The Blind Brother: A Story of the Pennsylvania Coal Mines

he aisle and down around the jury-box, an

oath, and he kissed the Holy Bible and swore to "tell

hole

the lawyers and jurors, and across the bar into the hundreds of expect

h wild eyes and face blanched with sudden dread, and, bending over till his great beard swept Pleadw

mus' na be sworn; it's na lawfu'. I'l

een attorney and client, and then, while Rennie sat with his eyes turned steadfastly away from the witness, his huge hand clutching the edge of the

lost himself in the mines. With much skill, he carried the story forward to th

eaker, did you see a man

" repli

ow far f

now; ten f

did h

orner, by the

point did

e loadin

loading-place was it that yo

ree minute

u see h

d

e look? De

nd thin, and ha

nted to Renni

his th

," answe

ith a smile of triumph on his face. The people in the court-

testimony. The prisoner still sat clutching the table, looking blank

ot told it; his testimony was no better than a lie. An awful sense of guilt came pressing in upon him from above,

nce, in that one moment of sile

eized him; a bright, br

flinging the hated hundred dollars down before the astonished Pleadwell, he returned as quickly as he came, stepped into his place with s

ill me, but I'll no' hold back the truth longer for

eople began to applaud. Jack Rennie turned his face toward the boy w

ther! He's a braw lad, an' good luck till him, but it was flyi

he district attorney of Tom, when

on his feet

t answer that question! D

d Tom, awed by th

nnie give yo

, s

turned to

is is a desperate theatrical trick, concocted by the prosecution to prejudice thi

e turned

y was given to you by the defendant's au

r that it was

sustained," said h

ght yet win the day. But the distri

at money to the attorney

led that the question was properly in the line of cross-

ht to it, an' he kno

es it be

r. I only know wh

it given

o last Thu

s it give

leadwell'

Pleadwell

, s

oney was gi

red dolla

pose was it g

d brother away t

o do in consideration o

wer, Pleadwell was a

gone far enough. I protest against my client being prejudi

nect the defendant or his authorized agent," he said, "with the giving of

point. He still felt that

cution, took the witness. "Tom," he said, "did

lied Tom, "but no

ppose you tell

s to ramble over the field of legal and illegal evidence a

within proper limits," said the judg

pped an' listened. An' then I heard a noise in under the loadin'-place, an' then that man," pointing his trembling forefinger to Rennie, "came out, a-kind o' talkin' to h

e by the shoulders, an' he said, 'Don't you speak nor whisper, or I'll take the life o' ye,' or somethin' like that; I can't quite remem

awful; an' then I went with the rest to look at it; an' he was the

h every word, and over among the crowded benches, where the friends of the prisoner were gathered

sence, but on his face there was no sign of disappointment or anger; only

dwell's sleeve,

i' the lad, an' it's no use o' fightin' it. I'll plead guilty noo, an'

tentiary," answered Plead

his chair, as though th

main lang time; I canna stan' that; I canna live thro

witness-stand a boy with a conscience like Tom's; but he knew, also, that if he could get Tom's story out in the shape he desired to, and k

and there was nothing to do

meanor, and turned to

you have just now told on the wit

did," ans

ny way, your alleged knowledge of Jac

, s

concerned at least, and he dismissed the boy from the witness-stand wit

eyes were still wide open with surprise and admiration, a

ne! I'm proud o' ye! an' Bennie'n

his face in his hands and wept. But he felt that a great load had been

witnesses sworn in rebuttal and sur-

is client was concerned, but feeling, also, that he must exert himself to the utmo

ic trick, gotten up by the prosecution for effect; and called parti

and argued that since neither the prosecution, nor the defence, nor any one else, had ever heard one word

h enthusiasm of the man's efforts and bravery in the work of rescue; lashed the corporations for their indifference to the wrongs of the workingmen; spoke piteously of the

but he thought of its effect only as tending

evidence of the detective, taken in connection with all the other circumstances surro

rother; but whose tender conscience, whose heroic spirit, has led him to throw off the bonds which this defence has placed upon him, and, in the face of all the terrors of an order whose words are oaths of vengeance, and whose acts a

to bear upon logic and logic upon law, and eloquence upon both, until, at the close of his address

both to the Commonwealth and to the defendant, directing them that the defendant's guilt must be established, in their minds, beyond

le, after which counsel for the defendant filed exceptions

bringing in of a verdict, and they were not mistaken. It was barely half an hour from the

he clerk of the court, rising,

o a tipstaff, which he handed to the clerk; and t

ir approval, and returned it to the clerk, who glanced ov

ecorded. In the case wherein the Commonwealth is plaintiff and Jack Renn

eads, the clerk resumed his seat, and

, and people began to leave the court

n, while the sheriff, who had advanced to take charge of the

er; not a hair o' his head, nor a mou'-ful o' his bread, noo min' ye-I ha' reasons-the mon that so much as la

courts until the following morning, echoed through the

, I'm waiti

d Rennie held out his hands to receive the handcuffs which the sheriff had taken

Simpson," turning to his deputy, "go down to my offic

but the sheriff

us, will you, Jack?" drawing a revolver from his pocket as he spoke, a

leadwell, he continued, "Good-nicht; good-nicht and sweet dreams till ye!" Jack had never seemed in a gayer mood t

f the sheriff, with a curious expression in his eyes, until the trio started away, and then he

street-lamps shone but dimly through the thick mist, and a fine rain began to fall, as Tom and Sandy hurr

any feet, loud voices, hurried calls, two pistol-shots in quick succession; a huge, panting figure pu

matter?" a

back in the

nnie has