Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-12-01


there'" said Julia, as she followed her hus-
band out the door.
"a couple of crazy fools :" said the cobbler,
as they left the house; "but now tell me- Mary,
how came you to msddle with their ham,"
Sam sent for the coroner, who came, held an
inquest, shook his head very wisely, told the
co6bler and his wife that they might 60 home,
and then declared that he knew nothing about
it. He came very near returning q verdict Of
Visitation of God" but concluded that some
human means must have been made use of to
detach the head from the body; and 80 he did
not quite do that.
The neighbors, however, believed that the
ham being found in possession of the cobbler,
and bis having called at the house that same
afternoon, were prsof- positive of his guilt, and
accordingly the poor man lost all his custom,
and was obliged to move out of the neighbor-
hood; but the coroner thought it very unlikely
that the cobbler and his wife, if guilty of a
murder, would have let Sam come into their
pantry, and would have taken no pains to Sc
crete the ham. He also thought, that if person
could deposit the head in the platter in Sans
closet, he could as easily deposit the ham in q
as Julia did not once leave the room while the
cobbler was present. and she had seen nothing
in his hands but the boots, the coroner believed
him innocent.
Sam was attentive to business, he thrived,
and finally became large dealer. He then
dSsOCldteu Win the upper Cldcses OF SOCleIyY
but his beard was now grizzly, and there were
wrinkles on his brow. He was wealthy, but he
was no longer young. Julia, the faithful and
patient partner Of his youth, had long since
been deposited in the lowly grave, and hand
some white grave stone in Trinity Church yard
told that she was born in the year 1895, and
uied in 1880. aged IS years.
Some years had passed, but her husband had
remained a widower-his eldest daughter be-
ing already young woman.
1t was at that time, when party on Lake
George were trying to kill time in pleasure
boat, that tall, dark-complexioned man, with
silyery locks, said to blue-eyed young lady
at his elbow:
Those two young blades in the other end of
the boat are talking of sherry cobblers; that
reminds me of queer adventure that and
my friend Hambledon once had. 1t is long
ago, but shall never forget it, especially as it
proved q total failure "
perhaps it is better that it did, - said the
young lady, modestly:
'Hs. ha, you may judge, Miss Julia. When
Hambledon and were students Of medicine
| together, coming home one summer evening,
| We saw pretty girl before US. We quickened
| our pace and suggested that the way was lone
some, and that, if there was no objection, We
would sec her home. This was in Broome,
near the corner Of Orchard street. The girl,
| perhaps, suspected our designs, and being in a
solitary place, was alarmed. She uttered a
slight cry, and quickened her pace. Just then
| fellow came hastily around the corner, having
heard the cry Of the girl, and seeing US near
| her, began to abuse as with his tongue shame
fully. He proved to be the girls father. The
| girl protested that we had done her no harm;
| bat her father continued to abuse US like two
| pickpockets, and we followed on till we saw him
| enter house at the corner Of Orchard and
| Broome, l think it was. A little swinging
| sign over the door announced his occupation
| he was q shoemaker"
\ Indeed, sir :"
eyes, a cobbler But the breeze is too
much for you, Miss Julia, yeu shiver."
~Oh, no; 60 on, sir, am very comfortable,
thank you"
"Weli, then, Hambledon and I-hs! ha I!
| Hambledon and I've determined not to put
up with this treatment from the cobbler, and
| the next day we took a stroll down by his
house. We saw him, with pair Of boots in
his hand: como out Of the shop, and go down
the street till he came to q two-story building,
| with a white front He entered. We peeped
i in at the open window and saw that there was
| only lady in the house with the cobbler. She
was in the act of giving him some rum to drink
/ in glass"
| Rum, sir ?'
at may have been gin-it was rather light.
i colored.''
"Yes, sir" replied the young lady, with a
| smile.
1--WE had taken a subject the night before,
| and had il at the office in a sack. You know
what 1 mean-we had dug up fresh body
| ooh! sir '"
"We had it in the office. We hastened
thither, cut of the head, and wrapping it up
carefully, went back to the house, and arrived
Just as the cobbler made his egress. mo.
ment afterward, the woman cameout with q
pail in her hand, and went to the pump. We
| sprang in at a low window, opened the closet
where We saw part Of broiled ham on a dish
We whipped of the ham, and left the head in
its place. Before the woman returned, W,
were in the street again, with the ham wrapped
in the same blanket that had contained th'
head"
"Shocking"'
"Then We went to the cobbler's house, anC
while he was at work In the front shop we go
in at the back door, and left the ham in hi
pantry"
: But where were his wife and daughter
| sir ?"
The daughter worked in a milliner's sho
during the day, and returned homo at night
The wife was in some other part of the house
As soon as the man came home, the wife un
dertook to set on the ham, and found q hea
, there. He must have been stupid fellow, 70
3 | he"-
"Did You know his name, sir?"
81 heard it at the time, but did not charg
my memory with it. Some Smith, or Jones, o
Brown-a common fellow, you know"
y "Oh, yes, 1 know, SIR"
4 81 call him stupid, Miss Julia, because b
}, went to the cobbler's house first, instead q
}, keeping quiet till he had had the man arrest
ed. OF course, if the cobbler had been guilty
Q he could have escaped-got off clear-it wa
managed 50 awkwardly. Had he got the col
}, bier arrested, our purpose would not hay
failed. He would have been put to consider
able trouble before he could have got clsa
As it was, however, he lost his custom, an
had to leave the place"
. "You mean to say that the ham was foun
q in his possession, sir ?"
p eyes by the man at whose house ii was lef
and so the cobbler was sent about his bushes
Ie instead Of being locked up"
sAnd what became Of this Stupid fellow
10 whose house the head had been left?"
"Well, he lived there awhile, believe.
8, used to see his wife going to the pump, fc
IN lowed by one or two brats-"
"Sirn' .y-.. .-
q al beg your pardon. Children would, pc
IN haps, have been more proper. But come, he
the landing, and yonder is your father wal
'u ing for u.s."
That evening, Miss Julia unveiled the gre
i fnystery 10 that "stupid fellow" at who