▁of ▁Qu arter ▁S essions ," ▁and ▁the ▁town ▁was ▁located ▁on ▁the ▁route ▁of ▁Abraham ▁Lincoln ' s ▁fun eral ▁train , ▁strongly ▁suggesting ▁that ▁his ▁Ch ilder st own ▁is ▁also ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Plot ▁introduction ▁The ▁novel ▁has ▁a ▁pro log ue ▁of ▁several ▁court ▁do cket ▁entries ▁in ▁the ▁case ▁of ▁Commonwealth ▁v . ▁Stanley ▁How ell ▁and ▁Robert ▁B asso . ▁The ▁first ▁entry , ▁dated ▁May ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 9 , ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁three ▁defend ants ▁in ▁a ▁case ▁of ▁capital ▁murder — Ro bert ▁B asso , ▁Stanley ▁How ell , ▁and ▁Roy ▁Lem ing — have ▁all ▁been ▁declared ▁ind igent ▁and ▁had ▁att or ne ys ▁appointed ▁for ▁them . ▁A ▁second , ▁dated ▁June ▁ 1 2 , ▁indicates ▁that ▁the ▁trial ▁of ▁B asso ▁and ▁How ell ▁has ▁been ▁sever ed ▁from ▁that ▁of ▁Lem ing , ▁now ▁def ended ▁by ▁an ▁att orney ▁of ▁question able ▁character . ▁ ▁The ▁defend ants ▁and ▁their ▁victim ▁are ▁all ▁" fore ign ers — the ▁people ▁from ▁somewhere ▁else ." ▁They ▁have ▁been ▁charged ▁with ▁the ▁cold - blo oded ▁murder ▁of ▁a ▁drug ▁deal er ▁and ▁add ict , ▁Frederick ▁Z ol lic of fer , ▁whom ▁they ▁had ▁kid n apped ▁for ▁r ans om ▁on ▁April ▁ 6 , ▁and ▁killed ▁afterwards ▁on ▁or ▁about ▁April ▁ 1 7 , ▁possibly ▁at ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁a ▁fourth ▁criminal ▁who ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁fall