The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-01-30
DREADFUL CASE OF MURDBR!- AT
TEMPTED sUICIDEl

The traveller who, in the good old coaching
days, may have journeyed from London to lotk, ,
will most probably reCollect near the village OF
Peppercorn, pretty little villa which the coach
man would polut out to him by the name Of
LadyOrd Lodge. 1t was a sweetly secluded
spot, surrounded by beautiful trees, with pud-
die hole dignified by the name Of tisn pond,
and yew clipped into the shape Of peacock,
which was perpetuaIly casting his tail, or bis
legs, or hall his body, or doing something equal
ly unnatural. Then the garden was SO taste
fully laid out with eccentric paths that led to
nowhere, and oval beds, and half moons, and
full moons, and all sorts of stars; and there wa:
an arbor, the grand resort Of all the spiders IN
the country, in which-but why should dwell
upon things that are no more? | am writing
now Of years gone by. Alas the railway came
and went straight through the dining room and
the diary, and over the peacock and the puddle
hole, aud left wreck behind.
However, in those happy times, Ladybird
Lodge was tenanted by Mr.. Jeremiah Pincbbeck.
his wife, two children, and variety of servants
Mr.. Pinchbeck liked the place and he liked the
arbor to smoke quiet pipe in; and his wife
liked the peacock, and was continually tumbIng
off three steps OF a ladder in her attempts to
snip its head square; and the children liked the
poud, and regularly fell in three times a day,
but fortunately it was not deep enoughto drown
them. in short, every one was satisfied with
every thing excepting the coal hole, and tint
gave Mr.. Jeremiah PinchbeCk great uneasiness
for the fact was that the coal hole was built
about ten yards from the house, and the Pep
percornitcs (who from time immemOrial have
been famed for their dishonest propeusities)
took advantage Of this circumstance to supply
themselves with coal at Mr.. jeremiah expense.
ii he put locks on the door, they picked them;
if he put bars and bolts, they broke them; if he
put mao traps they never walked into them
out somehow or other either he or Mrs P or
the children, did-so he gave hem up. There
was some coal fetched away every night. Out
Of five tones he hal in last week they mad stU-
len two and halt; It was getting too barGiaCed
and he would stand it no longer tomorrow he
would see what could be done to stop IL" and
murmuring this, Mr. PinChbeCk turned on his
side and dropped asleep. How long he slept he
did not know, but he was awakened by a most
tremendous clatteung among his coal
My dear, Mr. Jeremiah Whispered giving
his wife shake-'My dear, they are at il
again
"WelI, and what then3' inquired his spouse
who dlsli Ied being disturbed in her siumbers.
As Mr.. PinchbtCk did not know how to reply
to this query, he remarked that he thought he
mad better get up.
"And, upon my word, he added, If sec
them l'll shoot EN-. BY Jove, wonder where
my pistol Isl Do you know, my lOvei'
Mrs Jeremiah did not know, but there il
little doubt she had put it somewhere for Jere
mah had only one, an old flint and steel affair
and she had an idea in her head that if 1t wa
left lying about it would 90 off-which va
very nkely-so she was always hiding it. MI
Jeremiah CROPPED about in drawer where h
thought he mad seen it about three months be
fore, and by some extraordinary CircumstauC
found it. lie got the powder flask and put
charging in, when it suddenly occurred to hi
that he not any bullets. At this moment Il
noise in the coal hole was renewed with gre
vigor
My dear, said he, trembling violently,
think they have presentiment that ] am con
ing and so are running off.
Poor jeremiah, hOw devoutly he wished th,
were
Jeremiah, do 20 and look ont the back vii
dow said his wife ,she was beginning to
frightened now. do 90 and see what thl
are doing. I'm sure they are breaking into tt
house"
''Yes, my love, am going" was the repl
"as soon as | can get something to fitin the pj
tol for bullet" And he tried to cram a
sorts Of things in, and at last succeeded in ge
ting his knife and a small key down the barre
He would then have liked to called the Sc
wants, but they were all women, and would Il
be of much service, and, besides, the pst
made him very bold, so he advanced firmly
the window and looked out. The moon "
shining brightly but he could see nothing. II
made him boder still. So having inform
the people in the yard Gf there were any Il
he "was coming" and moreover, that he 8hou
shoot the first man he saw, dead, he undld
bolts of the back door and stood in the op
air. He had never before noticed what a stro
resemblance every tree bore to robber; but
grasped his pistol firmly, and walked slow
towards the coal hole
1t is astonishing how the cool ar cooIs
man courage At every step Mr.. Pinchbe
took he devoutly wished be vas safely back
bed. 1t was so cold that made it his knees tOtt
and his hands tremble, so that he had almo
made up his mind to go back, when a figu
rushed quickly out Of the coal hole, and iumI
ed at the wall. Mr. Jeremiah started back
hastily; his pistol went off somehow; the
was wild shrek: the figure threw up its aru
and sprang high IN the air, and dropped dow
a corpse at his tottering feet. He would ha'
liked to run away, but was glued to the spO