Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1851-10-23
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From the Home Journal
CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
RY MRS. BELL SMITH.

public house in the little village Of s.,
on Lake Erie, were gathered number OF
gossippiug idlers, sea-faring men and
farmers. Although early in the afternoon,
the heavy clouds of an approaching storm
so darkened the shore that candles were
lit. and in their dim light the gathered
crowd listened to the heating of the waves
upon the beach, and the distant roll of
thunder that announced the coming strife.
1t was one of those scenes that occur
when Il mighty tempest comes down on
Erie's inland sea, and the dullest seemed
struck with its impressive grandeur. The
sailors drank from their poisoned cups
with less noise, and the village politicians
were less absorbed in the presidential
election. One of the number seemed
more uneasy than the rest. A young
man of mild, propossessing appearance,
with rifle in his hand, and a powder-horn
slung over his shoulder, for he had but a
few minutes before come in from cunning,
paced to and from the door, looked at the
troubled bay and cloudy sky, and fire.
quentlv asked an old Captain of schoon-
er when he would be able to sail-to-
night?
"To.night? No, sirp he responded to
one of these inquiries; "nor tomorrow,
nor next day, expect This ere storm
looks as if twas goin' to lead off a dance
for a good many tlirlin' ones, and don't
believe in putin out in sich company
it corrupts good manners, as the sayin' is.
You seem to be in Il great hurry, COM
rade 2"
al am. The Sea-Gull brought me i'll
news from home this morning, and | will
double your passage-money if you run
me down to c. to.nig ght."
"Not |, | wouldn't undertake it for
four times the money"
Silenced by this reply, the young man
returned sadly into the house. and sitting
down, thrust his hands into his pockets,
with the dogged air of one who makes mp
his mind to be content with positive
evil.
NJ W had been in s but
few weeks, and although stranger,
had impressed its inhabitants favorably-
so quiet, retiring, and, all thought kind,
was he in manner and disposition. The
business that brought him to the place
was by no means settled, and the intelli-
gence he had received must have been Of
a very pressing nature to make one ma
turally so timid anxious to brave a storm
that caused the hardest sailor to shrink
from duty. He had been sitting with 4
look of gloomy discomfort but short
time, when catter of horses feet were
heard in the street, and a man, pale aud
trembling, stood within the doorway.
His first discordant utterance was the
word Murder" No expression of pain
or terror can send the same deathly chill
to the heart as that one word Of terrible
import; and, paralyzed with stupid sur
prise, the gathered crowd inquifingly
gazed at the brea,hless messenger of evil.
Before he could relate what seemed to
choke his utterance, the sheriff of the
county hastily entered and arrested NJ
W.
"For what" faltered the young man.
"The murder of Millie Woods" was
the stern reply.
1t wanted only this to swell the horri-
bic sensation that had fallen upon the
crowd. NIilIie 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
lovcliness, had won the affection of all
the villagers The circumstances atten-
ding her death were as follows:
The parents, as was frequently their
CUSTOM, lett the house under the charge
of Millie, and had been, the greater part
of the day, making purchases and visit
ing in the village. Hurrying home be-
fore the coming storm, the agonized pa
rents found their house robbed, and their
only child brutally murdered. The news
spread rapidly, and soon the curious and
cooler neghbors were looking carefully
on all marks the violence had left in the
premises. The house, large frame one,
stood some distance from the road. The
front door was found open, all the inner
doors unlocked or broken, every drawer,
chest, press or cupboard forced, and their
contents scattered over The floor. In the
garret, to which place the poor little
creature had probably fled, Millie was
found covered with blood, that flowed
from 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 squirril with one
fore-paw gone, and its head scalped by a
rifle ball. A young man who had been
chopping wood in a neighboring grove
immediatly recognized it as one W
had shot that afternoon he was by, and
picking it up, remarked to W the
excellent shot. W left him in the
direction of Woods house, with the
squirrel in his hand. The handkerchief