Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-03-29


and her husband, in the ihtervale of deiirium,
and just before his death, made fearful con-
fession, of which / can only give you the out
line.
Martha, Fanny, and William Steel, were the
shree children Of tradesman living in Yorkshire
village. The son of the Squire, attracted by the
bold beauty of Martha, paid her so much atten-
ton, that she fully expected to marty him, and
therefore boosted of her conques. to all her COM
panions but just when she had decided in her
own mind that the proposal ought to be made
Fanny returned from school,
From that time, Martha lost her empire over
her lovers heart; and, in her treatment of the
unfortunate cause of her disappointment, showed
the first symptoms of that mate cruelty Of heart,
which afterwards worked so much evil to her.
self and Others. In few months, worn out
with her sisters unkindness and taunting words,
and urged by her lover, poor Fanny Steel eloped,
only leaving behind her vague note for her
brother William, whom she dearly loved.
Soon after this their father died, and Martha
accepted a situation as housekeeper to solicitor
in Liverpool. There she became acquainted with
her cousin George, and in a very short period
obtained so great mastery over him, as to per-
suad him to commit the fogery for which they
were both subsequently, tried and acquitt ID. AZ
ter this, she was, Of course, homeless and charac
terless her guilt had been too evident to admit
of any doubt, and it was very well known that
her life had only been saved by some flaw in the
indictment; no wonder, then, she found it i'm
possible to obtain any situation.
In this position she thought of her brother.
She knew that he was most merciful and for
giving, and thought that if she could only per-
suade him of her innocence of the crime for
which she had been tried, he might receive her
again This, after a time, he consented to do,
on condition that she changed her name, SO that
she might not DO recognized as the heroine of the
celebrated forgery case. This proviso, however,
reasonable as it was, angered her greatly, but
broke up his comfortable house in Yorkshire.
and went to Worcester, she follow ed him in the
capacity of housekeeper Two years forwards
an anymous letter, informing MIN of his sister
Fanny's dangerous illness, reached the kind
hearted surgeon Without saying anything to
Martha he went to the place to which no was
directed just in time to his dear sister before
she died, and to undertake the charge Of her in
FAINT He learned then, for the first time, that
her husband was Dead and that his family had
refused to receive her. After the funeral, Mr..
Steel entrusted the child to the care of the wo-
man who had nursed her mother, and some weeks
after he received the infant from her in his own
surgery whiio to battle the suspicion of Martha
(now called Alice Sharp, to whom he had said
nothing of Fanny's illness and death, and to
whom he dared not entrust the secret, he depos-
TIED the baby, the bank note, and the letter at
his own door.
But Martha was not long deceived. The like
ness to her sister was so strong in the child in
FAINT features, that her suspicious were soon AVA
kened, and her brother tenderness to his prote
gee, although carefully concealed, speedily con
frmed them. She was, however, too wary to
suffer her knowledge of his secret to be discov-
cred by the surgeon, and she revenged herself
for the silence she was compelled to maintain,
and her previous disappointments, by harshness
and cruelty to the unofending Miriam. But
after time, new fear sprang up in her mind,
and sue dreaded lest Mr.. Steele, whose health had
already begun to fail, should at his death be-
queath all his property to the poor forlorn child.
This fear she communicated to her cousin George,
who had followed her to Worcester and, by the
aid Of false reference, obtained employment in
u lawyers Office and then commenced that dia-
bolical system of slow poisoning which wore her
brothers. life away, atom by atom, and finally
ended in destroying it.
Previous to his death, however, she introduced
George into his room as a stranger, and prevail
ed upon the dying man to make a will in her ia.
vor, which he willingly did, having another form
ready prepared for his signature, which gave
everything to his niece. This he contrived tc
execute during Martha's absence, the night be-
fore bis death, in the presence Of some stone ma.
sons who were working in the yard, and it was
this which he enclosed in letter to Miriam, ex-
planning her parentage, and which, after his
death, was stolen from her by Martha. OF the
fire, also, the miserable man gave full account
It had been planned and executed by Martha,
partly from revenge and jealousy of her hus-
bands admiration Of Miriam, and partly that
she might, by her conviction, get rid of her
forever.
All this, and much more, George Steele con-
fessed upon his death bed and as, but for bis
sudden cowardice, which had caused so great a
diversion in her favor, that poor girl must have
been found guilty upon the strong circumstan-
tial evidence brought against her. | have ever
looked with fear and suspicion upon any verdict
sentencing to death upon testimony 50 liable to
Interpolation, misconstruction, and falsehood. )"
And what became Of Alice, papa!"
She was hanged year after, for an attempt
upon Miriam's life."
Extensive fires are prevailing in the woods in
South Carolina and Georgia.
A dispatch from Georgia says Tremendous
fires are raging all around US. In and about Lex
ingion, houses, mills, fences, and vast amount
of property have been destroyed and at last &C.
counts the town itself was threatened with de
s!ruc ion, Many saw mills and dwellings, have
l,aa hacc Groi IL,