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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 13, 1912)
8 THE SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE SECTION if". tj in mi.-: I' An Accomplishment that has made Clothing History A year ago StyleplusClothes were unknown outside of this factory. For sometime previous to that we had heen concentrating our en tire energy on the production of what we planned to he the great est clothes values in America. Today Styleplus Clothes are known the length and hreadth of this entire country; known among the leading makers of good clothes as one of the great est manufacturing accomplish ments in the whole history of the trade; known among retailers as one of the most remarkable values they ever offered the pub lic. They are today known to tens of thousands of consumers for their unsurpassed style; beau tiful, pure-wool fabrics and ex quisite workmanship. No event in clothes in recent years has made such a strong impression as the advent of 117 Styleplus Clothes "The tame price the world over. " Back of these garments stands the life work of America's first and largest manufacturer of clothing. To his foresight, aggressiveness and persistent effort to increase the values in middle-priced clothes, to his untiring energy, the men of America largely owe the present high character of the styles, quality of fabrics and excellence of workmanship found in medium-priced garments. StyleplusClothes $17 are nobby in style, of all-wool and all-wool-and-silk fabrics, hand tailored, completely protected ana sold under a strict guarantee. Look up the Styleplus agent near you and try on a Styleplus suit or overcoat. Look for the Stylt-plus label in the coat. Look for the Style plus guarantee in the pocket. If there is no Styleplus agent near you, write for Style folder and samples of Styleplus fabrics. HENRY SONNEBORN & CO. Baltimore, Mi At Ml. CONFESSION fyRALPH A- GRAVES OHN REXXER, stand up! Have you anything to say why the sentence of death should not be passed upon you at this time?'' "May it please the Court, I am t lie guilty man." A moment of stunned silence fol lowed the confession. Then, a storm of hysteria swept over the packed court room ; for it was not the boyish prisoner who had spoken, but Wilton Clark, the grave young attorney, counsel for the defense, who had fought a brave but losing fight in the most sensational mur der trial ever held in Kaleb County. "Order in the Court! Order in the Court!" yelled the sheriff ineffectually, as soon as he had recovered sulliciently from the shock to remember his duty; but it was many minutes before the shouts and wild cries of five hundred excited men and women could be stilled. And during all the confusion Clark stood erect and impassive, gazing in tently at young Rentier who he bad so dramatically snatched from the shadow of the gallows. Henner, who had risen at the command of the judge, seemed overcome at the confession and had fallen limply into bis chair, where be sat gazing without understanding at the young lawyer. Across the court room there came a young girl in deep mourning. She stood for a moment at Rentier's side; then, she rested one band on bis shoulder and with the other took the boy's hand from the arm of his chair. The prisoner bowed his bead over the girl's hand and bis body was shaken with sobs, while tears of joy coursed down her checks and fell upon his hair. When order. bad been restored Clark, whose eyes had been fi.xed on the girl in black and oil the prisoner, turned to the judge: "If the Court please, 1 beg that I be allowed to make a full confession now, in order (hat I may dispel any linger ing doubt as to the innocence of the prisoner who has been under unjust suspicion for many weeks. I think I have the courage to say more, perhaps, at this moment than if the Court should adjourn until a later hour." The judge demurred; but upon the insistence of the young attorney, who pleaded that it was the only reparation be could make his client, the self-accused took the stand. Rentier, dry-eyed but still dazed, held tightly the hand of the girl in black, lie stared at the lawyer as if under some hypnotic power. "Let me say in the beginning that 1 have been able to divert suspicion from myself thus far," began Clark, "be cause of the splendid faith and trust of my unfortunate client. When I took charge of bis case I exacted from him a solemn promise that whatever course 1 should pursue during the trial was to be accepted without question by him. He was to be absolutely in my hands'. This promise was the more sac.ed and binding between us than between the average lawyer and client, because of the existence of a bond of lifelong friendship. "In order that the Court may not be led to suspect any Damon-and-Pythias motive in this confession, however, I must ask indulgence for the elaboration of the circumstances that led up to the crime, the details of the tragedy iiself and, finally, the feelings that have prompted my belated eo.ucsion. "My success in divcrtii. suspicion I believe to be due to the tr.l Inat the murder was unpremedita'c.t Had I taken the precautious of a er; ninal to destroy evidence of my guilt, some clew inevitably would have pointed to me. But J am getting ahead of my story. "First, as to the motive: "I left this town more than three years ago for Chicago. I was more or less successful there, in the law; but well, it 's purely a personal matter that I was not happy. At all events, the future held no promise of joy or