Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1832-10-31
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 81. 1882.
From the Neo York Courier.
SUPPOSED MURDER.


5y gentleman from the country. The appalling
discovery, the legal proceedings, and the test''
mony mentioned in the course oil IT, we nave
heard from another source; but feel inclined to
believe that their connexiOn It'll past occurrences,
and the occurrences themselves, have received a
s.rong couring from the imasinations ct our IN
E,rmant and the witnesses who we're examined:
About thirty years ago, small village was
h,iilt IN In one Of the newly settled counties III
,he interior OF this state BY some en'erprizing
individuals. among whom was a.Scotch merchant
nv the name of W. He an unmarried
man. about thirty wears OF ace, OF some educa
tim. frank and social in his disposition, but some
what addicted To the bottle After trading n few
wears with considerable sGccess, he became UNI
cxpectedly the inherior OF large estate IN Scot
land; aud the letter which announced his good
fortune contained also large sum of money. He
immediately commenced arrangements Tor return
ia. home; sold out his establishment to vilIager.
whom we shall designate BY HE name OF A.
-; tonk farewell carouse with his old GUS
toners and croules, with whom he was literally
=. fau, for DAYS thrgther." and departed Tor has
native land a wear or more had elapsed, when
some ct The villagers GOT word--how 1t is NOT
co,ire;etl--:hat w. had never been heard of by
lis friends in Scotland; aud story obtained and
wa, believed, that his gool fnrtune had made
lin mad. ard that he had 'Stiruuk himself TO
death on his way home.
About the same periud pe,ilar (hayirs, as was
believed. a considerable sum Of money with himl
who had put up at the village Tor a lev days, sud-
denly disappeared III a mysterious manner, and
has never since teen heard of The circumstance
is recoilected from his having made deposit with
citizen Of the town. Of a sum OF money, which
ha, never been called for, and which, we believe,
is sill al interest for his Geneht.
MIR. A - and youpgsr brother, on the tie
parturs Of ~. set,up as a merchants in his stead;
aud il mas rema, kahie. thar bsspg men Of small
means aud ORDINARY abilities, iitefs:s, and unac-
oaainted with mercbandise, they nevertheless
managed their concerns viii unexamped success.
They kept large stock of goods, purchased up
the produ, of TIE farmersin the country 10 a
great distance around, were always - flush of
MONEY!" ard, in short, "bought golden opinions
of ali sorts Of people, The elder brother. by
dint OF wise saws and. sread-bare adages. utter.
cd With consequential air. came to be consider
cd a man ct paris. vas appointed magistrate, and
for time sas the oracle of the village and its
vlcirify There was, however, u e,klesness in
the transact, tons Of these men, which made so.
Der people wonder their prosperity, and half in
clined them to believe it would not last forever
gathered round them a knot Of gamblers and loose
characters. until the village, which had never
been in the best eaute Formerly, became under
their auspices, the seat of all manner of iniquty
\ few years wound up their career by fail
ure in business, followed by series of judy,
ments aud executions which swept lands and
chattel,. and reduced them to their former hum
bic condition. The younser brother has man
aged to lead busting lite ever since, wander
ins about the country and ganInga precarious
subsistence as a black leg and a horse- Jockey =
The esquire. "itwas observed, lid n II bear his
mi>tortunes With the utmost ma .nasimity. He
became n moody and unhappy. man, --reslle>s.
uusocial aud absrut.minded when sober. and adj
dlc,ed in his maudlin moments, To moralizipg IN
the vieiss,tuics OF life, aud the vices of the
times These habits gradually increased upon
him. and at length took an aspect, which. for
some wears past. has ,ause, his neighbours to
iouk upon him "a partially deranged
He became subject, at intervals Of different
,eugshs, to parnxisms Of intense mental distress,
dang which he frequently declared himself the
most wretched being IN existence, but from
c.nSe mich no one couidiever know. Ii is said
thar at such seasons he has been known to rise
from his+bed at night, fling himself upon, his
knees, aud pray tor hours IN an agony bordering
ON despair; and perhaps tue next day Hy 10 the
bottle for reief and. under itsinHuence, run in
TO the Opposite extreme OF horrid blasphemy.-
Two otherpcculiarites OF hschsracter have al
so been the subject of rsmafk;-the one pas
s,oa for tales of murder. the most horr'd details
of which he would dwell upon with intense IN
terest;-aud the other, an inordlnate affection
for the small ncnn,en house which he eccu-
pied. This hou>e-the Oldest. perhaps. IN the
village--he had built himself, for his own resi-
dence
After the ownership had passed from him, he
still coDtrived to retain possession, and never
would consent To th' slightest repairs or altera.
tioas being made HIS notions were looked upon
As the whlns of halt crazed man, which it cost
the suod inquired owner notlI0g 80 gr,tify, and
he was suffered to have his viii! When CUM