Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-04-21
CIRCUMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
BY MRS. BELL SMITH

One Sunday afternoon, some years
since, about the bar-room of the only
public house in the little village of s.,
on Lake Erie, were gathered number of
gossiping idlers, sea-faring men, and farm
ers. 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 beating 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 a
mighty tempest comes down on Erie S
inland sea, and the dullest seemed struck
with its impressive grandeur 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
prepossessing appearance, with rifle in
one hand and powder horn slung over
his shoulder, for he had but few minutes
before come in from cunning, paced to
and from the door, looked at the troubled
bay and cloudy sky, and frequently asked
an old captain ola schooner when he would
be able to sail-to- night?
Tonight? No sir % he responded to
one of the inquiries; "nor tomorrow
nor next day, L expect. This 'cre storm
looks as if it was going to lead off dance
for a good many tlirtin' ones, and didn't
believe in putin out in such company
it corrupts good manners, as the sayin' is.
You seem to be in great hurry, com
radc ?"
"I am. The Sea Gull brought me i'll
news from home this morning, and l will
double your passage money if you will
run me down to c. tonight"
"Not l. wouldn't undertake it for
four times the money.
Silenccd 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 up
his mind to be content with positive
evil
NJ W had been in S but
few weeks, and although a stranger, had
impressed its inhabitants favorably-so
quiet. retiring, and, as all thought, kind
was he in manner and disposition. The
business that brought him 20 the place
was by no means settled, and the intelli-
gence he had received must have been of
very pressing nature to make one natu-
rally so timid, anxious to brave storm
that caused the hardest sailor 10 shrink
from duty. He had been sitting with a
/ look of discomfort but short time, when
, the clattcr of horses feet were heard in the
street, and man, pale and trembling,
stood within the doorway. His first dis
cordant utterance was the word murder =
No expression Of pain or terror can send
the same deathly chill to the heart as that
one word ofterrible import, and, paralyzed
with stupid surprise, the gathered crowd
inquiringly gazed at the breathless mes
senger of evil. Before he could relate
what seemed to choke his utterance, the
sheriff of the county hastily entered and
arrested N W.
"For what ?" faltered the young man
1.-The murder of Mile Woods" was
the stern reply.
1t wanted only this to swell the horri
bic sensation that had fallen on the crowd
Mile Woods, little girl ten or twelve
years of age, was the only child of res
pectable parents, living within mile o.
s., and in her sprightly lovelines:
had won the affection of all the villagers
The circumstances attending her deatf
were as follows:
The parents, as was frequently theil
custom, left the house under the charge
Of Mile, and had been the greater par
lof the day making purchases and eisiting
in the village. Hurrying home before th'
coming storm, the sgonized parents founG
their house robbed and their only ehilC
brutally murdered. The news spreai
lTspidly. and soon the curious and eoole