Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-10-15

A1duEan, nC SpSdhS III uTOheH ldnSuaSe
of mufder-of' having committed muir
der Hannah! perhaps woman de-
ceived and killed by him As Catha-
rine said this, she shuddered and bu-
ried her face in that of the babe WHICH
she carried in her, arms = =
Hannah was shocked to hear of this,
but her good sense led her to suggest,
for the comfort of the poor wife, that
it was perfectly possible for her husband
to consider himself murderer in his
sleep, and speak of it, without the
slightest reality in the whole affair.
"Ah, Hannah" said. Catharine sadly,
these dreadful sayings are not the re
suit of the night mare slumber. They
occur too often-too often. Besides,
when I first heard him mutter in his
sleep these horrible things, mentioned
the matter to him in the morning at our
breakfast, and laughed at it; but he
grew agitated, and telling me to pay no
Iiattention to such things, as he some
times talked nonsense, he knew, in his
tslccp, he rose and went away, having
his meal unfinished; indeed, scarcely
how. often he speaks In his sleep, for /
never mentioned the subject again
Though my rest is destroyed by it. And
then his fits of sadness at ordinary mo-
mcnts! Hannah! Hannah = there is
some nystery-some terrible, mystery
under it! Yet,'; continued the young
wife, y she is SO sood-so kind-so du-
tiful to God and to man! He has too
much tenderness and feeling TO harm
fly! Hannah, what am = to think or
do? for lam wrctched at present"
e.. 1t was not long ere. the old dame re-
Piled to this question. She niuscd
greatly upon what had been told her.
nnd, in tic end, said to Catharinc- Ny
poor child, [ cannot believe that Will
liam is guilty of what these circumstan-
ccs lay seemingly at his door. But, if
the worst be true, it is better for you to
know it than to be in this killing sils-
pense forever. Go and gain in his con
fidcnce, Catherine, tell hilm all that has
come totyour car, and say that you did
so by my advice" Hannah continued
to use pcrsuasions of the same kind for
some time longer, and at length sent
Catharine home, firmly resolved to fol-
low the counsel given her -~ t
On the following day Catharine once
more presented herself at the abode of
Hannah, and as soon as she entered. |
exeI.e iInod :. Z. Dear Iiother,I have told
him all he will he here soon to explain
everything to us botlf.'s Or Id
The old woman did not exactly com
prellend this "':Has he not, said she,
.givcn any explanation to you? ?" 4
90 t:No, Hannah said Catharine; "but
oh, he is not guilty. When had spo-
ken as you desired me, he was silent al
long time, and he then took me in his
arms, Hannah, and kissed me, saying
My darling Catharine, l ought to have
confidcd in you long before. i have
been unfortunate, not guilty. Go to
kind Iannah's, and L will soon follow
you, and set your mind at. ea:e, as far
as it can be done Had known how
much you have been suffering, / would
have done this long before These
were his words Hannah. Oh he may
be unfortunate. but not guilty '7nd
Hannah and Catharine said little to
each other until the latter came to the
cottage. William sat down gravcly by
the Side of his wife,. and after kindly
inquiring for the old woman, at once
commenced to tell his story a. 4
The reason of my unhappy excla-
nation in my sleep, which have weighed
$50 n.u:h upon my mind, dear Cdtha-
rine, may be very. soon told. They
arose from circumstance which has
imuch cmtittered my own peace, but
which l hope 1t to be regarded as a sad
calamity rather than crime. When
entered the army, which l did at the
age Of 10, the recruiting party to which
[ attached myself was sent to Scotland,
where we remained but few days, be-
ling ordered again to England, in order
to be transported again to the CONT
nent. One unhappy morning, as we
were passing out of this town where we
had rested. on our march southwark my
companions, and CHANGED to see a girl
apparently about fifteen years of age,
washing clothes in tub. Being the
most light-hcarted among the light
hearted, I took up large stone with
the intention, of splashing the water
against the girl. She stopped hastily,
and shocking to tell, when [ threw the
stone, it struck her on the head, and
she fell to the grounds with L fear, her
skull fractured. Stupefed at what [
had done, | stood and gazing on the
stream of blood rushing from my poor
victim head, whom my companions OBJ
serving that no one had seen us-for it
was then early in the morning -hur-
ried me off We were not pursued and
we were in a few weeks on the conti-
nent; but the image of that bleeding
girl followed me everywhere and since
L came home l have never dared to in
quire the result, lest suspicion should
be excited, and L should be hung for
murder; for I fear, from the dreadful
mature of the blow, that the death Of
that poor creature lies at my door.
4 >, While Hutton was relating his story
he had turned his eyes to the window
| but what was his astonishment, as he
: was concluding to hear old Hannah cry
aloud, '"Thank God m while his wife
, broke into an hysterical passion of tear:
and smiles, and threw herself into his
arms. -
5 My dear husband J. cried she, a:
: soon as her voice found utterancc, "tha
-,ar- 8 ~ 'z1 J.. ..s.