Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-05-27
THE SHERIFF,S STORY.
BY WILL TRACY.

In the sumner of lS5-. while travelling on
business IN the wilderness Of Northern Maine
VIC stopped one afternoon in the little village
"t p, which neStles costly In the shade OF
S1ddleback mountain. After supper, while
enjoying our cigar upon the porch We no.
ticed 4 peculiar looking scar upon the landlords
check. Thinking = thereby hangs tale, We
asked him to inform US the cause Of 50 unusual
- mark HerrctesSed himself perfectly willing
O. relate the story, and, drawing c.Iair close
20 cur side. commenced:
In my younger days was sheriff in the
county in which then resided In the spring
nf Is.i9 n murder was committed, in a neigh
boring town. under circumstances of unusual
GtrO,ity The decd was done BY a Frenchman,
whose name was Lstc. He, with his wife
Ev"t in log cabin IN the woods, some ten
miles from where the deed was committed, and
had long been suspected as being thief and
secreter Uf stolen goods | was sent 20 secure
him, and you may be sure did not relish the
job much, but 20 1 must Az had ten mile,
t0 ride. [ started carly. and arrived at the
cabin at about noon. Tying my horse to a
tree | went up to the door and knocked; after
considerable delay in unfastening more than
was necessary, the doc. was opened by his
wife, who demanded, IA nc very pleasant tone,
what | wanted
- Il your husband 81 home p | asked.
'' No, he has gone TO the village, and will not
DC back till night, she answered
Then l will wait Till he comes home.H said
1; and, without giving her time to reply,
stepped into the room.
One glance around convinced me that the
murderer was at home \ rife stood in Il Q
corner Of tho room, which he had been clean
ing, as ] drove up, fox the water was even
dripping from the tube / said nothing, how
ever, but sat down, and began to take a sur
yey Of the room. lie could not havc left while
stood at the door, without lay seeing him; so
49, IL r. l.
else, which j considered more likely, mas con
scaled about the cabin. My eye fell upon
rag mat. lying on the floor. and taking that up
The mystery WAS explained. trap door was
underneath which probably led 20 the hole or
cellar liz which &c w1s concealed | lifted the
door up, and WAS .oukip; for some means Of de
"cencSuS, when push lruT the "yude wife
sent me down without the use &C q ladder, ana
the door was suddenly shut. iell you, sir,
was in no enyiable position, in dark cellar
with a murdereT-fOr he was there, as / very
soon after found out.
Thinking heard him move took a step in
the direction Of the sound. In an instant there
was fash, a loud report, and 1 felt a burn
ing pain in my cheek. | saw him by the fash
of the pistol, crOuched in the further corner of
the cellar Ny blood was up, and made
spring and closed with him. We had q sharp
tussle, fOr few moments, but at length man
aged to get the bracelets ON his wrists, and then
IL was all over. Meanwhile his wife was above,
standing on the door, and asking every now
and then
Have you fixed him, Jem?"
Putting my hand upon the mans mouth
and initiating his voice, as near as 1 could,
told her had, and ordered her to lead the
sherif's horse into the shed. My ruse sue
ceeded perfectly, and, as she left the room.
ordered him up the ladder and by using the
argument Of u pistol persuaded him to go.
Once up, the rest was easy. His wife was
some astonished when she came in, but seeing
/ was well armed, made no resistance. The
man was sullen, and refused to speak, but
did not care for that. put him on the horse,
and led the horse two miles through the woods
tn the nearest neighbOrS. Securing the assist
ance of one of the "nen folk, L had him Sc
curely lodged in the Jail that night, and he is
now in the state Prison serving his sentence,
Imprisonment for life. But that was the hard
est fight ever had; and shall carry mark
Of II to my grave. So ends the sheriff7s story