contentment for me. I was alone and lonely. I am without family, and I had been forgotten by most of my friends here; so, J felt t lint there would be no long regrets if my silence of three years were to become perpetual. "1 had decided to end my life. It was while 1 was planning the easiest and simplest way of leaving the world that I received a letter from Frank Mr. Rentier telling me of bis pitiful love story. The Court has been en lightened concerning that sad romance through the searching cross-examination of the prosecution. But it is not easy to imagine the effect that this let ter had upon me, who also had who was contemplating a selfish release from the world's worries. I realized the hope lessness of my young friend's life, as he would have to live it when Esther Miss Ban in should become the un willing wife of a man of her own faith. "It was with this letter before me, at the moment when I had determined to die, that 1 decided I would make one genuine effort to bring happiness to two friends before obliterating myself. It was really a very small thing to do. YOiatever should be the outcome. I would have the satisfaction of having Irinl to do something worth while; and, in any event, 1 could not increase the woe of these two. "I started for this town the same night, undecided what means I should adopt to bring about the union of my friends; but murder was not in my heart. It has never been. "I reached here at midnight on June 17. Neither Frank nor Esther knew of my coming. I realized that all pleas for breaking I lie engagement between Esther Miss Ramii and young Klein would be worse than useless. I have long been acquainted with both families, and know that filial loyalty alone transcends the passion of race prejudice with both the Baums and the Kleins. My only hope was to bulldoze young Klein into ending the engage ment, and then to depend upon Frank to take the initiative in an elopement. "As soon as I left the train, I went immediately to Frank's apartment bouse. The elevator boy bad gone for the night; so, I left my suitcase in the office behind the telephone desk, and went out again without advising Frank of my arrival. I did not want him to know of my coming until I could bring to him the joyful news of Klein's promise to break the engagement. "It was raining and I wore my mackintosh buttoned high around my neck, with a slouch bat pulled over my eyes. I had no intention of concealing my identity, but it was naturally so construed by witnesses at the trial. 1 had not, at that time, any idea that there would be a necessity for me to try to evade the law. "It was an easy matter for me to gain access to young Klein's room on the first floor of his home. The window was up, as (lie night had been very sultry before the rain. I was not armed. I did not consider it neceary; lor. y: see 1 hate to speak disparag ingly of the dead, but this is essential in order that you may understand all my actions I knew Klein to be well, to say the least, not physically brave. I had otir;- seen him, when a boy, en dure all sorts of ridicule it' he could I hereby escape a fight with a playmate; and it was on his dread of pain and his maniacal fear of death that I relied to accomplish my end. "He was sleeping soundly as T en tered the room; it was in semi-darkness, the rays from the electric light at the corner showing me the position of the furniture and also casting a streak of white across the table at the foot of the bed, and falling across Klein's face on the pillow. As I tiptoed past the table, I saw a little silver paperknife the one over there and I remember smiling to myself as I picked it up and thought how Klein would shudder when I touched his flesh with its sharp point. I leaned over him and called him. He did not stir at first. I shook him, and he opened his eyes slowly. It was fully half a minute be fore he became conscious of the fact that there was some one in the room with him. Then, a look of wild, insane fright shone in his eyes. 1 had hoped for that effect upon him. " 'If you utter a sound you are a dead man,' 1 whispered. He lay per fectly still, gazing up at nie with in describable terror. I do not think he heard another word I said; for there was no glint of understanding in his expression. Everything was working out just as I had wished it. thus far. I held the paperknife over him. He could see the gleam of the metal as the light from the arc lamp struck it. " 'I want you to swear to me that you will never marry Esther Hauni. If you promise me and then break that promise, I shall find a way to kill you; for 1 have friends who will pursue you even if 1 am put in prison. You must promise to break this engagement to morrow, and swear that you will give no reason for taking this step. Swear!' "As I hissed the last word, I brought the paperknife toward his throat." Clark's voice dropped to an awed whisper when he reached this point in his story. All eyes in the court room were upon him, and no one thought of glancing at young Renner who sat with his features as if frozen, his lips parted in dry horror. There was a moment's pause; then, Clark continued: "His eyes seemed fairly to bulge from his head, and I inwardly con gratulated myself upon the splendid success of my scheme. But, as I brought the paperknife down until the point touched bis throat God! There was a frightful shudder, followed by a hideous contortion of every muscle in the boy's body. He writhed in a con- (Continued on Page 18 ) The modern poett are Mid to be the Ad-writers: study them.