Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-02-26

pletiOn of the term of the nephew sentence,
when Immediately thereafter, on Saturday
night, the uncle's house was discovered on
fire, and, before any help could reach, was
burned with the entire contents. No soul
was left alive to tell the sad tale of. their
deaths, and, on examination of their charred
remains, every one was found with the skull
cleft This left no room to doubt that the
entire family had been murdered and the
house burned to conceal the fact In COM
munty where crime ia almost unknown every
member was on the alert to discover the mur-
derer, and the threats of young Markley had
their potential significance.
His dismissal from prison was ascertained
more than that he was seen near the farm
but two days before the fire, and, after an in
quest, the Governor offered reward of one
thousand dollars, and bills were posted de
scribinS the supposed murderer No means
were left untried. Baltimore was patroled,
and orders given that every vessel leaving
for foreign coast trade should be over
hauled, and yet, without avail. Special po-
lice visited other States. Cities were placard-
ed with descriptions, and individuals joined
the State and county in swelling the reward
to such sums as called on hundreds to qui:
ordinary avocatiOns aud turn special attention
to hunting the murderer. The South Noun
tain was near tie farm of the uncle Old
hunters who had hunted foxes and cata>
mounts, explored caves and cayerns never be-
fore visited by man. All failed, and for
three years no means we're left untried So
great crime had, perhaps, never been COM
nitted in the State. Meetings in every
county and large cities in the State were held,
and the executor of the estate of the uncle
offered Gas there were no immediate heirs)
the entire farm for the discovery Of the MUIR
derer, and no one doubted who he was.
Three years thus passed, when news reach
ed the settlement that young Markley had
becu arrested down on the North Carolina
coast, near Ocracoke Inlet, where lie haL
been Tor three years engaged in fishing. Per
hdps no class Of human beings are more de.
PRAYED and secluded than the fishermen Of
the coast Early III February the shad ap>
proach this coast, and from then until May,
are caught IN large numbers, by men who
have no earthly ties and know no homes but
their huts aud spend their leisure in drink
ing. But few survive two years, Yet this
healthy young man Vas in his third year of
dissipation and exposure, and survived How
he was identified was never known lie was
brouSht to Frederick City and placed in Jail
lie admitted lie saw the house on fire. but
denied any knowledge Of the deaths or the
causes Of them. At the next session Of the
en- persons and tn" trial was short, the proofs
conclusive, and sentence followed
Before proceeding further must intro
duce the principal witness, a young lady
named Susan. She WAS raised by the family,
and was not related to them-the child of
dear friend OF the aunt, and was an orphan
She had grown to womanhood without feel
ing her Orphanagc or dependence, and was
more an equal and companion Of Mrs, Mark
ley than dependent. Her hand was solicit
ted IN marriage Ey severa! young mon, and
ny none so approximately as 4 widowcr named
=, who owned the adjoining farm, and
between whom and Mr.. Markley there had
been lawsuit involving the title TO q noun
tain lot OF wood and the suit resulted in IA
vor OF Mr., Markley. Except this one suit
there was known 10 cause Of disagreement
between these neighbora. and the grown chil-
drcn of Mr.. p. visited the Markleys after
as before, the fuller nercr yet he embraced
every opportunity to address Susan She de-
cllned his addresses, she did Others aIleg-
ing she never would quit the home where she
found those as near and dear as her own mo-
ther and father and as now the cares of chill
drcn were added to the anxeties attendant
upon the increasing years of Mrs Markley's
parents Giving with them,) she could net
think OF deserving aunt, as she called Mrs.
Mafkiey. SUch was Susan and such was the
relation between her and the Markley, family.
she appeared in Court in the deepest
mourning, and although three years had
clupscd-the presence of the supposed mur-
dercr-the recollection of past scenes and
the horrid murder of those who were more
than parents-her all in the world so over
came her, that the Court granted her full
time to relieve her feelings, and every heart
sympathiZed with the double and distressed
orphan. will not detail her entire tcstimo-
ny, but the part most interesting and dalrn-
ing in the case. She said, on the day of the
murder her uncle and herself had gone to
Frederick City. and in the afternoon She and
her aunt were i'll Mr. Fishers jewclry store
when her uncle passed by. They called him
in and begged him to buy breast-pin for
her (Sussn.( He refused, alleging that he
had just paid his taxes and had spent all Of
his money and seemed angry at the increase
OF taxes over the year before, asserting that
the farmers could scarcely pay them from the
proceeds OF the farm, and hurried them up
to get ready to return home, as it was Satur-
day; and many things were to be done rre-
paratory to the Sabbath. lie requested them
to rehlain there, and he world bring the car
riage, and they would start home from there.
They started, and on the way home she and
aunt plagued uncle about the pin, testing
him about people feeling so poor, and kept
up running conversation about people get
ting avaricious as they grew older and he
(uncle) evidently showed sorrow for not hav-
ing purchased the pin. at was the first re-
quest he had ever refused me- and showed
regret at his pctuIance. Immediately after
reaching home, he went up stairs for some
tools, and brought down remnant of q vest
and asked aunt if she remembered it. She
replied it Was his wedding vest It was made
of very thin changeab!o silk, and was worn
cut around the pockets and collar. He called
it his new vest, and said he would wear it to
cherclE the next day. She or aunt told him