Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 18, 1925 — page 120: what you’re looking at

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

a wh A al ee ! le mw if uh Wee Sy MALY) Ve wy a4 4 vi 270 “put it’s obvious that he has come to life only at the demand of his star witness. His star witness might be mistaken for his client, if a prosecuting attorney could have a client. It would be interesting ‘to inquire into the peculiar relations between Mr. Creevy and that witness; but it would be beside the point. The point is, says Mr. Creevy, that I must prove Klien had no gun when he was shot. I must prove that T killed him in self-defense.” “Yo’re damned right, you gotta prove it!” snarled Farley. ‘Well, ave 1?” Cosgrove hurled this startling demand into the face of the as- tonished judge with a cry that to Hazel Farley had in it the horrifying suggestion of despair. ‘“‘ Consider the evidence I have given you, your honor. Consider, gentle- men of the jury, the testimony I have elicited from the witnesses you have heard. I have proven that the prosecution is ac- tuated by some desperate motive which makes Wert Farley and Cliff Lederer will- ing to kidnap me to keep me out of this court and prejudice you against me. I have proven that the prosecuting attorney him- self appears to be more like the hired attorney of Lederer and Farley than the attorney for the people. “T have proven that these men are crooked, and all their efforts to discredit me have, only resulted in their own discredit. I have proven to you all that I stand before you as a Citizen and a native of this place; that I have held my own in fair fight against unfair opponents; that they have brought hired assassins to betray me, and that I have never needed to use foul means to overcome them. “In face of that is there need for me to go further? Does it seem to you that with everything to gain by using fair means, as I have proved I am capable of using, I should stain my hands or my reputation by using foul? Does it seem to you that the kind of man who would take on Cliff Lederer, who admits he is quick with his gun in fair fight, would shoot another man unarmed?” He paused a moment, permitting his logic to sink home. “Tf it comes to that,” he cried, ‘I need ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. never have come back to this place! I could have made my way in the world at any place where fortune took me. Here in Manford I knew there were enemies. I knew that the most dangerous of men, who, having always hated my father, would surely carry on their feud against the son, were only waiting for my return. I knew that to return here would be to risk my life, ‘and yet I returned. “TI returned because it is my home; and I returned at the call of one who needed help. Was that the deed of a coward? Was that the action of a mur- derer. And more. I can tell you this, be- cause to conceal it would be to conceal the most potent argument against such a rash folly as this of which I’m accused. Gen- tlemen, when this trial is over I expect to become the happiest man in the world. There is one woman who is the finest and bravest and most desirable of all God’s creatures. When this trial is over I am going to marry that woman; and it has been my intention to marry her since long before the morning when Klien died. “ Now I ask you, gentlemen—I ask you, your honor—would a man with the greatest hour of his life before him, a man planning to take unto himself the only girl in the world and with her make a home in his native country, would such a man jeopar- dize that sacred future by committing murder? Would the punishment of the most black-hearted scoundrel in the world justify such a man sticking his head in a noose?”’ He put the question with a hot, pas- sionate energy that challenged high heaven to deny him. And Farley did. “ Fireworks!” he bellowed. “ That ain’t evidence. You can’t prove a damn thing with words!” “No!” cried Cosgrove, whirling upon Farley. “No! Not -words! Calumny! Slander! The desecration of everything mnocent, decent, and pure! That’s what you would have! ‘“ Gentlemen of the jury, place yourselves in my position. If you possessed the sacred confidence and love and devotion of a woman whom you expected to make your wife, would you not protect that sacred ° - <— » = * < _ . s | tate = - : - ——- es : Ae ih ae —_—— —~ Se | Peer =~ > S = - "|GOoOomiGoaec 0 . = : | he ww * I * » *. ~ i " SS a S ee — * < a : ta. ~S