The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-06-20
TIE Torn Bill

By e.. D. (.
Ain the spring o. 1851 tina, the IL
.,ss.e6 an about TO relate occurred.
Ia. time postmaster in the town
An unusually warm spell OF
=. had CARED Away much OF the snow,
- ~ .oals very muddy and rendered the
~ - vs-v bad. thought Of this Is |
X shutters about nine o'clock in
=. .,.-isr and also remembered that a.
=. Fsnesday the stage from c.
"a sgnt but owing 10 the bad 90
r-.ro: yet IL. therefore deter
~, would. as ! had often done be-
49, The front door and the door be-
=. ~ inner and outer rooms, and ieav-
:. mt burning, 20 70 sleep trusting TO
I,ssr 10 wake me by rafting the door.
T, .,smsd bit few moments. so soundly
.lent ere | was awakened by a pound
n NJ door. Glancing at the clock,
~ s,ool opposite, | discovered, how
hat Il was one o'clock in the NOR
!. and thar had been asleep nearly four
:. AsIhurried 10 ward the door, |
NJ hand into my pocket for the key
tund il was empty. Tie two door
ssrd boil the keys Of my safe, all OF
4 had when | went to sleep. were
Stepping 10 a rear door, in the lock
vseh I always kept the key, found
80 locked aud the key gone. This
.rdsed me that for q lew seconds | re-
ID on the spot, utterly unable to do
ssng 10 solve the mystery. From this
pl vas aroused by renewed pounding
y DOOR. There was but one available
Of exit from my prison, and that was
.h 4 side window. Throwing up the
sprang out and hurried round 10
r expected to find the driver Mys-
seemed to have no end, for instead OF
~ the driver, / came upon an excited
u OF about twenty Ny appearance
be signal for all TO commence telling
be cause OF their excitement. Silence
however. at last obtained, anu then
s.srf told me i'm as few words US pos
be state OF affairs.
seems that one OF the physicians OF the
J. Dr. smith. was returning from pro-
-sl visit 70 a patient, and when about a
ron The town heard in the road ahead
lin q pistol shot. HurryinG on, he
D., about half a mile further on, the
-e FOR which | was waiting, drawn up
he SIDE o. tie road, a. q in the middle
ihe Ulf the body OF a man. Bringing
aaiem near the face he found that IL
1e driver, and that he was dead, hay
eaa shot through the head. lie found
r.es, sc, OF the team, scattered
..im the ground, rs was also the mai
l the latter had been uHiOcted, not
IN and the contents were gone. He
leb0dy up and placed 1t in the stage
rs just starting on for assistance,
he saw a revolver lying near by,
from the fact that one barrel had
tscharged, he decided was The weap-
tAWbich the deed had been committed.
~ IN town he aroused the Sheriff and
IleighbOrs, and while some were dis
- With the doctor after the body the
and others had gone to my house
tne. Finding | was not there they
me TO the Office and ust as Joined
Ae body arrived.
vas the substance OF the facts reil-
ne. Ii seemed strange that the
should have gone to my house in
eaiter the body. and was about 10
'eSS myself when he stepped forward
ing his hand on my shoulder said.
arrest you, John Blanchard, for the
otCharleS Smith, stage driver"
ehad struck me | should not have
lore surprised | tried to reason
m but although he was very civil
equally firm, and the result was
9eat the remainder of the night il
ly jail, which building was situa
II, that being the shire town
aainaIion the next morning ELECTED
-@Hlg rather curious facts:
-ahe Sheriff searched my person h,
ipfised TO iind no keys, and indeed
-Ao' memorandum book. Sending
Sssisut he ObtaIded the door keys
= @s keys could not be found. anC
50 declared that l always carried
va ne. Upon entering they fOunC
'lrts were all gone, the money
"a saqw, and a few stamps, which th,
.~@sd them that we always lief
&c Ne at night, missing. And n,
80 ebund of the safe Keys. Sup
lEthd disposed OF them in orde
: Haee OF my guilt, which it was Ia
T. sAaled had concealed in the safe
=. o discovered. they brought
-r aad alter much labor forced tn
4 - aoor served only to show then
80 - Ne had been completely rified
IN OF three thousand dollars
~ been in the night before, wa
+ - 1aat the causes which led to sus
zig fastened upon me were tn
-oslas: First, the revolver wit
' eeed was committed had upO
@s-fer plate. on which was en-
t.! name. The clerk took oath tha
-pOa was mine, and that l Away
- once. When they produced
=" uOuot for moment that it di