The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1850-06-20

Silenced by this reply, the young
man returned sadly into the house I;
and. sitting down, thrust his hands into
his pocket, with the dogged air of one
who makes up his mind to be content
with positive evil.
had been in s.
but a few weeks, and, although stran-
ger. had impressed its inhabitants favor
ably-so quiet, retiring. and, as all
thought. kind was he in disposition
The business that brought him to this
place was by no means settled, and the
intelligence he had received must have
been of very pressing nature to make
one naturallyso timid anxious to brave
a storm that caused the hardest sailor
to shrink from duty. He had been sit
ting with a look of gloomy discomfort
but a short time, when the clatter OF
horses feet were heard in the street,
aud a man, pale and trembling, stood
in the door way. His first discordant
utterance was the word "Murdern'
No expression of pain or terror can
send the same dealthy chill TO the
heart as that one word of terrible inn
port: and. paralyzed with stupid sur
prise. the gathered crowd inquiringly
gazed at the breathless messenger of
evil. Before he could relate what
seemed to choke his utterance, the
sheriff of the county entered hastily
and arrested NV.
aFor whatm faltered the young
mani a mn,a., Of m;,l;s Woods. wa,
the stern reply.
1t wanted this only to swell the hor-
rible sensation that had fallen upon the
crowd. Millie Woods. little girl ten
or twelve years Of age, was the only
child ..of respectable parents living
within mile of s., and in her
sprightly loveliness had won the affec-
tions Of all the villagers. The circum-
stances attending to her death were as
follows: The parents, as was frequently
their custom. left the house under the
charge of Millie, and had been the
greater part of the day making pur-
chases and visiting in the village
Hurrying home before the coming
storm, the agonized parents found their
house robbed, and their only child
brutally murdered. The news rapidly
spread, and soon the curious and cooler
neighbors were looking carefully on all
marks the violence had left in the pre-
misses. The house. large frame one,
stood some distance from the road
The front door was found open, all the
inner locks unlocked or broken. every
drawer, pres, chest or cupboard forced,
and their contents scattered over the
floor. In the garret, to which place
the poor little creature had probably
fed. Millie was found, covered with
blood that flowed from a stab in her
side, her little hand grasping an old
bed post, while around her neck q white
handkerchief was slightly knotted-
Upon the floor of the hall one Of the
neighbors picked up squirrel with one
fore-paw gone, and its head scalped by
a rife ball. A young man who had
been chopping wood in a neighboring
grove Immediately recognised it as one
w. had shot that afternoon; he was by,
and picked it up, remarking to w. the
excellent shot. w. left him in the
direction of Woods house, with the
squirrel in his hand. The handker-
chief unwound from Miles neck had
the letters NJ. w. in one corner. True
these were the initials of Miles own
name, but her mother positively avowed
she owned no such article. Satisfied
with these circumstances the officer at
once arrested w. From the time the
murder was discovered to that of WIS
arrest was just two hours.
The prisoner was hurried to the near
est magistrate, and the evidence have
detailed given before him. In addition
to this, spots of fresh blood were found
on his coat sleeve, and as Woods had
been robbed Of some gold and silver
coin, Of q peculiar character, two or
three of these pieces were found upon
the unfortunate mans person. This
rivetted the fatal link, and the crowd
grew furious. Little Millie, SO good,
so loved and loving. all remembered as
a child of their own, and she to be
butchered f.r gold-the law seemed
too slow and mild for vengeance; and
the great crowd now swelled to hum
dreds, swayed to and fro shouting
angrily for blood.
A convict bat lately from prison, has
tened forward with rope, threw it over
a post, while some of the citizens in
answer to this mute suggestion, hurried
tie unfortunate prisoner towards the
gallows.
"Oh gentlemen p screamed the young
man, frightened At what appeared his
inevitable fate" have mercy upon
mel am innocent-indeed ! am-l
have mercy
His voice was drowned in q roar from
the crowd. 1Who had mercy on little
Mile! kill him, kill him ~ aud again
they pushed him towards the fatal post.
.Oh, God 7" cried the unhappy man
in bitter anguish and trembling like 4
child; awill no one pity me! have
> widowed nother-nercy-mercy-|
wait little while only little while.n
One alone answered this last appeal.
A young lawyer Of eminent ability, !,