Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1857-04-09

no account of the murder at Bath in that pa
per 2" . .......... ....-.....
Mr.. Davis, who had finished his reading,
and was preparing to go home, stopped short,
and asked Has there been a murder at
Bath? No ! | have not seen anything of it
who was murdered 2"
Oh it was shocking terrible murder 7"
said Mr.. Higgins, not raising his look from
the lre, but gazing ON with eyes dilated till the
whites were seen all around them I" A terri
ble, terrible murder / wonder what will be-
come of the murderer ? can fancy the red
| glowing centre of that fre-look and see how
infinitely distant it seems, and how the distance
magnifes itinto something awful and unquench-
able"
My dear sir, you are feverish how you
shake and Shiyer !" said Mr.. Davis thinking
| privately that his companion had symptom of
fever, and that he was wandering in his mind
Oh no." said Mr.. Higgins. 81 am not
feverish. 1t is the night which is SO cold -
We will have bottle of port together |
want to tell you about this murder" he con-
tinued, dropping his voice, and speaking hoarse
and low. "She was an old woman, and he
killed her, sitting reading her Bible 10y her own
ireSide p He looked at Mr. Davis with a
strange searching gaze, as if trying to find some
sympathy in the horror which the idea pre-
sented to him.
Who do you mean, my dear sir What
is this murder you are so full of No one has
been murdered here :" ...
"No, you fool tell you it was in Bath ~
said Mr.. Higgins, with sudden passion and
tlIen calming himself to the velvet smoothness
of manner he laid his hand on Mr. Davis
there, as they sat by the fire, and gently de-
tanning him began the narration of the crime
he was so full Of, but his voice and manner
were constrained to a stony quietude he ne
yer looked in Mr.. Davis face once or twice
as Mr. Davis remembered afterwards his grip
tightened like a compressing vice.
She lived in a small house in a quiet old
fashioned street. she and her maid People
said she was good old woman but for all
that she boarded and boarded, and never gave
to the poor-wicked it not |
always give to the poor, for once | read in the
Bible that Charity coyereth a multitude of
SINS The wicked old woman never gave, but
boarded her money, and saved and saved
Some one heard of it | say she threw a
temptation in his way, and God will punish
her for it. And this man, or it might be
woman, who knows ?-and this person heard
also that she went to church in the mornings
and her maid in the afternoon ; and so-whle
the maid was at church. and the street and the
house quite STILL and the darkness of winter
afternoon coming on-she was nodding over
the Biblc-and that, mark you is sin, and
one that God will avenge sooner or later and
step came in the dusk up the stair, aud that
person | told you of stood in the ROOM At
first he-no At first, it is suppoSed-for,
up1arcfan1 oil fbic iC Inarnlv
it is supposed he asked her civilly enough to
give him her money, or to tell him where it
was but the old mser defed him, and would
not ask for mercy and give up her KEYS, even
when he threatened her, but looked HMM the
face as if he had been baby Oh, God u
Mr. Davis, / once dreamed, when | was lit
tie innocent boy, that | should commit crime
like this, and | walked up crying and my mo-
ther comfortcd me-that is the reason | trem-
BILE so now-that and the cold for it is very,
very cold !"
/" But did he murder the old lady ~ asked
Mr.. Davis beg your pardon, sir but l am
interested by your story"
Yes he cut her throat, and there she lies
yet in her quiet little parlor, with her face up
turned and all ghastly white, in the middle of
pool of blood. Mr.. Davis, this wine is no
better than water ; / must have some brandy"
Mr. Davis was horror struck by the story,
which seemed to have fascinated him as much
as it had done bis companion
" Have they got any clue to the murderer p
said he. Mr.. Higgins drank down half tum-
bier of raw brandy before he answered
"No-no clue whatever. They will never
be able to discover MIN, and | should not won
der, Mr.. Davis, should not wonder if he re-
pented after all, and did bitter penance for his
crime and if so, will there be mercy for him
at the last day 2"
God knows said Mr. Davis, with solem-
nity 1t is an awful story continued lie,
rousting himself; " | hardly like to leave this
warm, light room, and go out into the dark
ness after hearing it. But it must be done"
buttoning on his great coat, "can only say
hope and trust they will find out the murder
and hang him. If you'll take my advice, Mr.
Higgins, you'll have your bed warmed, and
drink Il treacle-posset just the last thing and
if you'll allow me, Ill send you my answer to
Philologus before it goes up to old Urban"
The next morning Mr. Davis went to call
on Miss Pratt who was not very well /; and
by way Of being agreeable and entertaining
he related to her all that he heard the night
before about the murder at Bath and really
he made a very pretty connected story ont OF
it, and interested Miss Pratt very much in the
fate of the old lady partly because Of a SINH
larity in their situations for she also private
ly boarded money, ana had but one servant,
and stopped at home alone on Sunday after
moons to allow her servant to go to church.
Miss Pratt grunted She used to vent her
dislike and suspicious of Mr.. Higgins in grunt
whenever bis name was mentioned Miss Pratt
afterwards went to stay with her cousin, Mr.
Merton lie was an active magistrate, and
enjoyed his reputation as such. One day he
came in, having just received bis letters.
bad account of the morals of your little
town here. JessY." said he. touching one of his