The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1866-03-21


:, And long ere the latest glimmer Of twi-
ngnt tney had gone shuddering away, pro-
missing to reappear with the morning
He sat up till about midnight, alternately
reading in the library and taking walking
tour of the house. Perhaps he felt that the
prejudice against living in house Of crime
was not quite a folly, after all.
Ii visit to the scene of great and GOOD
deeds be thought to have an ennobling in
hucnce, nay it not be rightly believed that
to live amidst evil associations is likely to
breed thoughts of evil So he moralixed,
as he peered about the spot on which the
horrible deed had been committed. An OBJ
servant eye could even see where the stair
case wood had been planed away to efface
the stain, which (if one victim were Is in
nocent as the other) still cried for ven
geance to Heaven! He went back into the
library, intending at once to retire for the
night; and had taken the candle in his hand
in order to 60 up stairs, when his ear met
the sound as of some ones hand engaged at
the Window window which led into the
garden. Perfectly free from superstition,
ne imagined that some marauder, perhaps
not without companions, might have pre-
sumed on the supposed abandonment of the
house, and have come to see whether the
half-furnished hall would not afford some
prize for the skilful and industrious. Mr..
Langworth waited in silence. The fire was
low in the grate,-all but burnt out,-and
his candle SO placed that none Of its rays
fell upon the chinks of the shutter. He has
pistols with him, and felt glad enough at
having taken this precaution; for the rob-
Der Tor robbers) might trust TO their allies,
the ghosts, to scare all assistance away that
the village could furnish him. Our friend
was on the point Of asking who was there
flor hand outside continued fumbling with
the window, when something,-tbough he
could not analyze the thought, he felt its
force, suggested to him, 81 Keep
quiet, and see what will happen!" Extin-
gushing his candle, he crept near the IL
brary door. His pistols were already in
his pockets He noisclcssly opened the
door. which led into the hall, in case he
should be forced to retreat out Of the room.
With rs little noise he placed himself on his
knees behind an arm chair. He might thus
hope to observe any one who entered by
the window, without being himself observed
by him.
All this while the person outside, uncon-
scious or defiant Of his presence within,
continued his attempt on the window.
That no sound like whisper met his ear
was, to Mr.. Langwortli, a strong evidence
that the intruder was alone. And the little
care he took to perform his work silently
presently breaking pane Of glass, and scat
tcring its fragments on the gravel-scemed
10 show that he believed the house to be yet
untenantcd. He did the work very quickly,
not caring to do it quietly. And, in not
many minutes, the bold burglar entered the
room. No one was with him. lie carried
"bull eye" lantern; and, when first its
light fell on his face and figure, it displayed
a tall man with more youth in his figure than
in his countenance.
II was difficult impartially to observe a
stranger thus coming under his notice and
it might be from unavoidable prejudice that
Mr.. Langworth imagined he had never seen
countenance SO suggestive Of every evil
and hateful passion as the one now before
him. Yet something in his micn, not to
speak of his dress. marked him as differing
greatly from the common herd Of the enc
mics to society.
He turned his lantern this way and that,
until its rays fell on large, old fashioned
from the window. lie moved towards it with
=
I'm confident" he said, quite loud enough
for the unsupported spy 70 distinguish his
words.
But ,rhat could he be looking to find? lie
began to attack the drawers Of the escritoire,
probably with the same weapon which had
served him with the window. Mr. Lang
worth was conscious that it was now time
for hin to interfere. Yet curiosity kept
him quiet. The man pried open drawer
after drawer; rummaged in every one of
them, and (from his mutterings of disap-
pointment) apparently without finding what
he was seeking for.
az must find t." and he cursed and
CRASHED his teeth; cat all events, must
have it destroyed. I'll run no risk! If
don't get hold of it I'll set fire to this house,
and then it's twenty thousand to one but
that this thing will be burnt along with it.
If the people who are coming here should
get hold of it - Stay, there's another
drawer Left
And he was proceeding in his search, when
Mr.. Langworth burst out Of his concealment
Before he could lay hold Of him he had re-
treated through the open window. It was a
dark night, and thick shrubbcry lay near
at hand. The few moments start he had
got soon enabled him to set all pursuit at
defiance.
Mr.. Langworth reclosed the window and
the shutter; and having taken this precau-
ton against the strangers return, examined
the one drawer which the latter had left I'M
touched It contained a small folded paper.
Mr.. Langworth will scarcely be blamed if
he never asked himself whether he was JUS
tilted in perusingit. Connecting the strange
incident Of the night with the awful crime
perpe;rated SO long before, he could not but
think that he was on the eve of discovery
which might avenge the innocent, and bring
tardy rctribution on the gully.
Outside the paper was written, Concern
ing the Eighteenth Of December, 49,"
THE aforementioned date of the Garrow
murder).
But when he unfolded it, the paper, while
confirming his belief in its Importance, gave
no promise whatever Of solving the mystery
at oil events, to him. All but the sigma
ture was written in ciphers.
Thus the characters ran:
Xix RIM vzr hmmnbdms nc sgd ltqcdq
ne CHR vhed; CHR ezsgdq vgn vqhsdr sghr
vzr sgd fthksx nmd.
"FnEpEsrcK DURHAM"
Well acquainted-as who was not at that
time with all particulars respecting the
Durham family, Mr.. Langworth knew that
the name appended to the cipher was that
Of the father of the supposed suicide and
murderer. Not thinking it wise to increase
the horror with which the house already in
spired them, he left the old couple, who re-
turned in the morning-to believe that the
breaking of the window was his own doing,
and told them not a word about his nights