Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1865-10-16
d1aIlg Gmpire.
THE sRERlFE'S STORY.

In. the autumn OF AZ, on my way home
from the West, | found myself obliged 10 put
no for the night az the inn Of small settle
.ment on the Wabash. The day bad been dark
and lowry, and the evening Get in With a
driving storm After supper, goodly com
pany assembled in the bartoom, aud story
Telling became the order of the occasion,
Among our number was gray haired man,
whose name, l learned, waa Warren Alton.
he was past three score but his gestures and
vieoe beiokened all the vigor OF middle age
x number Of stories had beon tod, and
finally All eyes we're directed toward Alton,
Some had called his name, and limited that
his time had come,
''Gentemen," he said, "if you choose to
listen, can give you a short story touching a
certain criminal that once had the pleasure
of arresting."
OF course we all would listen,
dTwenty years ago, or thereab0uts," COM
menced Mr.. Alton, II was Sheriff of Jeifer>
son county. Close by sharp bend OF the
Bottom Branch Creek was located quite a
settlement, called jackson; and nine miles
distant in a southerly direction was the town
Of Huntsville The creek, after bending
around jackson settlement, took sweep to
the West and then turned back, crossed the
track about midway between these two places
Seven miles were through a low, dismal
swamp, where the road for long distance
was y corduroy of oak logs On this dark
and sunken road, trayeleta had been mur,
dered and robbed Two years before came
luto Office as many as six men had been
found by the wayside in that swamp After
became Sheriff, tho trouble was renewed,
and went down TO huntsville to look into
the matter found one of my deputies there
II fair, honorable man, named Watson.
He told me every exsrtiop had been made 10
apprehend the perpetrators OF the murder, but
| without effect In iact the otficers had not
vet been able to fix suspicion
! reached Huntsville in the evening, and
| on the following morning | rode down with
! Watson upon the corduroy road. The place
was truly dismal And dark enough The track
had been cut through thick, tangled, mat.
! ted growth OF cypress, cottonwood and run-
ming vines aud in many places the logs had
sunk so far that the mud and water flowed
over them. Aud this piece of swamp by the
road, was seven miles IN extent About
halfthrougb we came to u bridge that crossed
the creeR--not "a bridge such as we usually
see, but sunken mass OF timber pinned
down by piles and ties, so that the stream
could he lorded, II was near this spot, | vas
told, that most Of the murders had tsket
place. p
4 On the following morning word was brought
that another man bad been found dead ana
robbed in the swamp Watson and posted
oa with many others and found tito ba at
had been related, The dead man Jay upon
the road side, about two rods from Nc bridge
4 with his skull broken and bis pockets empty
i a score OF people from Jackson we're aiready
there, and soon learned that the murdered
man had sl0pped at the latter place on the
evening before l whispered to Watson tha
! must not be kpowu, and bade him not ra'
cogni2e me any more IN publc After thi.
mingled with the people Of Jncksou nnC
gathered what Information | could aud a
length in the following iacts appeared Tn.
murdered man was not kbowniu that section
lie had arrived at jackson on the eFepin,
before, gu horseboek, aud put ppe tha
place, He had startled on his way very earl
in the morning, and was next day found deal
by boy who had come down to the creek t
look at some traps which he had set the pre-.
Vious day. '
The man who had kept the inn at jackson
was present and had been helping TO identif,
the dead body. His name was Lamar Sto
ker, and the moment rested my eyes upoi
him, disliked him. He was a short, square.
built man, with tremendous breadth o
shou lders, a small bullet shaped head, witt
prominent cheek bones, and small thin earl
buttoned back fiat upon his skull, | wa
y close by him, engaged in studying his phys
ognomy, when an old gentleman, who ha,
come down on horseback approached an
y spoke to him
N say, Stoker, what time did this maj
leave your inn this mornineY' the gentleinai
asked,
8 AS sO0p e j was daylight IopHed stO