The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851, 1851-04-03
NUMBER l.

y
being broken up, gave to view some boards,
which were easily removed; after which
we beheld the mouth of the well.
81 was quite sure it was here" said the
woman. "What fool the old fellow was
to stop it up, and then have so far to go
for water! ~
A sounding-line, furnished with hooks,
was let down into the well; the crowd
pressing around us, and breathlessly bend
ing over the dark and foetid hole, the Sc
crets of which seemed hidden in impene-
trable obscurity, This was repeated sew
eral times without any result At length,
penetrating below the mud, the hooks
caught an old chest, upon the top of which
had been thrown great many large stones
and after much effort and time, we sue
ceeded in raising it to daylight. The sides
and lid were decayed and rotten it need
ed no locksmith to open it; and we found
within, what | was certain we should find,
and which paralyzed with horror all the
spectators, who had not my pre-convictions
we found the remains of human body.
The police-oficers who had accompa-
MED me, now ru he'd into the house, and
secured the person of the old man. As to
his wife, no one could at first tell what had
become Of her. After some search, how
ever, she was found hidden behind a bun
die Of fagots.
BY this time, nearly the whole town had
gathered around the spot; and now that
this horrible fact had come to light, every
body had some crime to tell, which had
been laid to the charge of the old couple.
The people who predict after an event are
numerous.
The old couple were brought before the
proper authorities, and privately and sep
,rately examined The old man persisted
n his denial, most pertinaciously; but his
wife at length confessed, that, in concert
With her husband, she had once-a very
ong time ago-murdered peddler, whom
hey had met one night on the high-road,
md who had been incautious enoug gh to tell
hem of considerable sum of money which
lie had about him, and whom, in conse-
Iuence, they induced 10 pass the night at
heir house. They had taken advantage
'f the heavy sleep induced by fatigue, to
triangle him; his body had been put in
he chest, the chest thrown into the we'll,
md the well stopped up. The peddler
,eing from another country, his disappear
nee had occasioned no inquiry; there was
10 witness of the crime; and as its traces
lad been carefully concealed from every
ye, the two criminals had good reason to
,elieve themselves secure from detection.
They had not, however, been able to ST.
ence the voice Of conscience; they fled
rom the sight of their fellow men; they
rembled at the slightest noise, and silence
hrilled them with terror They had often
ormed the determination to leave the scene
# their crime-to fly to some distant land;
nut still some undefnable fascination kept
hem near the remains of their victim.
Terrified by the deposition of his wife,
nd unable to resist the overwhelming proofs
goinst him, the man at length made SIM
ar confession; and six weeks after, the
nhappy criminals died on the scaffold, in
ccordance with the sentence Of the Parlia-
lent of Toulouse. They died penitent.
The wall was once more shut up, and
he cottage layellod to the ground. 1t was
OF, however, un'l City years had in so,As
leasure deadene1 the mcnCiy OF = to.-l
bic transaction, that the ground was cul-
vated II 10 now q fno fold &c corn