The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1858-12-03

liKht, ana they would lie IN wait TOT me
until ! came along--then kill and rob
mc--takc care Of my horsc. and sink my
body in tie AID reN'
81 made my way lack TO the inn, and
reached my room without disturbing any
one. Ny toothachc was one, 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 i
would be along about 10 o'clock 40 !
informed him that ! would wait for il,
and engaged him 10 keep my horse until
| called for it. Then bound my hand
kerchicf about my head and acted the
sick man AZ well AZ | could Al nine
o'clock, | heard two familiar voices ur'-
der the window. They were my friends,
Harm and Croft They had come 10 find
out why had not proceeded ON my jour
ncy. They talked with the ostler lit
tie, and then came into the bar-room,
where ! was sitting, pretending to bc
half asleep. They were hard-lookng fell
lows, as had expected, and just such
fellows as should suppose would work
or rob as opportunity offered. They
were not ugly-looking, nor really vii
famous, but they had u reckless. swag
gcring way, and n loose expression. which
at once bctokencd that they possessed
little or no sense Of morality or human
ity They had a good look at me, then
took something TO drink, and then took
their leave and ! could see that they
were somewhat disappointed
AT 10 o'clock the stage came along.
and took place inside and by o.
clock in the afternoon WAS III Columbia
| gained access to my brother without
trouble, and | certainly don't think |
should have known him in the street. he
had grown 80 thin and pale. But when
came to tell him what had discovered
the color came to his face. and he looked
more like himself H. told me he had
engaged a lawyer, and having spent half
an hour with him | went to see his legal
friend found the latter individual in
his Office aud having made myself known,
proceeded to relate my adventure Of
the night before. He was not only in
tcrcs,cd, 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 rumors aiioa'
that two men had been murdered on the
road where my brother was apprchcnd-
ed, before thu crime was committed OF
which James was accused but they had
been strangers in the country. and no
certain information could be obtained.
"On the following morning the law
yer had all the necessary documents pre-
pared and in company with the sheriff
we So, of We reached the resldc.cc OF
Matthew Harm before noon, and found
both him and Croft there They were
frightened when the officers arrested
them, but offered no resistance though
they might have done SO had they known
how much evidence we were likely to
bring against them. They were taken
to the inn, and thence sent forward under
n sufficient guard 10 Columbia A com.
panv was then collected, and we went
ont 10 the wood to see IL we could find
tie oH ret Of which had heard the
prisoners speak. One Of the party re-
,ncmbcrcd that there used to be = house
near the spot where the murder had been
committed, and under his direction the
search was commenced The same place
where the house had stood was found,
and ere long We found the we'll II was
very deep and covered with logs and
bushes Grappl'ng-hcoks were procured,
and three dead bodies fishcd up from the
shiny water One Of them was much
dccomposed. but the other two were not
~ far gone but that the inn-kccpcr could
recognize them AS men who had stopped
over night at his house only a few mouths
before.
THE next movement Of the Sheriff
was to arrest Mrs Harm and her dangh-
ter, and also the wife and young son Of
Isaac Croft. They we're taken at once
TO Columbia, and there confined sepa-
ratcly.
Two days after this my brothers trial
came on, and he was acquitted without
difficulty. But not so with the two wit
ncsscs who had caused his arrest They
were tried upon an indictment for muir
der, and the evidence was so ovcrwhelm-
ing against them that hardly u shadow
Of defense was made E; and when they
were fully convicted, Croft made CON
fcssion. he acknowledged that he and
Harm had murdered the traveller and had
Just robbed him when they heard the
tramp Of coming horse. They had
barely time to empty the purse and throw
it down and make on into the woods
when my brother came up, When they
Jaw him dismount and comr.cnce exam
lining the corpse the idea entered their
heads Of fastening the crime upon him.
They had two objects in th's-tirs, u
shift the present crime from their shout
ers; and second. 10 turn suspicion from
themselves in case the previous murders
should come to light. But they failed in
their plans. and in due time met the fate
they ~ richly deserved
As ELOQUENT ExrnAcr. r." Generation AZ.
ter generation says fine writer, have
felt as We now feel and their lives were
Ms active ~ our own. They passed like
a vApor, while Nature wore the same as
meet of beauty A. when her Creator com.