Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-11-12
Next instant, the dark mounted figure VISA the
window, aud pistol was into The chaise.
ttYour money. or your tifeP' II ,u .se,,.,

Next instant, the dark mounted figure xasa Ut th,
window, and pistol was protruded into the chaise
s.tYo onr money, or your Gel" ~ re.I III ...gll
These we're his last words eatesrth. "a Sigh
movement'ofi the MAJORS elbow, aec0nsiactien'o
bis, fore:Anger, fash, an explosion, and with
Wild inarticuIste cry, the hiRhwayman fen from BIZ
horse shot clean through the heart With loud
snort Of terror, the horse started off, dragging the
dead man at his heels rbut before it hAdgone more
than twenty yards the robber's foot slipped out d
thestiftup, and the horse, freed from It's burden,
went off at terrific pace down the rDsd 20 go.
~ Major Gregson, assisted BY the position, car
ried the dead man back to the chaisep and then
proceeded to examine into condition the
light Of the chaise lamps; ss;;.sI.m;ss i -
3Dead as 4 door.nail,s = Said the position, aft
few moments.
EVEN sosn answered shs Major ssdB. AS
thought-asI thought, he added under hisbreath.
HE eomted bis fateD and his blood, ,bs upon bis
own head"
"Why, the black comes off his faoel" said the
position in surprise. Il thought when saw
him at first that it was his: natural color ~
1T Was only put on by way Of disguise, "aid
the Major. I - sars:.. ~ r,a7,,- .,lesa
They then put the; dead fobber into the chaise,
and performed the rest Of their journey at q foot
pace the Major walking. By the side Of the chaise
It was very late, when. they got into DERBY, and
they went straight to the house Of the chiefconI
stable and, knocked. 5,l hs I,''s,., ~
The Major told his story, and the body was "a
ken ont and placed for the night on table Of a
small waitipg.room .Oneof the consta ables, throw
ing the light Of his lantern into the face 6 the
dead man, started back in ddispsy reg 1"','!o,
.'Tom Crooke's face, as i've u he exclaimed
"It Is the face Of Thomas Crooke,,,' said Major
Gregson, solemnly. e''He and the .rider Of the
black mare, with the white star were one and the
same man"
Late as was the hour, Major Greason's FIRST act,
getting back to his hotel, was to induce thewhe
of the landlord, who was q kindly, good-hearted
soul, to go at once to Mrs Crooke, and break to
her, as gently as might be, the. news Of the sad
fate that had befallen her husband. u ga "
In the course Of the, next day, jury was i'm
pannelled to sit upon the body Of the dead high
wayman. Major Gregson and the postboy we're
summoned to give evidence. The Majors state
ment was simple and to the point.
'"Haying been unfortunate enough" he said,
ito be twice robbed within the space Of six weeks
determined to protect myself for the future asfar
it lay in my power to do So, Yesterday, had oc-
casion to go to Nottingham to draw from the bank
the sum Of two hundred guineas, and onmy return
armed myself with my pistols. The moment the
presented himself at the window of
the chaise, shot him dead" y.
The position gave con6rmatory evidence as far
as his knowledge went. The verdict Of the jury,
given without moments hesitation, was one Of
';Justihable Homicide" coupled with vote Of
thanks to Major Gregson for the bravery displayed
By him in Kidding society Of one Of its greatest
pests.
Just as the case was finished Crooke's horse,
which had been captured mile or two out of
Derby, was brought to the door Of the hotel where
the jury were sitting. It was recognized by seve-
raj there as the black mare which Crooke had kept
for the ostensible purpose Of going about the coun
try on his business avocation only, there was this
singular fact to be observed, that the. captured
mare was marked with q. large white star in the
middle of its forehead, whereas the. auctioneer'
fayorite animal was known to be entirely black
sstFetch little warm water and sponge, said
Major Gregson. -. '.@',o ,,, ~. 80.
The hint was acted on and the starwas washed
out without difficulty. d,
Through tbeintercession of Major Gregson, the
body of Crooke ws given up to his widow, instead
Of being handed over to the medical authorities
for dissection, which would otherwise have been
The Major, in his evidenoebef6re thejury, made
no mentiou of little incident which. had been the
means of first directing his suspicious towards
Crooke. When he was robbed for the ei.seeond
time, on his way from Melbourne. as the highway
man galloped Of, the Majors quick ears detected
that pne of his horses shoes was loose. Such
triaing fact would soon have escaped his memory,
had he not few hours later-at daybreak next
morning, as he was pacing his bed-room-heard
the same sound again The Major looking out Of
his window, saw that on this OCCASION the rider Of
the horse with the loose shoe was none other than
Tom Crooke; and from that moment the convic-
ton was borne forcibly in upon his mind that his
old sehool-fellow and the rider of the black mare
with the white star were one and the same OF
the mental processes by means Of which the Major
arrived at the conviction that to him was delegated
the duty of Kidding society of this man, we have
no hint beyond those conveyed in the extract from
his diary, already given. The Major would seem Y
to have fought against this conviction up to the
last moment judging from the pains he took toinTi
duee Crooke to accompany him to Nottingham as
friend; but when he found his invitation 80 per-
emptorily declined, he was none the less sternly
determined to go through with the duty which, as
he conceived, had been laid upon him.
For some unexplained reason, Derby seemed to-
become distasteful to Major Gregson, after the
death of Crooke. About fortnight later, he re
turned to London, from which: place; lie went to
Bath and for the remainder of his life he osciHa
ted between the TWO, dying ultimately at the latter
place, at the great age of ninety.
A CURIOUS SToRY-A MAN CHoKED UNDER
STARTLING CIRCUMSTANCES. = The Milwaukee
Wisconsin, of the sth instant, says: ...a.... =.
Yesterday German named Cadell was engaged
to do some work in butcher shop in Market
square. While so engaged, neighbor came in
and asked why he had not returned hatchet he
had borrowed from him few days before. Cadel
replied that he had returned it. This the neigh
bor denied, and notwithstanding CadelPs protesta-
=. :,;,.o1 tbat be had not done no. CadeD