ner,
looked at him with a glance in which was depicted a sympathy, which,
while it was heartfelt and sincere, was not of sufficient force to
outweigh a conscientious discharge of duty.

"Gentlemen of the jury, how say you? Is the prisoner at the bar
guilty or not guilty?"

With trembling voice the venerable foreman said, slowly:

"Guilty of murder in the first degree!"

The guilty man fell back in his seat, as though he had been struck a
heavy blow, and bowing his head upon the railing, he sobbed wildly.

The trial was over. Justice had triumphed, and this crime-stained
man, who was now the object of so much attention, was decreed to pay
the penalty of his misdeeds.

The mystery of the murder of Henry Schulte had been judiciously
solved, and the detective had triumphed over the assassin.

CHAPTER XXXI.

_Another Chance for Life._--_A Third Trial._--_A Final Verdict._--_and
a Just Punishment._

Immediately upon the rendering of the verdict, the attorneys for
Bucholz moved for an arrest of judgment and filed their reasons for a
new trial.

After a delay of some weeks, an argument was had thereon. It was
contended among other things that one of the jurymen, during the
trial, and while they had not been confined, had spoken of the case
upon which he was engaged, and had expressed an opinion in regard to
the matter which he had been selected to determine.

Upon this fact being shown to the satisfaction of the judges, a new
trial was ordered, and the month of the succeeding February was fixed
as the time for the hearing of the same.

The second trial was had, and although the evidence adduced was the
same as upon the preceding occasion, or if anything stronger and more
convincing, the jury disagreed and were finally discharged.

A remarkable feature of this disagreement was the fact that upon the
final polling of the jury that was taken, the vote given was: For
murder in the first degree, nine; for murder in the second degree,
two; and for _absolute acquittal_, one.

Grave doubts were entertained of the influence which induced that
single vote, but in the absence of any proof to the contrary it must
be regarded as an honest opinion conscientiously given.

Another respite was thus afforded the unhappy prisoner, and the third
trial--now just completed--was fixed for the thirteenth day of April
in the present year.

Again the court has been convened, and the formality of a trial has
been gone throug