The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1865-06-16
The Sherif's Story.

been dark and lowry, and The evening" Sc,
in with driving storm. Alter supper a
goodiy company assembled 10 TIE bar
room and story telling became the order
OF The occasions. Among our number
was gray haired man, whose usme |
sarned vas Warren Alton. He was past
shree score, but ms gestures and move,
menls betokaDed ali the vigor Of middle
age.
A number of stories had teen told, and
finally all eyes were directed towards AL
| tor. Some one had called bis name, and
hlnted that the time had come.
Gentlemen be said. "if you choose
10 listen, | can give you short story
! touching certhin criminal that | ohce
had the pleasure of arresting.'
| OF course we would listen.
Twenty years ago or thereabouts, -
commenced Mr.. Alton, | was sheriff OF
Jefferson county. Close 10y sharp bend
OF the Bottom Branch Creek was located
quite settlement, called Jackson and
nine miles distan, in a southeriy direcuon
war The town of Huntsville. The creek.
after beneing rounG jackson settlement,
took sw eep to the West, and then turn
ed back and crossed the track abou, mid
way between Jackson and Huntsville
| Of the niue miles between these two
places. seven of them were through low,
dismaf swamp, where the road, for long
distance, WAS corduroy of oak logs. On
this dark, sunkeb road, travellers had been
murdered and robbed. Two years before
| came into Office, a. msLy M six men had
| been found by the WAY side IN the swamp
After became sheriff, the trouble was re
Dewed, and | went down TO Huntsville to
look into the matter. | found one of my
deputies there fair, honorable man,
named Watson. He told me every exer-
ton had been made to apprehend the per
petratOrs of the murder, but without
.ffec, IN fact the officers had not as vet
been able to fix suspicion upon any
| person.
| reached Huntsville IN the evening, and
on the following morning / ;ots down
with v atson on The corduroy road. The
place WAS truly dismal aud dark enough
| The track bad been Gu, through thick
tangled, matted growth or cypress, cot
tonwood, and running vines and in many
places the logs bad sunk so far that the
mud and water flow ed over them Anc
this piece of swamp, by the road, Wa;
seven miles in extent About bal
through we came to the bridge which
crossed the creek no. bridge such AZ
.llr IN, b. e haox =
timber pinned down by being forded. /
was nesr this rpot, I was told that mos, o
Tue murders had taken place.
On tbs following morning, word wa
brought that another man bad been tount
dead and robbed in the swamp. Watson
aud posted off with many others, anl
found i, 10 be a. had been related Tn,
dead man 10y upon the roadside, abou
:bree rods from the bridge, with his skui
broken and pockets empty. a score %
people from Jackson were already there
and soon learned that the murdered
man had stopped at the later place OF
;ha ava-'.S hafrrA ~-I."-aa to Wa
.on that l must not be known, and bad.
hun no; recognize me any more 10 public
After this | ming lec with the psople from
Jackson, snd gathered what information
/ could and at length ,hs following fact
appeared The murdered man Va. no
known Ia tina, section. He had pu. VI
AT the inn =. that plsee. l.e had st.'tec
on bis way again very earl, in the morn
ing, and was next found dead by boy
who had come down to HE creek to Iool
q. some .rrps which be had set on the
prevlous day.
The man who KEEP; thu inn u. jackson
was present, and had been hei ping tc
Identify The dead body. His name wa
Lamar Stoker, aud the moment | restec
my eye upon him | disiiked him. lie
wa. a short, sqnsre built man with Z
tren erGous breadth OF shoulders \ ssna
bullet shaped hsal with proIlinent cheek
bones, aud small lAin ears, buttoned bach
flat upon hi. ,kul; | WAS close by him
engaged in studying bis physioguomy
when an old gentleman who had come
down Oh horseback, Approached aud spoke
TO him.
81 say, S.oker, what time did this man
leave your ian .;i:s ,nornngi" the gentle
man asked:
"As soon as it WAS day light, replied
Seeker. al told him Ire had better wait
for company, bu1 he WAS in hurry
- wonder il be had much money about
him 2
At this query, Stoker betrayed to me q
suspicious sign, ioI | VAS watching him
very closely lie tried to look surprised
tha, such question should be put to him
How do you suppose | kn"wnr' was
the reply. "Hs may bave had thou
sand dollars. | cant tell d"
Blu, where il his horse g asked the
old man
3" lis horse WAS found in my yard by
my hostler, just after breakfast"
1" Was there any blood on him y
Il guess not" r.-.,. III.
AT this point S.oker turned away, and
| went 10 look vt the dead man. The
corpse had been moved up from The way
side upon The corduroy and ns | looked
down where it had been first found, il
struck me tina. very little blood had been
left there.
You may call it chance, or you may
adiull that my PERCEPTION was keener than
! THAI of most men, but at all events, my
mind began to take turn IN direction
I u r. L.. Il