The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1865-08-26
officer. what does this mean, il

not some foul play ~
d" Oh, rcnticmen,'i said the host. in {
low trrtnulous tone. q hope YOU don't
suspect me. for am as innocent as a child
unborn. And now remember, too. when
| went to the door to let YOU in. found il
wasn't fastened. and I'm right sur. fas.
ten Il it myself before vent to bed"
the officer, - for how can we help il since
the man is gone. as Won have confessed. and
Won have his money in your possession I"
" But he cave me the money to keep for
him." cried the frightened host, and |
have got it yet
p" Undoubtedly Won have, but that YOU
see SO far from proving YOU know nothing
Of the affair, only tends to make the matter
worse for YOU
- PERHAPS he's about vet somewhere. =
suggested the inn-kcupcr. " If he's n bank
robber and heard your knocks. he'd be
quite likely to hide himself or run away,
should think"
The idea WAS worthy of attention and a
search for the missing man was forthwith
begun. On looking under the bed blood
was discovered on the floor. and the trail of
this was found to lead out Of the room down
stairs out the front door-Showing that the
object Of search, either living or dead, had
gone ont of the house Beyond the building
there were no traces for the storm had OBJ
liberated them. The hostler was called. the
only other man about the house, but he
appeared to be kind of stupid fellow, and
evidently knew nothing of the matter and II
look in the barn showed the strangers horse
still there
About an hour later the ncghbor men
toned came over TO the inn, in agitation
I'D al l,,I,
the roadside. and also stated what he had
heard during the night.
All hurried to the scene of the tragedy,
and there behed the body of Il coarse fca-
tnred man of forty, which the officers bcnc-
yed from its general appearance, to be that
of the villain they were seeking, but whether
that of the stranger, who had lodged at the
tavern. no one could tell. The body was
covered with blood. and the man had evil
IDENTITY died from knife wounds in the breast.
Throughout that thinly peopIed section
the ncws spread rapidly, and before night
large number of excited spectators including
the Sheriff, coroner. and two magistrates,
had collected at the inn. An inquest was
held and verdict rendered in accordance
with the facts. and though there was no
direct evidence against the landlord. yet
suspicion so strangely pointed to him as the
murdcrer that he was taken into custody
and committed for trial
In due time the trial came on, but the
jury could not agree. and was finally dis
charged. \ second trial resulted like the
first, and the iunkccpcr whose name Was
Williams was kept in prison over year.
How the affair would have eventually
ed mp in an unexpected manner, it is i'm
lint tl,,, +l md
trial arrived. stranger appeared before
magistrate of the county, and dcposcd that
he was the individual who had lodged at the
inn ON the night Of the murder, and for
taking whose life the landlord was still in
prison.
In the course Of his evidence he stated
that he had been n merchant in Phladcl-
phia, who finding himself on the eve of fail
urc, had collected large amount of money
and run away, and that all traces Of himself
might be lost, and his death expected he
adopted the plan of putting small part ofhis
money in the hands of the inkccpcr ostensibly
for safe keeping. and secretly departing in the
night on foot not surprising anything very
ser nus would result to the landlord from
this course of action. On letting up some
where about midnight his nose had set to
bleeding, which would explain the traces Of
blood he had left behind him. He had
made his way to Baltimore, and thence
sailed to Havana. where he had been 50
fortunate in his spccuations a>to find him
self in a condition to return and settle with
all his creditors On coming home and
giving an account of his adventures to a
friend. he for the first time learned with
horror Of the almost fatal consequence to
the inn-kccpcr for his unjuStiIiablc dsap.
peamncc and bad FASTENED to make what