White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1859-05-05

; but when the corporal, stretched on the
ground, and his head bleeding from q
, blow on the corner of the table, which he
had received in falling, began to utter
loud curses against them, and to threaten
them all with public exposure-particu-
larly that deceitful seoundrel, the baker
the latter, prompted either by fear or Ia.
tired, whispered to the wool-spinner and
his wife thatnow was the time to make
an end of him at once (; and if they did
not, they were ruined.
The deadly counsel was adopted they
fell upon the corporal with few blows
life was extinct; the corpse, swimming
in blood, lay at their feet. The deed was
irrevocable all three had shared in it
all were alike guilty, and had the same
reason to tremble at the terrors of the
law. With the body still warm at their
feet, they entered into a solemn mutual
engagement to be true to each other to
preserve inviolablesecrecy as to the crime;
and to extinguish, so far as in them lay,
every trace of its commission.
On the night of the murder, they had
devised no plan for washing out the blood,
and removing the body, which of course
required to be disposed Of, so that the dis
appearance of Ruhler might cause no sus-
picion. The terrors of conscience, and
the apprehension of the consequences of
their crime, had too completely occupied
their minds for the moment. The next
morning, however, they met again at the
wool-spinner's house, to arrange their
plans. Suddenly noise was heard in
the street-it was the commotion caused
by the news of the discovery of the rob-
berry at Madame Andrecht's. The cul-
prits stood pale and COMPOUNDED. What
was more probable than that an immedi-
ate search in pursuit of the robbers, or Of
the stolen articles, would take place in
every house Of this suspected and disrep-
utable quarter. The wool-spinner's house
was the next to that which had been rob-
bed the flooring was at that moment
wet with blood the body Of the murder
ed corporal lay in the cellar. Immediate
measures must be resorted to, to stop the
apprehended search, till time could be
found for removing the body.
The object, then, was to give the an
thorities such hints as should induce them
to pass over the houses of the baker and
the wool spinner. The wool-spinner's
wife had the merit of devising the infer
nal project which occurred to them. The
Blue Dragon was to be the victim. A
robbery had taken place. Why might
he not be the criminal {? He had often
scaled the hedge-had often entered the
house at night during his courtship. But
then corroborating circumstance might
be required to ground the suspicion. 1t
was supplied by the possession of hand
kerchief which he had accidentally drop
ped in her house, and which she had not
thought it necessary to restore to him.
1t might be placed in any spot they
thought fit, and the first links in the chain
Of suspicion were clear.
The invention of the baker came to the
aid of the wool-spinner's wife. One to-
ken was not enough; seeoed proof Of
the presence of the Dragon in Madame
Andrecht's house must be devised. The
baker had one day been concluding bar
gain with peasant before the house Of
the dragon. He required q bit of paper
to make some calculation, and asked the
host for some, who handed him an old
excise permit, telling him to make his
calculation on the back. This scrap of
paper the baker still had in his pocket
book. This would undoubtedly compro-
mise the dragoon. But then it bore the
name and handwriting Of the baker on
the back. This portion Of it was accor
dinghy burnt the date and the signature
of the excise officer were enough for the
diabolical purpose it was intended to eff
feet. It was rolled up into match. and
deposited by the baker (who, as already
said, had contriyed to make his way along
with the police into the house;) upon the
floor, where he pretended to find it, and
deliver it to the authorities.
The Vaccinations Of these wretches
were uneonsciously assisted by those Of
the carpenter and bis confederates. The
suspicion which the handkerchief and the
match had originated, the finding of the
pocket book within the house Of the dra-
COON appeared to confirm and complete
an accidental concurrence of two indie
pendent plots, both resorted to from the
principle Of self-preservation.. and having
in view the same internal object. 'A
e But this object, so far as concerned the
baker and the Wool.spinner, had beent too
efectually attained. They had wished
to excite suspicion against Nicholas, only
with the view. Of gaining time to remove
the corpse, and efface the traces of the
murder. This had been efeeted-their
intrigue had served its purpose and they
could not but feel some remorse at the
idea that an innocent person should be
thereby brought to ruin. The strange
Intervention Of chance finding Of the
pocket-book, the accusation by the car
penter, illed them with secret terror
they trembled their consciences again |
awoke. The thought Of the torture. which
awaited the unfortunate inn-kesper, struck |
them with horror. II was not the ordi-
nary fear Of guilty men, afraid OF the
disclosures Of an accomplics-for The
dragoon knew nothing, be could say
nothing TO compromise them--it was
feeling implanted by Divine power.
which seemed irrcsistibly to inpel them
to use their endeayors to avert his fate.
They met, they consulted as to their
plans. a scheme occurred to them