Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-11-21

made would buy these OLD JACKS cut OF
the hands OF the man WHO seis such
store by them" Ill.,.
al should like to be informed 10 what
respect they are valuable" | remarked.
"Take them In your hands, sir, snd see
II you can flnd them ont for yourself"
But could make nothing of them,
except that they were worn out rubbish,
1T only to be thrown on dunghill.
"Then l will explain to you In what
the essence of their value consists, sir,
They verb once the property of a nur'
derer." q .... .-
"Of a murderer ~
"OG the man who was hanged at,
for the murder al his grandfather, =" con-
tinued the sergeant, STOPPING to recover
the boot that in my momentary horror l
had dropped. "You recollect the case,
sir, dare say. About as cruel murter
as ever was done, think, that was. All
through drink"
"But why are they the more valuable
for the reason you sssign?"
"If you will come and sit by the ire
I'll tell you how they came to be &C.
counted worth preserving" he obligirg-
ly remarked
"As, perhaps you may recollect," he
began, "the poor wretch alluded to vas
apprehended in this precinct, and he
way in which he came to leave his bots
here was simply this. From the timtof
his committing the crime till he msde
his way to the city, he got no rest, bit,
trsmped on and on, day and night, more
miles than should like to say, speaking
from memory. He tramped till his FEET
were blistered and swollen, and when he
came into the ofice-into this otfic'-
one night Between IL and II, saying to
me, is this place where murder
may give himself up for punishment z
he was barefoot, and carried his boot
these boots-slung by their thongs at
the end of the stick with his little hun
die.
"But it isn't about him that / have
anything to tell. All need say Is tat
his feet being too bad to admit Of his De-
ing able to get his heavy old boots or
them, an easier pair were for MIN, ant
believe he was hanged in them. kly
how, his old ones were left here, inc
thrown into that cupboard.
'sWell, there they lay for over two
months. And now must tell you tina
tive years ago the most trOublesomeCus
toner this not over polished and geltee
neighborhood furnished US was drunk
en- horseshoer-a middle aged man, abi!
broad .chested fellow, who could drink
| quart of whiskey. When he,choos t
work, there was not one Of his Graf
| more clever and deXter0Qs, so that sn
| time in three days he could earn as mic
as q plodding man could earn in wteR
| The consequence was that he nGe
worked more than three days, and CAV
up the rest Of his time to drinking IN
Dragging of his ability.
You would never ave-guessed ths
he earned good wages, judging from hi
appearance. Nothing but rags covere
] him, and he had never pair of decor
shoes to his feet, so that when he wer
to work land he was 50 clever that the
were always glad Of hlm) they Wei
obliged to keep him at the back OF tb
shop for shame's sake. Saturday VS.
his grand day, and almost certain as th
night came, he woald be brought hel
| drunk and incapable of anything BIZ
| hGllooing and swearing, to lodge. HI
wife, Sunday after Sunday decor
little woman enough-used to bring hill
q bit of dinner, and we used to let thel
/ sit together while he ate 1t in his Gel
thinking that 1t nightmare him feel h
degradation, and tend to his mending.
l But it was all OF no use thel
seemed no more chance o. mending hi
than there is of EGsking G. rotten app
sound He grew worse and worse. Or
Monday morning, in the depth of winte
just as they were tRrning him out "
never took him before the nsgistrates
we could avoid it) noticed that he W:
without the tattered old shoes he gene
ally wore so bethought me Of the oil
boots lying idle in the cupboard, AM
calling him, got them out.
"' See if you can sc ueeze your feet IL
to these, 1 said. If you doa'. sell thel
forgin, they may carry you slong for
month or so.'
"tNo fear, cuss the gin, he replied, s
he sqIatted down on that stool there I
pull the boots on.
"fI tell you what it is, .Eill Herd
says to him if you don't alter you
course, these boots will last quite lon
enough to carry you to a mst house G
worse still, perhaps to the place wher
they left their last owner.
"'T To the gallows. They ire Thoma
Patterns old boots. YOg knew the ma
I Glude to-
My dear sir, it was a sght to Sc
him then l assure you. He started u
with d yell, and held out tbefGoot wit
the boot on it as though something with
10 it was-etinging him aud causing hin
frigktful pain, while his Starring eye
were so bloodshot, and his imss trem
bled SS though shaken by palsy. The
he got the boot of, and then, standin!
with his naked feet on theeold stones
he seemed changed from drunken brut
to 3 sober man.
GO Ia rather walk my bone, bare thai
wear EN-, said he; I'm bid enough
the Lord knows-no better tan brut
beast but | amt glad as yet to wear