The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-06-29
THE SHERIFFS STORY.
nv VIII. TRACY.

oil In the summer Of 1856, while travelling
. on business in the wilderness of northern
+ Maine, We stopped one afternoon in the lit
. tie village Of p, which nestles cozily
: in the shade of saddleback mountain. After
] supper, while enjoying our cigar upon the
. 'porch" we noticed peculiar looking scar
upon the landlords cheek. Thinking there
l by hangs q tale" we asked him to inform US
Of the cause oe SO unusual mark. He pro-
rcesed himself perfectly willing to relate the
..ory, and drawing chair close to our side,
commenced:
In nv Younger days was sheriff in
tho county in which then resided In the
l spring OF 1889 murder was committed, In .
neighboring town, under circumstances OF
l unusual atrocity. The deed was done by a
Frenchman, whose name was Leste. he,
with his wife, lived in log cabin IN the
woods, some ten miles from where the deed
was committed, and had long been suspect
! ed of being thief and sscrcter OF stolen
goods. | was sent to secure him, and you
| NAV be sure did not relish the job much,
but 60 must As had ten miles to ride. l
started early, and arrived at the cabin at
about noon. Tying my horse to tree, 1
went M to the door and knocked; after con-
siderable delay in christening, more than
was necessary, the door vas opened by his
] wife. who demanded, in no very pleasant
tone, what wanted
ais your husband at home p asked.
aNo. he has gone to the village, and will
! not be back till night" she answered.
"Then | will wait till he comes home"
said |. and, without giving her time to reply,
| stepped into the I0ona.
One glance around convinced me that the
murderer was at home. A rife stood in tho
corner of the room, which he had been clean.
Ing as | drove up, for the water was even
dripping from the tube. said nothing, how
ever, but sat down, and began to take sur
! yey of the room. He could not have lett
while stood at the door without my seeing
him. 80 chat he must either have left before
| came, or else. which considered more like
", was concealed about the cabin. My eye
fell upon a rag mat lying on the floor, and
taking that up, the mystery was explained.
l A trap door was underneath, which probably
led to the hole or cellar in which he was
concealed. | lifted the door up and was
ia.AiEg for some means of descending, when
q push from tho '|gl9e wife sent me down
without the use of "a ladder. and the doos
! was suddenly shut | tell you, sir, | was in
' no enyiable position, in dark cellar with a
. murdercr-for he was there, as very soon
. after found out
Q Thinking heard him move | took step
4 in ine direction of the sound. In an instant
: there was flash, a loud repQrt and felt a
: burning pain in my check. saw him by lhs
o flash Of the pistol, crouched in the further
corner of the cellar NY blood was up, and
| made sprin. and closed with him. We
/ i,al. sharp russell for few moments, but at
length | managed &c get the bracelets on his
wrists, and then it was all over Meanwhile,
G his wife was above, standing on the door,
i and asked every now and then
''Have YOU fixed him, Jem2'
r Putting my hand upon the mans mouth,
: an6 initiating his voice, near as could,
| told her had aaI c-1ered her tolead the
Y sheriff horse into the shed. My ruse sac
5 ceeded perfectly and, as she left the room,
4 ordered him up the ladder, and by using the
/ argument Of pistol, persuaded him to go.
Ones Up, the rest was easy. His wife was
r some astonished IhaH she came in, but see
t ing was well armed, made no resistance.
, The man was sullcn, and refused to speak,
Q but did not care for that put him on
I the horse, and led the horse two miles thro
e the woods, to the nearest neighbors Seeu
v ring the assistance of one of the "men folks y
e had him securely lodged in jail that night,
It and he is now in State Prison serving his
t sentence, Imprisonment for life. But that
, was the hardest fight ever had, and shall
t carry the mark of it to my grave. so ends
G the sheriff & story.