The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-04-28
From the Galaxy, 70. March.
@ WILL MURDER OUT? 81.
THE BUCksoN CASE.

IN The year 1851 Capt. John Buck.
son lived, With his wife Nancy, in a
handsome cottage in the Yilisge OF
Seakonk, near Providence, r. T., in
the enjoyment OF = competence aequi-
red by many years OF frugal industry.
He was, however, often absent from
home, as he still pursued his vocation,
and-was ma Ster of the slooE Oregon, ,
plying between Providence and Nor
folk, Va. -,- .-r5 .--,,
BE had then reached his fiftieth
year, and his hard se,tfaring life had
not made him look younger than he
was. HeswaS tall, gaunt and an2u-
lar, weather stained and storm beat
en-. His short, stiff hair was grizzIed,
and his long, narrow face furrowed
by deep lines, but his physical DOW
ers appeared TO be still untouched,
ana he seemed assured of a long con-
tfnuance of active life. q
His Temperament was favorable to
lusty longevity. He was patient,
stared at the cares and troubles of
life as at strangers with whom he
could not possibly have dealings. He
avoided quarrels and all unseemliness
with scrupulous care, and was known
on his vessel and in his village as a
sedate, God fearing man, kind heart
ed and even tempered. --
But he had positive points in his
character, and the requisite friction
would produce the natural glow. AS
in all equable men, his anger burned
with but dim light but intense heat,
and hence with him, 4 knitting of
the broWs or -tWitching of the hands
meant more than the widest signs of
passion lnother men, and his word of
wrath was weightier than the Draw
ler's blow, But he so loved peace,
and so sedulousiy courted it, that his
most intimate associates. remembered
as memorable epOchs the rare Occa
sionS when his temper had given way.
The only trouble of his life brOoded
DER his own heaFthStone. Mrs. Nan
cy BuckSon was many years his iu-
niOr in age, and IN Important respects
his opposite in character. To her
youth sh6 added cOmlineSS of person.
rhough thorough good woman at
heart, she yet embiJtered her life and
his by constant efforts. to do more
than her duty. Nervous and irrita-
bic, she became trettully Voluble in
her assertions of her own merits and
his shortcomings. Su, in the summer
OF 1851, the neighbours hogan to pity
poor Capt. John as Il henpecked hus-
band, and the inrOads of the wife
upon the domestic quietudc We're no
ticed as OF constantly increasing ire.
qusDcy and bitterness. Capt. John,
however, bore the aftlictiOn with his
accustomed I,atieneo
But the end waS near. One even
ing, IN the last week in July, a neigh
bor, james Pauls, il passing the
house, heard Naney's tongue going at
an unusual rate, aud glancing through
the windows, saw Bucksen standing
before her. He seemed reused at last
and although Pauls could not hear
his words, ne saw the knitted brOWS
and twItching hands, in one of which
a stout whipcOrd was conVulsively
grasped. The scene was iuUeliibly
stamped by after events upon the
memory of the accidental witness,
and he could always see, even TO the
most minute details, the enraged Wo-
man, confronted by that quiet, con-
centrated man, struggling with his
passion and fidgetting with whip
cord. AT the time, however, Panls
gave no especial weight to the cireum-
stance, and stopping at the village inn
marked to the Inevitable lOungers,
that he ''EeckOned Nancy would
keep on a naggin' of Capt. John uu
til lshe riled him. f-
The next morning the cottage was
closed and deserted, but the eireunll
stance did not excite remark. Buck
son, 1t was presumed, had gone to
providence to prepare his slOOp for
sea, and Nancy had habit of making
sudden pilR RrimageS to the adjacent
towns. The event, then, was so far
from being suspicious that il was not
even unusual. t'ti- l--. 81, ----7
In these days magnificent forest
stretched to the northWard of the n<-
tie town, iuterspersed with patches
-ot open land where the okbeTry
grew IN great abundance. This won
der and delight of the American
gladeS1 had fully ripened under the
hot July SOD, and. the children OF the
village were busiiy engaged IN pick
ing the fruit. That afternoon the
patches were unuSually crowded. =
One group of children started home
lust before sun'ioWn, taking their way
direct through the wood, without re,
gard to beaten paths, fhey had gone
but short distance when the little
dog that was with them stopped and
began to snuff eagerly at q spot Of
ground which appeared to have been
recently disturbed. Giving, long,
mOurnful howl, the dog scratched flu
riously with his paws In the sand,
and In g moment had uncovered q
human hand. HoWling more mourn-
fully than before, he bounded OF a
couPleloI feat and tore at the ground
with redoubled energy. He. soon
completed his task, and the children
saw Yoman's face, pale and rigid
lTubedded Ia the moist clayey earth
With but one1 glance at the horror,
thep dropped their patls and fed to