Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-10-30
LY JOURNAL AND BUSINESS DIREOT0RY-ITS AIM. TO AMTSE- 70 NsTRI



upon something Of Importance. This wo-
mans husband and the neighbor, whom
he had gone to visit, were the witnesses
against my brother, and | surely had
every reason to believe that they were
the guilty parties. | was now aware that
the murder had been committed near the
place where | had turned off from the
main road, and from what nv brother
had written, | judged that the two men
who had unprecedented him, must have
come out from the very path in which [
then stood. They had probably murder
ed and robbed their victim, and before
they could conceal the body my brothers
approach had driven them away. As
concealInent after this would be inpossi
Die, they formed the wild scheme of shift
ing the crime on to other shoulders and
Il such was the case, they had well nigh
Succeeded.
After revolving the subject in nv
mind, l resolved to wait till Matthew
rHarn came, thinking it very likely that
Croft would come with him, and that |
might learn something more. So Lerept
as near to the hut as | dared, and there
awaited the result. In a little while the
gtrl returned, and with her came two
men. They entered the hut, and | tried
to get near enough to hear what was said
within, but did not succeed. Ere long.
however, the men came out, and stopped
very near to my place of c~oncealment.
Well, Mat said one Of them, 9 I'll
so home, and be on hand in the morning.
The Old woman IL do well enough
guess
But hope that doctor won't come
returned the other. He may be right in
the way"
If he does come" suggested the first
speaker, he'll be off in season. At all
events you can easily keep him out of the
way"
Never mind, said Harm. But saw
he added this fellow who brought 'Tiida
home must be the very chap we're after
Il think So" was the response.
They talked a little while longer. and
| learned their plans pretty thoroughly.
| was their intended victim. They had
been at the inn when | arrived, and had
discovered that | was perfect stranger in
that section ; SO they thought that
should not be missed if they put me out
Of the way. They felt sure that [ had
money with me, and they must have it.
Croft was to be On hand before daylight,
and they would lie in wait for me until
came along-then kill and rob me-take
care of my horse, and sink my BODY :" IN
the old qoe2."
i made my way back to the inn. and
reached my room without disturbing any
one. My toothache was gone, though /
had no recollection of the precise time
when the pain left me. In the morning
| pretended to be sick with a cold and
headache, and told the landlord that
could not ride my horse. He said that
was the day for the stage, and that ii
would be along about ten O'Clock so
informed him that | should wait for it
and engaged him to keep nv horse until
| called for it. Then | bound a hand.
kerehief about my head, and acted the
sick man as well as | could. At nine
o'clock | heard two familiar voices under
the window. They were my friends, Harm
and Croft. They had come to find Out
why | had not gone along on nv journey.
They talked with the hostler a spell. and
then came into the har,room, where / was
sitting, pretending to be half asleep,
They were hard-looking fellows, as ]
had expected, and just such men as
should suppose would work or rob. as
opportunity might offer. They were not
~ugly-looking, nor really villainous but
they had a reckless, staggering way, aud
a loose expression, which at once beto.
kened that they possessed little or no
sense OF morality or humanity. They
took a good look at me-then took some
thing to dripk-and then took their
leave ; and ! could see that the we're
somewhat disappointed.
AT ten o'clock the stage came along,
and | took passage on board, and oy
three o'clock in the afternoon was in Co.
lumbia. Igained access to my brother
without trouble, and | certainly don't
think | should have known him if | had
met him in the street, he had grown so
thin and pale. But when l came to tell
him what | had discovered, the color
came to his face, and he looked more
like himself. He told me he had engaged
a lawyer, who lived close by, and having
spent half an hour with him, [ went to
see his legal friend. | found the latter
individual in his Office, and having made
myself known, | proceeded to relate nv
adventure of the night before. He was
not only interested, but he entered into
my plans with enthusiasm, and promised
to take the whole affair into his own
hands, and manage it to the best Of his
ability. He told me that there were ru.
mors afioat that two men had been muir
eered on the road where my brother was
unprecedented, before the crime was com.
mitted of which James was accused but
they had been strangers in the country
and no certain information could be OBJ
tanned. 3
@On the following morning the lawyer
had all the necessary documents prepared,
and, ! company with the sheriff, we set