, 1840-09-19

revenge tor having been whipped the night
before. This rash assertion instantly con-
frmed her guilt, for it was quite evident a
child Of five years old could never invent
such a story, and the burst of Indignation
against the mother for her unnatural charge
told the strong feeling that was already ava
kened against her. The girl was still over
come with terror and kept in awe by the
suasion and promises Of protection before she
would reveal where the money was hidden.
At length she pointed TO the spot, and the
sum of thirty dollars was dug up, the misera.
bic amount for which a female demon had
launched a human being into eternity.
The investigation was continued; the wo-
man was placed in custody, and the pond
about a quarter of a mile wide, was dragged
with graphing irons in all directions, yet no
body was discovered. The next day the
search went on with like success. and at
length, when all other efforts seemed useless,
it was suggested that the pond might be
drained dry and by this process the body
must inevitably come to light. This plan,
after some further search. I'm which the pole
mentioned by the child was found, stained
with blood and with some remnants of appa
rel attached to it) was adopted by the au-
thorities, and a sIuice was dug to let the wa
ter off down the hill side. The operation
occupied some time, and when at length a
vent was opened, tine impetuous rush Of the
water swept away near the whole bank of
the pond upon the hill side, letting off the flood
at one bound, followed by a mass Of pitch,
black mud, dead logs, fresh water turtles, cat
fish, paddocks, eels, water snakes, and all the
strange tenants of the pool. Still the body
did not appear, and after a thorough examin-
Of the black bottom of the pond, vague
suspicious of some other kind of roguery be-
gan to be entertained by the crowd. The
child was again examined, the pond was
again scraped, the "interval,'' over which
the dark sediment and filth of the pond now
lay a foot deep, was carefully inspected in
directions, and still the dreadful mystery
was unexplained.
The evidence Of The child, the finding of
the knife, the pole, the money, the woman's
strong appearance Of guilt, all proved that a
heartless and horrid human butchery had
been perpetrated, and the ~fruitless search az
the body seemed but to add new terror 10
he excitement. Who was the unfortunate
stranger? evidently some traveller from a
distance, for nobody in the neighborhood was
Why could the body not be found!
Ten thousand conjectures flew around, each
Of which only added to the perplexing mys-
cry. A strange uncertainty forced itself up
IN the minds of the people. BY all appear
lnces it seemed certain that the murdered
nan had never been thrown into the pond at
Ill, yet that the bloody deed had been perpe.
rated was, from the evidence, conclusively
established.
Thus the affair continued enveloped in
darkness, and all hope was abandoned of dis.
the body. The woman could not
'e convicted upon'the evidence of the child,
nd that evidence itself could not be substan.
lated without the finding Of the body. So,
1hile every person was satisfied of her guilt,
was clear nothing but her own confession
would ever bring the murderess within the
owero OF the law. She with unf1inchinp OBJ
tinacy, continued to deny all knowledge of
he murder, and at length, she was actually
from confinement, no possibility APP
caring OF ever being able TO secure her con- |
lotion.
A few months passed on. and the "inter. I
ar' upon which the pond had been emptied, ,
nd which before had been almost worthless. =
DIV grew to be a rich and flourishing piece s
f land, and people would remark that the c
of the big pool had at least proved q
good thing for the Yankee tavern keeper ,
no owned the ground below. i
Now for the development of this mystic C
Gus tragedy. A quarrel occurred between
!e heroine of the story and the innkeeper n
the sinterval." In her evaporation she =
forward and threw a blaze OF light I'D. .
l this bloodchilling mystery, which at once
,ened all eyes wide with establishment. A
was laid open, the intricate and cum.
ngly devised wheels Of which could never
been set in motion but by a genuine
ed and born and thoroughly educated son 6
Yankee land. The tavern keeper want. /
his land improved, he wanted the pond Ia
rned on to it, and soon hit upon a plan to =.
We the job done free of expense. He laid ',
wake three nights, matured his plan. con. Of
acted with the poor oman for fifty dollars til
put it in operation, and she with the assis- hi
nee of a consulnmately artful child carried W
out. She killed a pig, smeared a knife and p
pole, taught her child the story to tell, and a