The Spectre In The Cart | Page 7

he had said to me; the circumstances
under which he and his wife were killed; the knowledge that in some
sort it was on my account; and the bitter attacks made on me
personally;(for in some quarters I was depicted as a bloodthirsty ruffian,
and it was charged that I was for political reasons prosecuting men
whom I personally knew to be innocent), all combined to spur me to
my utmost effort. And when the verdicts were rendered, I was
conscious of a sense of personal triumph so fierce as to shock me.
"Not that I did not absolutely believe in the guilt of both prisoners; for I
considered that I had demonstrated it, and so did the jurors who tried
them.
"The day of execution was set. An appeal was at once taken in both
cases and a stay was granted, and I had to sustain the verdicts in the
upper court. The fact that the evidence was entirely circumstantial had
aroused great interest, and every lawyer in the State had his theory. The
upper court affirmed in both cases and appeals were taken to the
highest court, and again stay of execution was granted.
"The prisoners' counsel had moved to have the prisoners transferred to
another county, which I opposed. I was sure that the people of my
county would observe the law. They had resisted the first fierce
impulse, and were now waiting patiently for justice to take its course.
Months passed, and the stay of execution had to be renewed. The road
to Halloway's grew up and I understood that the house had fallen in,
though I never went that way again. Still the court hung fire as to its
conclusion.
"The day set for the execution approached for the third time without the
court having rendered its decision.
"On the day before that set for the execution, the court gave its decision.

It refused to interfere in the case of old Joel, but reversed and set aside
the verdict in that of the younger man. Of a series of over one hundred
bills of exception taken by his counsel as a 'drag-net,' one held; and
owing to the admission of a single question by a juror, the judgment
was set aside in Absalom's case and a new trial was ordered.
"Being anxious lest the excitement might increase, I felt it my duty to
stay at the county-seat that night, and as I could not sleep I spent the
time going over the records of the two cases; which, like most causes,
developed new points every time they were read.
"Everything was perfectly quiet all night, though the village was filling
up with people from the country to see the execution, which at that time
was still public. I determined next morning to go to my home in the
country and get a good rest, of which I began to feel the need. I was
detained, however, and it was well along in the forenoon before I
mounted my horse and rode slowly out of town through a back street.
The lane kept away from the main road except at one point just outside
of town, where it crossed it at right angles.
"It was a beautiful spring day--a day in which it is a pleasure merely to
live, and as I rode along through the quiet lane under the leafy trees I
could not help my mind wandering and dwelling on the things that
were happening. I am not sure, indeed, that I was not dozing; for I
reached the highway without knowing just where I was.
"I was recalled to myself by a rush of boys up the street before me, with
a crowd streaming along behind them. It was the head of the procession.
The sheriff and his men were riding, with set faces, in front and on both
sides of a slowly moving vehicle; a common horse-cart in which in the
midst of his guards, and dressed in his Sunday clothes, with a clean
white shirt on, seated on his pine coffin, was old Joel. I unconsciously
gazed at him, and at the instant he looked up and saw me. Our eyes met
as naturally as if he had expected to find me there, and he gave me as
natural and as friendly a bow--not a particle reproachful; but a little
timid, as though he did not quite know whether I would speak to him.
"It gave me a tremendous shock. I had a sudden sinking of the heart,

and nearly fell from my horse.
"I turned and rode away; but I could not shake off the feeling. I tried to
reassure myself with the reflection that he had committed a terrible
crime. It did not compose me. What insisted on coming to my