Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-03-31
0 COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, SATURDAY, MARCH 81, 1860.

! looks. for it was her husband she had seen. 81
knew it A; | knew he spent every evening with
her!"
"Shall we follow them ?" asked the other.
"Noi let us go home quick! !" was the an
Swcr.
Such scene as that night witnessed was
never before enacted in that quiet villege At
late hour there was meeting of many of the
matrons in the house Of one OF their number.
The curtains were closely drawn; the light
was so dim that the faces of those who whiS-
pered together could scarcely be discerned.
There was something fearful in the assemblnge,
at such an unwontcd time, Of those orderly
housewives, so unaccuStOmed ever to leave
their homes after dusk. The circumstances
Of their meeting alone bctokened something
uncommon in a2itation; still more did the 81
hence, hushed and brcathlcss at intervalS-the
eager but suppressed whispering, the rapid
gestures. the general air Of determination
mingled with cauth0U 1t struck midnight,
they made signs, one to another, and the light
was cxtinguShcd.
| 1t was perhaps nm hour or more AFTER when
the same band of women left the house and
took their way in profound silence, along the
road leading out Of the village. BY round
about course, skirting the small body Of water
above mentioned, they came to the border Of
/ the wood.- Just then waning moon rose
above the forest tops, shedding faint light
over hill and stream. II could then be seen
that the females all wore kind Of mask Of
black stuff Their course was directed tuwUrd
! the English wOmans house, which they ,9p
preached with Stealthy and noseicSS steps
few moments of silence passed after they
had disappeared, and then wild Shrek was
heard, and others fainter and fainter, like the
voice Of one in agony struggling To cry out,
and stiticd by powerful hands. The women
rushed from the wood, dragging with them
ftheir helpless victim, whom they had gagged,
so that she could not even supplicate their mis-
cry. Another cry was presently heard-the
wait uf utcrriirtl child he little bay reused
from sleep by the screams Of his mother, ran
toward her captors and throwing himself on
his kncsS, begged for her in pteous accents
and with streaming tears.
Take him away" cried several together I;
and one of their number, snatching up the
child, ran off with him at her utmost speed,
and did not rctcrn.
The others proceeded quickly to their mis-
sion of vengeance. Dragging the helpless
dame to the pond, they rushed into it., heed
less of risk to themselves, till they stood deep
in the water. Then each in turn, Scizing her
enemy by the shoulders, plunged her in, head
and all, crying, as she did so, "ThiSiS for my
husband !" "And this for mine!" This for
mine !" was echoed, with the plungcS in quick
succession, till the work Of retribuion was
accomplished, and the party hurried TO shore.
Startled by noise of some one approaching,
the disguised avengers fled, leaving their vic
tim on the bank, and lost no time in fastening
hOmcward. The dawn of day disclosed a
Irnod inl IN Sfr0nhn no,no w nj fnn fO,Ipfl
dead beside the water. There was evidence
enough that she had pershcd, not by accident,
but violence Who could have done the deed
The occurrence created great commotion in
Easton. as it is but natural it should; but il
was never discovered with certainty who were
the perpetrators of the murder. Suspicion
fell Oh several; but they were prudent enough
to keep silent, and nothing could be proved
against them. Perhaps, the more prominent
among the men, who should have taken upon
themselves the investigation Of the affair, had
their own reasons for passing it over rather
slightly. 1t was beyond doubt, too, that ac-
tual murder had not been designed by the
actors in the tragedy but simply the punish
mcnt assigned to witchcra(t by popular usage.
So the matter was not long agitated, though
it was for many years subject Of cOnversa-
ton among those who had no interest in hush.
ing it up; and the story served as warning
to give point to the lessons of careful mothers
1t was for long time believed that the
ghost of the unfortunate Englishwoman haunt.
ed the spot where she had died Nor did the
belief cease to prevail long after the pond was
drained, and the wood felled, and the space
built over. a stable belonging to gentle.
man with whom am acquainted, stands near
the place. have heard him relate how one
Of his servants, who had never heard the story,
had rushed in one night, much alarmed, To
say that he had seen female figure, in old
fashioned cap and white gown, standing ut the
door of the stable. Another friend, who re.
sides near, was told by his domestic that a
strange woman stood at the back gate. who
had suddenly disappeared when asked who
she was. Thus there seems ground enough
to excuse the belief. even now prevalent among
the common people in Easton, that the spirit
still walks at night about that portion OF the
town.