Part 10 (1/2)
Language cannot depict the horror which the contemplation of this b.l.o.o.d.y deed caused within me. True, I had myself slain a human being--but then it was done in self-defence, and amid all the heat and excitement of a personal contest. _This_ deed, on the contrary, had been committed, coolly and deliberately; and, although Mrs. Raymond's wrongs were undoubtedly very great, I really could not find it in my heart to justify her in what she had done.
How bitterly I reproached myself for not having adopted some effectual means of hindering the performance of that appalling deed, even at the risk of incurring Mrs. Raymond's severe and eternal displeasure! I felt myself to be in some measure an accessory to the crime; and I feared the law would, at all events, consider me as such.
”What is done cannot be helped now,” said I to Mrs. Raymond, who stood calmly surveying the body of her victim--”come let us leave the house and seek safety in flight. We may possibly escape the consequence of this b.l.o.o.d.y act.”
”No,” said the woman--”_I_ shall not stir an inch. I have relieved the world of a monster, and now I am ready to receive my reward, even if it be the scaffold. But go, my friend--go, and secure your own safety.”
”No, I will not leave you, even if I have to share your fate,” was my reply. That was a very foolish determination, I admit; for how could my remaining with her, do her any good? I was merely placing myself in a position of the utmost peril. But I thought it wrong to desert Mrs.
Raymond in that dark and trying hour; and therefore, as she refused to escape, I resolved to remain with her.
Some one softly opened the door, and a female voice said--
”My dear, are you particularly engaged? May I come in?”
Hearing no reply, the fair speaker entered with a smile on her rosy lips. This lady was the newly-made wife of Livingston. She had been, of course, in happy ignorance of his true character, and of the fact that he was already the husband of several wives.
On seeing us, she evinced surprise, for she knew not of her husband having visitors. Suddenly, her eyes fell upon Livingston's bleeding corpse, which lay upon the floor. On seeing this horrid spectacle, she gave utterance to a piercing scream, and fell down insensible.
That shrill, agonizing scream penetrated every part of the house, and brought all the inmates to the library, to see what had happened. Horror took possession of the group, as they gazed upon the awful scene. For a few minutes, there reigned the most profound silence. This was at last broken by one of the male servants, who demanded--
”Who has done this?”
”I did it,” replied Mrs. Raymond, calmly, ”I alone am guilty. Here is the weapon with which I did the deed. This young man here is entirely innocent; he tried to prevent the act, but I was too quick for him. Let me be conveyed at once to prison.”
Officers being sent for, soon arrived and took us both into custody, notwithstanding the pa.s.sionate protestations of Mrs. Raymond that I had no hand whatever in the affair.
”That must be shown to the satisfaction of higher authorities than we are,” said one of the officers. ”At all events, it is our duty to secure this young man as a witness. If he is innocent, he will doubtless be able to prove it.”
Half an hour afterwards, I was an inmate of the Pittsburg jail, in an apartment adjoining that occupied by Mrs. Raymond, whose real s.e.x still remained undiscovered.
CHAPTER VIII
_An Escape, and a Triumph._
After a few weeks' incarceration, Mrs. Raymond, in accordance with my advice, made known the secret of her s.e.x to the chief officer of the prison, to whom she also communicated the great wrongs which she had suffered at the hand of Livingston. The officer, who was a good and humane man, was deeply affected by this narrative. He immediately placed Mrs. Raymond in a more comfortable room and caused her to be provided with an abundance of female garments, which she now resumed. Her story, of course, was given in all the newspapers; and it excited the deepest sympathy in her behalf. One editor boldly a.s.serted that no jury could be found to convict the fair prisoner under the circ.u.mstances. As regarded my case, the propriety of my immediate discharge from custody was strongly urged, an opinion in which I fully concurred.
I shall dwell upon these matters as briefly as possible. I was first brought to trial, and the jury acquitted me without leaving their seats; Mrs. Raymond was merely convicted of manslaughter in the fourth degree, so great was the sympathy that existed in her behalf, and the judge sentenced her to be imprisoned during the term of two years. Although I considered her particularly fortunate in receiving a punishment so comparatively light, I resolved to effect her liberation in some way or other.
I may as well here remark that the last wife and victim of Livingston never survived the blow. She soon died of a broken heart.
My first step was to repair to Harrisburg, the capitol city of the State, in order to solicit Mrs. Raymond's pardon from Governor Porter, who was renowned, and by some parties strongly condemned, for his constant willingness to bestow executive clemency upon prisoners convicted of the most serious offences.[K] I easily obtained an interview with his Excellency, whom I found to be a very clever sort of personage. Having made known my errand, and related all the particulars of Mrs. Raymond's case, I urged her claims to mercy with all the eloquence of which I was master.
The Governor listened to me with attention; and, when I had concluded, he said--
”My inclination strongly prompts me to pardon this most unfortunate lady; but I have recently pardoned so many convicted prisoners, that the press and the people generally are down on me, and I really dare not grant any more pardons at present. I will, however, commute the lady's sentence from two years to one.”
With this partial concession I was obliged to be contented. The necessary doc.u.ments were made out, and with them I posted back to Pittsburg. When I entered the cell of my fair friend and told her what I had effected in her behalf, she burst into tears of grat.i.tude and joy.
One long year taken off her sentence, was certainly something worth considering.