St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-03-05
VOLUME 32--NUMBER 164o

ulleCteu, anu oue vi WHICH was the dwell
ing-place of the murderer dlsmounted
and throwing my horses bride on the
pallngs in front of the cottage, passed
along the little path which led to the
door, and proceeded to try the latch
The door was locked. Looking up at
the windows,-there were but two,-I
saw that they also were firmly secured,
and that the blinds were down. The
small abode had a deserted look, and |
felt that it was empty; but 1 knocked
loudly, nevertheless, and shook the door.
The noise of my arrival and of my
knocking at length disturbed some of the
neighbors, and one or two of them ap-
peared.
SIS this William Mason's house ?' L
asked, addressing one of them All old
man who looked tolerably intelligent,
but wasn't.
"Yes, sir. But he's not there now.
He's gone out, the man replied after
minute or two devoted 10 thought.
''Gone out How long ago p
"Well," replied the man, after more
time spent in reflection, II should think
it was about half an hour
(Which way did he go?'
The old man took more time than ever
to consider this question, driving me al
most wild with his delay. Then after
looking first one way and then the other,
he pointed in the direction of the station.
was already on horseback again, and
Just about to move off, when another of
the neighbors interposed.
81 do Think" said this one, speaking,
if possible, more deliberately than the
other, ''that he went to his drill"
drill. :" L cried. "What drill o.
"Why, volunteer drill, to be sure
"What." l screamed. ''Was he
volunteer ?"
Yes, sir. The parson, he requires
everybody in his employment"
l did not wait for more, but galloped
off as fast as my horse could GO, to the
railway station. l saw it all now. In
the interval during which we had lost
sight of the man he had been home, and
thinking that a change of costume might
battle pursuit, had assumed the volunteer
dress as the best disguise at his disposal.
''Does any one here remember a man
in volunteer uniform, who went off just
now by the down train p
This was my inquiry, addressed to the
first person | met at the station,-a por-
ter, who referred me to the station clerk,
TO whom | put the same question. This
man answered in the affirmative at once.
His attention had been particularly di-
rected to this volunteer by his having re-
quired change for five pound note at
the last moment, as the train was going
to start.
''For what place did he take his tick
ct p
Bristol
THAT man is murderer | said,
land must be arrested. Ii you tele-
graph at once to Bath. the message will
be there long before the train, and he
can be stopped
And 80 this terrible experience-the
particulars of which | have related Just
rs they occurred-came to an end. The
murderer was arrested at Bath, and on
his being searched the hundred pounds
except the small sum which he had e1-
ended on his railway ticket-were found
upon him. The evidence against him
was in all points overwhelming The
body of poor Mr.. Irwin was discovered
in the little wood. l myself directed the
search. When it was concluded, | wall
dered away to the willow pond to look
for the butterfly net. One end of the
stick was visible above the water, the
other end being sunk by the weight of
the metal ring which was attached to it.
There was no link wanting in the mass
of proof. The evidence which it was my
part to give on the trial was irresistible.
Great attempts were made to shake it,
TO prove that | might easily have made a
mistake OF identity and that such de-
tails as l had described could not have
been visible through the telescope at such
4 distance. Opticians were consulted;
experiments were made 1t was distinct
ly proved that it was really possible for
me to have seen all that stated | had
seen ; and though there was much dis
cussion raised about the case, and though
some OF the newspapers took 1t up, and
urged that mems lives were not TO be
sacrificed to the whims Of "an idle gen.
tleman who chose to spend his afternoons
in looking out of window through a
Spyglass," the jury returned verdict
against the prisoner, and William Mason
was convicted and hanged.
The reader may, perhaps, be sufficient
Iy interested in the facts Of this case to
be glad to hear that the poor woman who
was the innocent cause of the commits
sion of this ghastly crime did get her
hundred pounds after all, though not
from the hands of Mr. John Irwin.
The LATEST NELoCIPEDIC NOVELTY.
AN elderly gentleman has invented a
one-wheeled velocipede, which is quite a
novelty