The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-04-20

no. She says folks ought to know anough not
to be took sick the night which is the doctor S
wedding night, and that's my own opinion,
| marm.'
Good land ~ cried Dame Stark $50 he hain't
gone to be married has he! Wei, l couldn't
think how he managed to get out without my
seeing of him. Mayhap the poor gentleman has
fell seep-he's broke of his rest so o'nights it
would be no wonder, Here Jim, You run up TO
DR.. Wylie's room. and tell him that it's time for
him to go and be married ~
The shock-headed hostler crept off up the stairs
and five minutes afterward he came rushing back.
his face pale death, his eyes starting from their
sockets. and his huge frame trembling in every
| limb
''He's dead as a door nail !" he cried, land a
laying sopped in his own blood !"
The servant from the Hall, Mrs Stark, the
landlord, and a couple of loungers. all rushed up
to the chamber and found that Jim's words were
too true.
DR.. Wylie was lying on the floor on his face:
having evidently been stabbed in the back while
sitting in a chair before the mirror.
Trace of the murderer there was none, except
that on the sill of the open window behind the
dead man, there was the print of two bloody
fingers
Underneath the window, which was only nine
feet from the ground, was thick bed of sage,
which had been covered up from the winters cold
if the murderer had escaped by the window, the
hemlock gave no footprints.
The news spread like wildhre and reached the
hall even before the servant could return to
communicate it. Poor Lucy was carried to her
chamber in dclirium and the Squire, who was
also the Coroner, set forth for the Red Mug to
attend the inquest which had been called.
The inquest, like most other investigations OF
that kind, elected nothing new--and after the
Ipv nf fhrnn Inr,a %hr1 NIr ,x VII
placed in Squire Hillman's family vault to await
the pleasure of his relatives in New York, who
were at ence written to.
AS is usual in such cases, public indignation
ran very high. Every one was anxious to con-
Wet the real assassin, that the vengeance might
be swift and sure
DR.. Wylie's brother offered a reward of five
hundred dollars for the discovery and apprehen-
sion Of the murderer; Dashford, not to be behind
in the good work, offered like amount.
The offered rewards brought their fruit Isaac
Smith,a laborer, employed at intervals about the
Red Mug, came before justice and stated that,
on the evening of the murder, about eight o'clock
he had met Clyde Irving-a young mechanic
coming in great haste from the direction of the
garden at the Red Mug He had bid good eve
ning-a salu tation which was briefly responded
to. Irving had appeared to be powerfully agita-
ted from some cause, and anxious to escape
about the murder and everything connected with
it, Mr.. Smith had been over the garden, and on
looking beneath the hemlock which covered the
sage bed, he had found small, exceedingly
sharp chisel, bearing on the handle the name of
Clyde Irving. The instrument was rusty and
stained with blood as he exhibited it to the JUS
tice-and the finding of this weapon recalled the
fact that, at tn, post norton examination, the
surgeon had expressed it as his opinion that the
r. fa1 nd had nj 1ao do bxyo Init b,,<
by some other sharp pointed instrument.
Clyde Irving was of irreproachable habits. poor
but honest temperate and virtuous-and the
only son of a widowed mother. It was well
known in Dashford that he had loved Lucy w al
bridge from childhood, but that he had never
spoken to her on the subject, because his station
in life was 90 much below hers
You all know how readily people find reasons
for the truth of what they desire to believe IT.
wing had not an enemy in the village-but still
it was necessary to have some one on whom to
throw the guilt, and they were all glad that the
murderer had been discovered.
A score of other trifing circumstances were
against the unfortunate young man, and he was
arrested, tried and convicted of the murder of
Charles Wylie, on the evening of the 10Th of
March.
Lucy, who had in a measure received from the
shock she had received on the death of her ex-
pected husband, protested against the course
events were taking She was morally sure that
Irving was innocent of the crime charged upon
him, and if the law convicted him unto death, it
would slay one who was wholly guitless
1t did so convict him, and the terrible sentence
passed upon him-to take effect on the 10th day
of June following.
After the decision was know to be final, Lucy
Walbridge sunk into q profound melancholy,
from which nothing could rouse her. and at times
her friends degpared Of her reasOn
On the fatal 10th of June, Dashford was over
run with people. The execution was to take
place in the open space in front of the jail-the
time II o'clock. ass
Just before the hour, Irving was led forth, and
with hrm quiet manner assembled the scaffold.
His face was pale, but serene-the calm blue eyes
met the gaze of the vast multitude without
shrinking, and the broad white forehead lifted
itself to the soft south wind as honestly and
proudly as the brow Of the noblest man among
them I'LL.
He was asked if he had anything to say-but
he simply shook his head, and the black cap was
drawn over his eyes.
The Sheriff took the rOpe-but before he could
place it about his neck, tall, gaunt woman,
clothed in black, stepped forward, lifted bony
white hand, and uttered the single word
"Forbearw
The Sheriff dropped the rope-something in
the air and manner Of the woman commanded
obedience. Silence fell upon the assemblage--
silence which was almost audible. The woman
dropped the hood of her cloak upon her shoulders
and revealed pale, haggard face-lt up by
brilliant black eyes, and framed in masses of hair
white as snow.
Listen to me" she said, in the low, thrilling
voice which reached the ear of every person
present--.listen to me, and witness We every one
| that, before God, / avow my words to be the