Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-08-14

voices in breath.
lie was too far off for me to distinguish more
than that he was dark horse-say about as much
so as mine. | could distinguish the pommel of the
saddle and the stirrups hyngp
'Stoner's horse was dark bay was buzzed a.
round the table, in low tones, every one looking
seriously in his neighbours face.
'Yesp said the Squire, rising and stepping to
the window 'Stoner's horse was good deal like
yours: he must have got away from him and that
| is what detains him. But then the nag was very
kind creature and well trained. | wonder it should
! have behaved SOP
Don't believe bay would have done it, Squire
said one of the men. Something's gone wrong
think! Was the bride down, Mr. Henry%
1t was too far off for me to tell. followed in
the direction the horse took, and soon found myself
here, and expected to find it here toop
No, Stoner's is beyond here said the Squire
That wagon trail you were turning and twisting
about in, is road had opened to a number Of
board trees we cut and rivited out there you might
have followed it for hours and not been more than
mile or so from the place you started from That
ghost OF yours by the way may be some crazy fell
low, who has wandered off into these parts with
mischief in him. Did you hear no gun?
Il thought | did--aboNt an hour after parting
with the man, devil, or whatever he was-but the
sound was so faint and distant, that for fear |
might be mistaken, did not go to it and the road
had turned so frequently, | could not tell whether
Here the driver interposed saying that he had
heard a rifle about that time on the right, but sup
posing it to be Stoner or Henry, he thought moth
ing of it. And half laughing discussion follow
ed as to the probable character of the wood ghost
Henry had reported olson asserting that he
was quizzing us for these men were too much &c
customed to the cXlgencies of a hunters life to be
for more than a moment seriously affected by the
circumstances of Stoner's non arrival. In the
midst of this, horses feet were heard galloping
up to the door, and a loud IIilloar followed The
squire rose hastily and went out. In a moment af-
ter he entered looking pale and excited.
Tom Dix lone of Stoner's neghbors) says that
his horse has come home without rider the reins
upon his neck, and clot of blood upon the pun
mel Of the saddle. Boys, he's been shot! Just as
suspected from the firstp
The crazy mani calculated several. Strange
Very mysterious business = said others.
Il tell you what said the Squire, after pause,
has struck me from the first 1t is that this strange
looking fellow Henry saw, mstook him for Stoner
until he looked into his face, for lIenry's horse and
general appearance are not unlike his, and when he
found that he was wrong got out Of the way and
went on till he met Stoner HIMSELF and has shot
him.
No doubt of it ? said several
But IT'S very mysterious affair." continued he,
know Of no such looking man in this region as
Henry described; but at any rate he will be hunt
ed down tomorrow, for Stoner was one of the Reg
uators, and Hnch is perfect blood hound He
can hardly escape him-crazy or not crazyr
This seemed to me the most satisfactory solution
of the difficulty, and as it was too dark Tor us to
do any thing that night, we resumed our seats TO
discuss over and over again these details: while
the Squire sent off a messenger summoning Hnch
ana the Regulators to be on the ground early in
the morning!
Before sunrise in the morning. IInch arrived
with six men. | was walked by his loud clustering
] L H., I ~
derstood, about Henry calling his story about the
meeting with the remarkable parsonage all humbug
and asserting his belief that if a murder had
been committed, Henry was its author. Our host
quieted him in some way, and when we came out
to join them he greeted with a snarling sort of
cvility. He was thicb-set, broad -shoudered,
burly-looking wretch, with blood-shot eyes, and
face bearing all the marks of riotous debauchery.
Our search was for several hours entirely unsuc-
cesstul, until Henry by accident found the place
where he had encountered the Bearded Ghost, as
some one christened him. Here one of the keen
eyed hunters found the traces of large moccasin-
ed foot. These were pursued for several miles
and lost, but on spreading our line and continuing
the same general course for some distance further,
we at last found indeed the body of Stoner 1t had
been so much mutllated by the wolves and ravens,
| that little examination was made of the bones.-
| We gathered them together to carry them home to
his family, and in doing this, noticed the fracture
of bullet through the back Of the skull. 1t had
been stripped bare of flesh and both eyes plucked
out by the birds, and was too shocking an object
for close examination But what puzzled all par
ties most was, the discovery, short distance off,
Of the trail of a shod horse. Now, there was per-
haps not horse in Shelby county that wore shoes,
and certainly not one in our party. Shoeing is new
er thought of, being unnecessary where there are
no stones This was as perfect a poser as even
lIenry's story, and threw yet greater air of in
applicability around the affair 1t was thought that
this track might be easily traced to any distance
but after worrying about it for several days. it was
given up in despair, and the Regulators fatgned,
and disheartened, scattered for their respective
homes.
But one of their number never reached his
Being missed for two days, there was a general
turnout to look for him; and MS had been the case
with Stoner, his body was found torn to pieces by
the wolves. The report was that he had been shot
through the back of the heads
These murders, and the singular circumstances
l accompanying them, created great sensation Hnch
and his troops secured the country in every direc-
ton, arresting and ynchng suspicious persons, as
they called them. One poorinoffensive fellow they
hung and cut down four or five times, to make him
: confess but nothing was elected; and they left
: him with barely spark OF life.
g Tha! evening as they were returning to then
I headquarters at the store, one Of them named
. Winter, missed portion Of his horse furniture
+ which had become accidentally detached. lie
i said he had observed it in its place a mile back
that he would return to get it, and Join them at the
n store, by the time they should be ready TO com
Is mence the spree they had determined on going into
p that night. He left them, and never returned
They soon got drunk, and did not particularly no
II tce his absence until some time the next day, wher
his family, alarmed by the return of his horse will
+ an empty saddle, sent 10 inquire after him. Th,
g sort Of inquiries had come to be so significant o
II late, that they instantly sobered and mount
p ing, rode back on their trail Very soon swarm
y of buzzards and wolves, near line of thckets a
head, designating the whereabouts of the object o
It their search and there they found his leshles
If bones scattered every side. They were appall
c ed The reddest-boated cheek among then
o blanched 1t was terrible They seemed to be
is doomed! Three of their number dead and torn t.
e pieces within ten days; and yet not the sghtes
o clue 10 The relentless and invisible foe. but TIM