The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1862-08-13
A soRRowFUL FURLoUGH.

tables were all he could get out OF the
absent minded volunteer.
"Do they pay yer fare up herol"
"No."
"How longs yer furlough?"
"Three days"
"B'long to the sth?"
"No."
"llthp
"No."
"Wall, which du you b'long tu?"
cloth"
A pause, in which the honest hostler
went on with his work, and the soldier
paced up and down the barn floor. AZ
ter two or three minutes the indefatiga-
bic questioner would return to the charge.
"How many mems in yer regiments"
"Eight hundred"
"When dye starti"
Tomorrow night"
Coin home fust9"
"No." I'm low voice).
Where dye live!"
No answer; and the inquisitive hostler
gave it ND at last and subsided among
his curry-combs.
Before the close of that day l learned
the namo of the young volunteer who
had deported himself so unsociably at
the stable, and along with the information
came tidings of ghastly crime commit
ted the night before in an adjoining town.
A widow and her daughter, in humble
circumstances, lived some distance from
the central village, and employed an Irish
man to work their little farm for them in
the absence of an only son and brother,
who had gone into the army. The labor
er was supposed to be well-meaniug
man, and no trouble had transpired be-
tween him and his employers; but it
turned out that the women were decoiv-
cd in him.
A person going toward their house on
the night above mentioned, heard piteous
screams proceeding from il, and making
his way to the door as soon as he could,
arrived in time only to find the corpse of
the widow and to see the daughter breathe
her last. The bloody work had been
done with an axe, and the murderer was
gone. The neighbor could find no trace
of his direction, but he evidently could
not be far away, and he hurried to the
nearest house to call assistance for his
pursuit. Before the alarmed inhabitants
reached the lonely house it was on fire,
and in the confusion no well directed at
tempt 10 stop the burning was made till
the building fell. The ruffian had doubt
less set the fire before he committed the
murder.
Early the next morning young man
arrived in the cars at the village, and was
seen to steer directly toward the scene of
the tragedy. People were up uncom-
monty early, he thought, and some that
he met seemed reserved and looked at
him strangely. Everybody knew him
there, and as he came back with his regi-
mcn.als on, why didn't they say, "Hal-
loo, Johnl glad to see your
Yes, they all knew him. Women
looked out of the windows and cried as
they saw him go by; and rough farmer
men felt choking in the throat as they
"passed the time O duy" with him, but
hadn't the heart to break him the news
At last tiny boy, going away with some
cows to pasture, called out to him rs he
saw him: "Somebody's killed your mo
and your sister Jane, and bnrnt yom
house all up."
Poor John turned dreadfully pale and
stood still, looking at the boy. For q
moment not word was spoken by either
4" They haint" shouted the soldier His
voice was so hollow and firm, and his face
looked so strange that the little fellow
was frightened, and trotted away looking
behind him. Poor John went into the
house and found out all about it.
"It is terrible enough, God knows
said he, 4" but where's the Irishman?"
Oh, how everybody pitied Jobnl They
set victuals before him, and he tried tc
eat. Nobody knew what to say to him.
and so nobody said anything 10 him, but
they all did for him as if he had been q
near kin. At least he broke down and
cried like baby, and the women all gath
cred round and cried with him. 1t did
him good, and after it he felt equal to the
sad task of viewing the ruins of his old
home and taking look at the mangled
remains Of the only relatives he had.-
He staggered rs he wandered over the
familiar house-spot, for old thoughts and
ineffable regrets swept over his heart like
whirlwind. He could not stand il
there, and SO hurried away. "Some.
body's killed your ma and your sister
Jane and burnt the house all upp'
They caught the miserable murderer
before noon, and a'great crowd gathered
to see him lodged in Jail. Some called
out TO "lynch him." but there we're moi
many who mani H. for thav vara ordaY