The All-Story, March 1914 — page 158: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE MAN WHO COULD NOT The Herr President read approval in the eyes of the distinguished person- ages present and waxed eloquent on his thence. He threw veiled threats at the advocate whose duty to the state it was to prosecute the accused. He called upon Count Florenz to speak in his own behalf and gave him every chance to exculpate himself, Alulord, however, took not the slightest advan- tage of any of these things. “T shot Von Lehmann in cold blood as he stood chatting on the curbstone with a girl. Yes, I intended to kill him. I had five more bullets in inv re- volver if that first one had not done its work sufficiently well.” “But.” stammered the embarrassed judge—‘ but, sir, the deceased had done you some mortal injury. had he not? You surely had suffered indig- nity at his hands? Had he not circu- lated slander concerning you, or— or—”’ “None of those things,” replied Count Florenz calmly. “I simply killed him on general principles.” * And have you no defense at all to make for yourself, milord? This girl with whom you saw the deecased talk- ig~—was she not an old friend?” “No. She was a little girl—a mere child, in fact. J never saw her before, though I think that I could recognize her ic ever I saw her again. But why prolong all of these formalities? [I admit any and all of the allegations that the court may have registere«l against me in the affair. Your sen- tence cannot exceed the severity of my own intents a few moments previous to the shooting.” There seemed nothing else to be done. The man was plainly determined to die, so the Flerr President adjourned his jurymen, with the final injunction that mercy is a quality highly com- mended in holy Scriptures. The jury was closeted for seven minutes. On their return it was announced that “though manifestly circum- stances made Florenz, Count von ' stein, DIE. 631 Regenstein, guilty of having des- patched Ottaker von Lehmann with a revolver, and that without provoca- tion, on the 20th day of May, in this, the Imperial City, yet was it deemed and decided that, for reasons which would be entered upon the private rec- ords of the court, a sentence of life lWprisonment should be imposed upon the said Florenz, Count von Regen- instead of capital punishment, advised of in the statutes.” Pandemonium broke loose. Hats were thrown into the air, fists shook; there were catcalls, cheers, curses, de- risive jeers. Hardly could the attendants and police officers keep the excited mob from overflowing the floor of the court-room. ‘They had to club their swords and hustle everybody out as fast as possible. There was a rush of old comrades for the reprieved man, who sat as if stunned in the dock. Max Sigismund, lord of Loewen- hofen, embraced hum, shouting con- eratulations. The old Baron von Munsterbure clapped him kindly on the shoulder. “Well, my boy, it seems that we saved you in spite of your asinine self,” he said, smiling beneath his white beard. Count Florenz’s face was livid. pushed them all away from him. lips curled back in a snarl. “Saved me, blockheads, and for what?’ he rasped. ‘ Have I not said that I wanted to die? Do you think that I, a Regenstein, will drag out my days to decrepitude behind prison bars? You have not given me life, but living death, when what I craved Was extinction. You have damned ime utterly.” “Hot blood!” growled the old ba- ron sagely. “ \When you have reached my age, young Sir, you will look upon things far differently.” “Rest assured that I shall never reach your age behind prison bars,” Ie Tits retorted milord, and neddedotocchas