The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-02-04

to ply The whip, he urged his horses to leal
the barricade and drsg the vehicle aftel
them. During the performsnce of this ex'
plot, the robbers were continually calling e
him to stop at the risk Of his life, and fired
several pistol shots at him unavailingly. 1ht
brush fence onos forced. all danger wss soor
left lar behind. 1t 10 gratifying to be abl,
to ssGeaAAst on their arrival at Cumberland
the end oftte stage, the passengers present.
ed the driver With one hundred and fifty
dollars. The su6scfiption Nss started b.
lady. Would it were i6ay peves to givt
the name of this brave man, tit ~ fenl
mightbe extended at least anon she
shall read this narrative. -
| The adventure of the Ohioan (told much
more in detail than as given above) being
concluded, the Texan gave Us . description
Of another Of his battles, in which, II re.
merrightly, he had been taken prisoner, and
had aftcrwards made his escape after hav.
ing been compelled to subsist for three OF
four@ays on meagre diet in foul prison,
AZ hi narratives were numerous, and bore
for th6most part . general resemblance, the
reacsr will pardon me for not recolle- ting
them particularly. To the last mentioned
succeeded the relation by the Cumberland
merchant of an occurrence of the most thrill.
ling character, and which cannot recall
without a sensation of of horror.
In the forenoon Of day in the fall oi
lS3- Il do not remember the exact year) a
traveller, mounted on beautiful horse,
stopped at the house Of Mr.. Simpson, re.
siding abont eight miles below Cumberland,
in that part of Hampshire county, Virginia,
which borders on Allegany county, Mary
land, from which it is separated by the Po.
tomac river. The stranger, who gave bis
name as Mason, said that his business was
the purchase of stock, and inquired of Simp-
son if he had any to sell. The answer that
he had not was followed by an invitation to
dismount and stay for dinner, which was
cheerfully accepted. During the travellers
stay his host informed him that man by
the name of Marsh, living in the immediate
neighborhood, had sheep to sell. Shortly
after dinner the stranger, after receiving
directions to find his way to Marsh's house,
left his hospitable entertainers, expressing
some anxiety that he would not have time
to make his purchase and return to Cumber.
land before night-fall.
This man Marsh and his family had bad
character among the neighbors, and were
thought to be guilty of very heinous crimes:
which reputation adds to the suspicious
appearance of the following circumstances
Mason, it appears, arrived ut Marsh's,
where was present man from the neigh
borhood, who had been hired by Marsh to
do some piece of work. This person said
that Mason made bargain about the sheep,
for whicn the former paid the cash, exhib.
iting at the time large roll of bank notes.
The traveller took his departure immediate
ly after the completion of the purchase, say.
ing that he was desirous to reach Cumber.
land before night; and the man from the
ueighborhood shortly afterwards returned
home. ... ..
| Late in the afternoon Of the same day two
of Simpsons sons, stout lads, saw the trav-
eler's horse tied to a tree in the forest be.
tween Marsh's house and their fathers
dwelling, and not far from the road be-
tween the former place and Cumberland
| They knew the horse well, and had particu.
| lary noticed him on account of his remark.
able beauty. This animal was afterwards
frequently seen in the possession Of the fam.
| lily of Marsh, who said he had received it il
The traveller was never seen more. Deer
suspicious were entertained against tht
Marshes by all acquainted with the circum
stances, rs the person who had been presen,
at the sale insisted that no mention had beer
made Of the horse, except that the Marshes
and himself ad expressed their admiration
of him as the traveller mounted, and partic'
ularly as the animal was evidently worth
considerably IN ore than the sheep purchased
But the affair was never legally Investigated
| suppose because there were no positive
proofs, nothing beyond strongly suspicion.
circumstances, in fact, that murder and rob
berry had been committed.
Twelve or fifteen months after the occur
renee of the above incidents, about a fur
long from the spot where the horse had beer
yseen tied, in n small hollow almost filled
with the fallen leaves Of the surrounding
forest, was found the skeleton of man.
Around it were some fragments Of decayeC
clothing, among them bearskin COLLAR
| The elder Simpson believed that the missing
traveller had had such on his overcoat or
the day be was at his house. But to banist
all doubt as to the identity of the body dis
covered, by the side of the skeleton lay th'
remains of an old pair of saddle-bags, II
which were found some remnants of decay
ed linen, one of which bore the name of tn,
traveller in full stitched in black silk.
No inquiry had ever been made for th'
murdered man BY friend or relative.
| AT the end Of this relation some remarks
were made by the passengers regarding the
probability Of the Marsh's guilt, after whicl
81 could tell" said, without raising hi.
head, the man in the green blanket coat, wht
had not uttered a syllable since he had ans
wered by ANOTHER query the question of tn,
| laughing stock-sl could tell of darker
! tragedy than even that, tragedy known tt
myself and one other person, who is in ths
room."
"For Heavens sake," exclaimed the Tex.
an, sput un end to my-our suspense, anc
let US hear it,"
ssExcuse me, gentlemen" said the man ii
the green blanket coat, answering to the
company generally the request of the Texan
81 am sleepy. The other party may, if hi
chooses, (Which doubt favor you with the
recital"
As he spoke, he rang the bell, and ser
want entering with a light, retired to his
sleeping apartment for the night.
To whom did he allude? My eyes turned
almost unconsciously towards the Texan
He sat near the corner, of the Fireplace with
his back against the wall, while the fingers
of his right hand firmly grasped the back oi
the chair. His face was deathly pale.
was impressed with the idea that some
struggle was going on within him. After
an instant he seemed to recover himself
partly, and bending towards the table thai
stood near him, he poured out tumbler Of
wine and drank it off without drawing
breath
Gentlemen" he said, rs he replaced the
glass, "who is that man? His behavior is
very strange, and there is something suspi.
cious in his keeping his face hidden. Does
any of you happen to know him %
We all answered that we knew nothing OF
him; and added, "as well as could be judg-
ed without having seen any part of his face
except heavy black beard"
81 must learn more of him." observed the
Texan in an undertone, as if speaking to
himself.
The rest Of the passengers appeared moi
to have noted particularly the previous con-
duct Of the man in the green blanket coat