The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-02-10
T e SPECTRE WITNESS.
A TRUE NARRATION.

IH our CITY, WAS recently sent TO London and
Paris on the business Of the firm lie took
Galway steamer, and proceeded to that
city. his purpose in thus going across Ire
land being the qualification OF very na-
tural desire to lcvsi, tn" scene Of his birth.
little village twelve or Fifteen miles from
GALWAY, on the way to Dublin.
On arriving in the vicinity of lis birth
place, young Gordon found That he had
grown entirely out IF The memory of the
goodinhaLi'auts of HAT parish, having lcftfor
America when he WAS II mere child. lie
could not find any relatives or especial
friends of the family, and So, after half a
days !rui;less research he put up for the
night AT a little inn in the outskirts of the
village, determined 20 proceed on his way
hy the Inst coach in the morning
The inn was in itself n somewhat rude
and uninvling affair, and was hut little
frequrntcd by the neiglbori"g people One
reason Of this circumstance WAS fouud in
the fact, that the proprietor WAS an gno-
rant. sulen, cvil-m,ndcd sort ola man and
another consisted in the ilyin. rcp"r which
had long been going the rounds against
both the inn and It's owner. A number of
travellers had lately disappcarc,l and gen
"ral suspicion had charged the surIv land
lord of the Boginn with having had an
agency in their disappearance. Yet, for
want OF actual proof, no legal steps had
been taken, further than 10 keep a strict
watch for whatever might occur t, confirm
the black suspicion.
Dick Carrigan and his equally i.f.vorcd
wife took good c"rc 10 learn all they could
about their young guest ere Ii" wen, to bed.
AS he had been frank or foolish cu,.,,"h to
state his business, the two worthless con-
cudcd it a certain thing that he was in
the the possession Of considerable money and
they accordingly determined TO send him
the same way they had lately sent so many
otbens---beat him inscnsiLl-, anil sink him
in the marsh, in the rear Of their resi-
dence.
him, our freud had retired at an ca,ly hour.
The bed, was none nf the best, nor were the
appointments Of the chamber at all caIcula
ted 10 occasion luxurious dreams: but tLc
fatigue he had undergone served as, Il som
norlic and he was soon in Il sound sron.
How long he remain I'd thus unconscious
MIR. Gordon had no power Of d.clariur
but le WAS finally awakened lya ,.unn;n..
blow OH the forehead. lie made AN effort
to save himself, rs he started up will, an
exclamation Of alarm, but ere he could IuI
~ arise from his rude couch, another heavy
blow rendered him inscnsiLle to an ,binos
around him. The two assassins. husband
and wife, then plundcrcd their victim. and
attached large stone to his feet, and bore
him away to the marsh, where tl,ev plung
ed him into the black and muddy pool of
earth and water, looking triumphan,ly ut
each other as the body disappeared. They
then turned and fled, going back to the
cabin and dividing the booty, aud thinking
that they were safe.
But the weight had slipped from the feet
OF young Gordon. and hence be speedily
arose to The surface of the marsl, owing
to lis consistency, it WIS almost as thick as
pudding. The cold plunge had also in
stantly restored Him to consciousness as lie
had been severely injured. Tie result of all
these favorable circumstances was. that Cor
don made his way to terra firma and follow
ed the assassins back to their cot,arc, arriy
ing there almost a. soon rs they did, and pIa
cling himself in concealmcnt beneath tho
window, where they Immediately com
menced talking over their crimes, especially
the last.
By this very justifabIe cavcs,Irorpinc,
our traveller learned how MANY persons
these wretches had destroyed what thew
LAD done with the money, and all the most
important secrets Of the career. II. listen
Cd until they had retired for the night, and
then made his way to the nearest magistrate
to whom lie revealed all lie knew.
That parsonage decided to arrest the
murderers at once, as if on mere suspicion,
and send Gordon on his way, without nj
lowing anybody in the vicinity to know
that he had thus providcntialIy cscapcd.-
Accordingly, at sunrise next morning, the
landlord and his wife were in Jail awaiting
trial, and Gordon was proceeding on his
way to London and Paris.
We pass over the time whicl, interviewed
ere the matter could he broaght To trial.
Carrigan and his wife knew nothing Of the
actual circumstances of the case and felt
So sure of having prevented every posi-
h'l'ty of exposure. that they sang and
laughed, besides boasting and LIasphe
ming, while few had any hopes OF ever see
ing them receive a. the lands of the law
what ,xaa 1xo.a~..M..