
the young woman who believes there
Is no such thing as modern literature,
"If they didn't wear long hnlr how
would we know they are poets?"
Mr. Wheatplt My failure Is the talk
of the street. At the meeting of my
creditors to-day I arranged to pay 50
cents on the dollar. Mrs. Wheatplt
(after a moment's figuring) Oh, Henry,
isn't that lovely? Then the $20 hat I
had Bent home to-day will only cost
half price.
Mother Ethel Is the very Image of
what 1 was at her age. He Really! I
shouldn't have thought It possible!
Mother (coldly) May I ask why? He
(see his error, and striving to rectify
It) Oh er I was forguttlng what a
long time ago that must have been.
Punch.
"Mr. Bunker looks worried these
days." "Yes, another addition to his
family arrived last week." "But he's
enormously wealthy. Why gbould be
worry over another mouth to feed?"
"It Isn't that, but the thought that It's
another one to buy golf ells for
eventually."
A stalwart Life Guardsman In Lon
don strolled leisurely down the street,
and, approaching an expectant boot
black, pompously placed one enormous
foot on the polishing block. For a mo
ment or two the lad gazed In wonder
ment at the expanse of leather spread
before bis eyes, and then be balled a
colleague on the other side of the stret.
"Ill, Bill," be shouted, "lend us some
polish. IU've got a Harmy contract."
A young man, contemplating matri
monial felicity, took bis fair Intended
to the home of his parents that she
might be Introduced to the old folks.
"This Is my future wife," said the
young man proudly, turning to pater
famallas, who was a canny Scot. "Now,
father, tell me candidly, what you
think of her." The old man eyed th
blushing bride-elect critically for fully
two minutes, then answered with delib
eration: "Well, John, t can only say
you have shown much better taste than
the has."