New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-11-13

Z ,
:" 'o 1n said and II ii suits, the printer shall
have it,
g Well-IIl give It to you" he resumed, as be 7
threw his cigar away, and tipped his chair back
against the wall. II may not have been so start
ling an adventure as some, bnt the train of crcum.
stances connected with it we're very curious and ia my
opinion, remarkable. My brother James, who Is two
years older than myself bad gone cut into the West,
intending to settle either in Missouri or Kentucky.
He had been gone about three months when Re.
celVed letter from him, dated Columbia, Kentucky.
He was in jail and about to be tried for the crime Of
murder He had been arrested for numbering tray
elef, and the evidence strong and 80 direct
against him that lawyer could be found who could
give him any hope. He had stopped over night at a /
small inn some twenty miles west Of Columbia and I
~ tine morning he set out alone his journey. As
ne was passing through wood he saw dead body /
lylng by the roadside, and he stopped his horse and
dism1nnted He found il to be a middleaRed man. |
VINO had been killed with knife there being several
oeep WOUNDS upon the breass the corpse was still
warm, ana while In the act of turning it over, ia
order to get better view of the face he heard some
one approaching, and on looking up he saw two men
who seemed 70 nave come from little wood path
near at hand, ne told them how he found the
body, and asked them it they knew who it was
But they only shook their heads and told him that
he was doing it very well. Ia short they accnsed
him Of having done the deed, and without further
ado, apprehanded him and carried him to the next
village, where they entered complaint and gave in
their evidence.
At first my brother looked upon it as a light
affair." and only considered the delay it would &c.
cason him /; but when the examination came on. he
found things looking rather dark. 1t was proved
that the murdered man had stopped at the inn
where he stopped, having arrived late in the
ing, and started OF at daylight in the morning The
two men who had caused bis arrest swore point
blank, that they saw him strike the fatal blow and
that be was pulling the murdered mans purse from
his pocket as they came up! They told the story
with such assurance and regularity that they were
readily believed, And then James could not deny
enough TO help him. The people had become con
Vinced that he was guilty, and the whole tide was
against him.
% AS soon as got this letter hurried of to Ken.
lucky, hoping that might be Of some assistance to
my unfortunate brother, and wished to get there, if
possible before his tria came on. On the evening Of
the fourteenth day reached an inn to which had
been directed, and had my weary horse put up. /
knew that | was very near my journeys end but
could go no further that night. After supper went
into the harroom, where few Of the neighbOr5 had
assembled, and from their conversation soon learned
that this was the very house at which my brother
had stopped on the night before his arrest, and OF
course could not be far from the scene of the muir
der. had made up my mind that would not reveal
my relationship to the prisoner until had seen him
and conferred with his lawyer if he had One-and ii
ne had none, with one whom might engage for him,
SO | pretended TO be entirely uniniOrmed upon the
subject, and asked what the circumstances were.
The facts We're related to Just as my brother had
stated them, though somewhat heightened in color.
=" felt the public pulse through these men, The
prisoner wasa Yankee and a stranger, and the people
believed him guilty. The two witnesses who had
sworn to the fact Of his committing the murder
learned were respected men, though not very Valu-
able citizens. They were hunters and trappers when
hunting and trapping would pay; and sometimes
they helped to tow flatboats down the Mississippi
Their names were Matthew Harm and Isaac Croft,
and they lived not far from the village and / fur.
thermOre learned that they had both been at the inn
that very evening. | was told that the trial would
come off in four days, and that the prisoner would
surely be hanged.
" WheH went TO bed that night I felt uneasy. Ny
brothers case seemed dubious Of course / knew
that he was innocent And if that was So how could
| account for the manner of Harm and Croft? They
| must have been either mistaken or they must have
sworn falsely. If they had done the latter thing,
then they might be more guilty still. From what
had seen and heard judged that they enjoyed the
confidence Of their fellows more from their convivai
and physical qualities than from any morality or fixed
principles of honor and determined to know them
better.
Il returned to my room at 10 o'clock, and went to
bed fell into doze, but was not destined to enjoy
much sleep bordering on the fate of my brother
for an hour or So and then of my teeth began to
ache. had got cold by exposure on the day before
and it had settled where such colds apt to do in
my jaw. after suffering till my nerves were all I'M
| strung, got out Of bed and dressed myself for
could not endure to lie there. / hoped that a turn
out Of doors might relieve me. made my way down
with as little noise as possible and gained the street
! and clear, and / walked away without noticing OF
caring whittier I went, The village was small one
the houses being huddled togetherupon the left bank
OF the river, 50 was not long in getting beyond the
! line of the settlement | had gone, perhaps about a
half mile beyond the village and was thinking OF
turning back when heard some one groan as though
! in pain; aud, as stepped to look around the same
voice cried out for help. By this time had discov-
| cred from whence the sound came, and upon APP
preaching the spot found female sitting by the
| roadside, apparently in great agony. / asked her
what was the matter, and she told me she had been
thrown from her horse and that her ANGLE was either
broken or badly sprained. stopped down, and found
that her right ANGLE was out OF JOINT and knew that
the poor woman must be suffering intensely. had
seen good many joints set, and had helped to per-
form the operation in some cases so told her that
would try to fix her ANGLE if she was willing She
was anxious that should help her, and made the
trial twas tedious job, but she bore the pain like
martyr, and at length had the satisfaction of be.
lieyng that the bones were all in place. Of course
the ANGLE was much swollen, and still very painful
but bound it up as best could, and then told the
sufferer that / would help her home She said she
lived not far off, and her horse had probably made
bis way to his stable she would gladly accept of my
assistance.
'She was not a heavy woman, and as was pretty
| powerful man. easily lifted her in my arms, for
knew very well she could not walk. As bore hel
along thus | asked her what her name was and she
told me Matilda Harm | then asked her if she was
married. She said she was-that her husbands
| ntnle Was MHllutW hhTu anu Sne asked me II
| knew him. told her nO-thGt | was stranger il
those parts, having only stopped at the inn for tht
night. In little while we came to a narrow patti
which led off TO the right, and the woman babe me
turn into it, did so, and ere long we came to
small hut, which proved to be the home of my pa
tent. bore her into the dwelling, where found
only young girl who proved to be Harms daughter
''tWhereis your father z asked the woman.
"'Hes gone over to Ike Croft's, guess, was the
reply.
g / remarked to the sufferer that she had better
have her ANGLE swathed with wet bandages at once
| and then she could send for her husband So hel
daughter got the necessary things, and soon had
| the nfiamed joint in more comfortable condition
After this she sent for her husband and told her
that would find the doctor if he was in the village
and send him to see her As | was about to turn
away she called me back and asked me if | was go
ing to Columbia l told her was.
- Aud you mean to start early in the morning 2
| she continued.
90 Yes, told her.
She hesitated few moments, and then said
az TOu have done me great favor, and bles;
you for it and now Imay serve you in turn. Don't
travel on this road alone in the morning. If yor
| must 90, wait until you can have company
d" | asked her what she meant-what the DANCE
was She said she feared there were robbers in tht
woods.
-. There have been two or three murders commit
ted near the place where we turned off from thu
road she added, and have reason to believe ther
are bad men about, even now.
{" She urged me to be warned in season. and to he
lieye that she had saved my life by thus placing m
on my guard, thanked her for heradvice, and haV
ing assured her that Iwonld follow it, turned ava
again. But again she called me back, and begge
me not to mention to any one what she had told mt
for it might get her into trouble. | gave her no d