Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1860-10-20

own room without observation, and. aftsi
arranging his valise, Drew himself down
dressed, as he was, to gaiN a few moments
repose. He was suddenly aroused. frou
heavy and uneasy slumber by q strange
stir and tnmult in tbs house. and, he
CROPPED his way to the hall, where he found
the servants running dis,ractedly 10 and
iro; while, from some quarter proceeded
the most piercing and lamentabie shrieks
Following the sounds, ne found hi nsel
on the threshold Of Mr. WaIdo's apartment
the door Of which stood open, and, to hi.
horror and amazement, saw the uafortu-
nate occupant lying on the floor with blood
slowly oozing from wound in the region
Of the heart On one side leaned Lizzie
and Rachel, who had uttered the screams
he had heard; white on the ether, large
was apparently endeavoring to ascertain
If there were any remains of lie. A
group OF servants stood huddlsd together
in the hack, and as Msriden entered the
village doctor who had been hastily sum
mond, made his appearance.
" 1t is quite useless, DOCTOR" said large,
rising slowly. He is dead, or rather
murdered -foully murdered
This is a gun.shot wound" said the
doctor; ho" could be possibly have re.
ceived it?'
large pointed to tho window, and to
the remnant Of broken glass with which
the floor was covered. The shot was
fired from without 1t was his habit
to walk there for hours every night, with
the curtain drawn and the light burning.
lie was fair mark. Then with q start,
as it for the first tune, perceiving Meriden
q All Captain, you have Just come in ;
perhaps you saw some traces Of the as
sassin."
"I.' said Meriden, in astonishment; "it
is full three hours since | retired, and
was only awakened by the scream. Of the
ladies'"
"You dressed very quickly returned
large, slowly scanning him from head to
toot, and with uncommon care, consider.
ing the nature OF the alarm, and from the
appearances Of your shoes, I should say
five minutes was the longest interval IN at
could have elapsed since you were walk.
ing in some dark and muddy spot"
10 his no small surprise, Meriden saw
that large bad spoke the truth. His
shoes were wet and covered with loam.-
Before he could reply, q servant, whom
large bad dispatched TO the garden, en-.
tered. bringing a gun 10 his hand.
"CouIdn't find anything OF the murder.
er, Mr.. large. here's the gun he threw
down in his hurry to get away. Curious,
too, l couldn't fad auy tracks, excep, to
wards the house. didn't see any near
the WALL
Here large, who had been keeuly ex.
amniny ths gun, suddenly exclaimed -
Captain Meriden this is your gun. Here
is your name in full, and it is evident it
has jus. been discharged arrest the mur.
derer What are you waiting for? ." to
the servants, who hesitated to lay hands
on the officer. Away with him say !
If he were my own son, he should suffer
for foul so deed y
Merdan's iirst impulse was resist ence,
but glance showed him the folly and i'm
prudence Of such course, and with one
sigh, as Lizzie fell, he suffered himself to
be led away peaceab!y.
Aud the next morning the village was
electrified by the intelligence tha. Justice
Waldo was murdered by the handsome
young stranger who had been his guest
for the past few weeks. and that the latter
was now in prison awaiting his trial.
The excitement was intense, for Mr..
Waldo was universally loved and respected,
and a murder an almost and unheard of
occurrence in the quiet little village. The
prisoners youthful prepossessing appear
ance won for him the sympathy Of the
crowded court room. But all traces OF
this feeling disappeared as the trial pro-
gressed.
The evidence was indeed fearfully strong
against him. 1t was proved that the de.
ceased and the prisoner had parted in an
ger-that the latter had absented himself
mysterously OIL the night Of the murder,
for even the testimony of old Joshua.
who persisted in believing him innocent,
failing to account for his whereabouts at
the time the crime was commit,ed-tha,
he made his appearance Immediately after,
fully dressed with shoes yet wet and mud.
dy, alleging that he had been asleep-that
gun was found on the grass bearing his
name, and evidently just discharged
that footsteps we're traced to the house,
and muddy tracks within leading 10 his
door. and that they all corresponded ex.
actly in size, and the evidence placed the
fact beyond doubt that the prisoner had
tho strongest motives for wishing the
death of the deceased. As to this over.
whelming array Of fact, Meriden had
nothing to oppose save his SIMPLE denial.
The jury after short deliberation, brought
in q fAananimous verdict Of guilty, and the
Judge was proceeding to sentence the un.
fortunate young man when sudden stir
among the crowd-and the voice of . wo
man, claiming the attention OF the court
caused him to pause, and the next moment
Deborah, pale and hagsared rs ghost,
forced her way to the stand, demanding to
be sworn. and alleging that she knew the
murderer. and could give the details o:
the crime.
large, who manifested extraordinary
emotion on her entrance, interposed. de.
claring that she was i'll aud positively in
sane. and her testimony could not be con-
sidersd reliable. But he was overruled,
and, after the customary preliminary, she
deposed as follows:
. rha: Louis large was the murderer Of
Mr.. Waldo; that he had for many years
hated him secretly, on account Of his con-
duct toward bis (rarge's) mother, old Mr..
Wsldo's second wife; that she had, during
the time, been his accomplice anu conf
dent; that from the day that witnessed
the signing Of Mr. Waldos will. constitut
ing him (Tarse) the trustee OF the proper
y, for the beusti; Of the Waldo ladies, and
the heir after their death; that he had
sought to kill his bali brother; that be
had very near affected this on the night Of
Mr.. Meridens arrival, and had only bsen
prevented from doing 90 by that gentle
man suddenly Oppaning window that
he had then conceived the idea Of making
Msriden appear as the murderer that he
had said to ner after the Disagreement bo-