St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-04-02

Layton hurried along the deserte'
street until he came to dimly light
ed lane, which ran from Second t,
Third street, down which he turned
and, after walking about one fourth o
the square, retraced his steps to Thir,
street, and stood for nearly five min
utes, listening with fixed attention
He was about moving away, when hi.
ear caught the sound of distant foot
steps. A man approached. Laytol
drew back into the alley until he hat
passed AS he went by, a hurried
glance satisfied him that it was thu
pressman. In a moment after heav,
blow from the villains cane laid R
bleeding and insensible upon the pave
ment
Instantly retiring into the alley
Layton glided down with quick but
noiseless steps, and emerged into Sec
ond street. He then walked leisurely
along, secure, in his own mind, against
suspicion. His accomplice at the
printing Office waited until fifteen min.
utes beyond the usual time of the
pressman's arrival, and then took the
form from the foreman and made it
ready for the press. Only few revo.
lutions of the wheel had been made
and few perfect copies of the morn
ing paper thrown off, when the assis
tant pressman gave orders to stop the
machine. He held a note in his hand
How he came by it he did not tell
nor did any one inquire. It purport
ed to be from the clerk in the Office
and directed that a certain advertise
ment that had been handed in should
not be inserted. reading italoud
he gave vent to sundry invectives
against the foreman, who had already
gone home, for not having seen and
attended to the note before the form
was made up. He then unlocked the
form and removed the advertisement
-re-arranging the matter, and filling
up the space with something else
The few copies that had been worked
off We're thrown aside. just as the
press was again started, the door of
the press room opened, and R him
self staggered in. His coat and vest
were literally soaked in blood. There
was deep wound on the side of his
head, and one ear nearly torn of. He
could give no other account of him
self than that he had been knocked
down by some unknown person.
The accomplice of Layton was
shocked at this apparition. He had
expected some result what, his mind
had not fully anticipated He knew
that R would be waylaid, and
knocked down but he had not calm.
ly reflected on what might be the con.
sequence. When he saw him covered
with blood, and beaten, as it appear
ed, so terribly, he was greatly alarm
cd for he was, himself, guilty of the
outrage to all extent far beyond what
would be pleasant to him, were his
participation in the affair to become
known.
A physician was called in, who
dressed the wound, and pronounced it
not to be dangerous. R was then
taken home. He did not leave the
house again for a month.
CHAPTER XVIII. '
On the following morning, both old
Mr. Markland and Mason Grant arose
earlier than usual. The heart of the
former was set at rest on finding the
long promised notice in the Gazette "
and Advertiser )" but the latter could
not be satisfied until he had gone out
and examined other copies than his
own Of these two morning newspa-
pers. The advertisement was in nei-
ther of them !; but, in one was this
paragraph !:
"PosrscRIPr. Daring Ourage.-As Mr.. R..
the pressmen belonging to this office, was on
his way to the press room this morning, about
two O clock, he was knocked down in the street
by some person unknown, and most shocking
ly beaten about the head and face. No cause
can be assigned for this daring outrage, as the
villain who gave the blow did not attempt to
rob the man he had knocked down."
Grant smiled with inward satisfac.
ton at this paragraph. 1t indicated
the resolute character Of the man he
had gained over to his interests.
At breakfast time, AL appeared to
be in better spirits. Mrs. Grant un.
derstood from her husband the under
hand game that was playing, and
therefore, she was not troubled
MARYLAND thought all as fair as it ap,
peared. After breakfast he went to
Mr.. Grants store, and waited with a
good deal Of interest for the result
He could not but believe, spite of ev
cry intruding doubt, that the stranger
he had seen was the child of his sis
ter, and that she would see the adver
tisement and at once come forward
But the whole morning passed and nc
one appeared The old man looked SO
Der, and eat but little at dinner time
He went back to the store, and wait
ed all the afternoon, but to as little
purpose as he had spent the morning
On the next day, the advertisement
again appeared, but, as before, sup
pressed from the regular editions. The
whole scheme had worked to charm
for Mr.. Grant. Layton received thu
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