, 1869-05-14
WILL MURDER OUT?
The BucIxson Case.

Iu the year 1851, Captain John Bucksou
lived, with his wife Nancy, 10 a handsome
cottage in the village OF Seakonk, near Prov
dence, Rhode Island, in the enjoyment of
competence acquired by many years Of fru.
gal industry. He was, however, often alb
sent from home, as be still pursued his vo
cation, aud was master nf the >loOp Oregon
flying between Providence and Norfolk
Virginia.
He had then reached his 6itieth year, and
his hard sralaring life hnd not made him
louk yUurVtr thauohS wss lie was tall.
gaunt aud angular, wrather-siaintd aud
storm l;rHt-u lilo sI'" =, r,iG nas 80. .s;s-
Eled, aud his long, barrow face was iurruwed
by deep lines, but his phy ysical overs up.
PeSred To br uht"uchrd, and he re med a.
sdred of lo' & Continuance Of active life.
His temperament was favorable to lusiy
'OnseViiy. lie Was patient. aud apparently
3" Pa'slonlcss, that lie stared at the cares
mi troubles ot life as ut stran, ers With whom
he could not P'osIbiy have dealings. He
avoided qnarrels ant all unseem.ine,s with
scrupnl"us care, aud was known un his YES.
sci and IN hl> village, as u se,Iate, God,fsar
ins man, kInd H. arIrd aud ev n Iemp.reJ.
But he had positive points in his cna rncter
aid The requisite friction would produce the
natural glUw. A. IN all quahlc meu, his
anger bur- ed With dim lignt but intense
heat, aud h nee with hun, u knitting of tn.
bruws or twlchin. OF the hands meant more
than the vii lest signs Of passion in other
men, aud his word of wrath was welghter
than the braw,ers bow But he 50 loved
peace and seduLru,ly courtrd it, that his
most Intimate associates T, mem bered US mem
ornbIc epochs the rare o, casiUus when bis
temper had given way.
The only trouble OF his life broodrd over
his own hearthstone. Mrs. Nancy BucksJn
was many years his junior,iu age, aud in inn
portant respects his opposite in charucter.-
To her youth, she added comlness of per-
sun. Though Il thorough good woman at
heart, she yet embtlered her life and his BY
constant efforts to do more than her duty
Nervous and irritable, she became fretful.
vUluble in her assertions Of her own merits
aud his shortcomings. So in the summer of
1851, the neighburs began to pity poor Capt.
John as henpecked husband, aud the in,
roads Of the wife upon the domestic quietude
were noticed as of constantly increasing fire.
quency aud bitterness. Capt. John, however
bOre the inhiction with his accustomed pa
tience
But the end was near One evening, in
the last week in July, a neighbor, James
Pauls, in passing the house. heard Nancys
tongue going at an unusual rate, and glanc-
ing through the windows, saw Buckson
sanding before her. He seemed rous-
ed ut last, and although Pauls could not
hear his words, he saw the knitted brows
aud twiching hands in one Of which stout
whipcord was convulsivclv grasped The
scene was inGclbIy stamped by alter events
upon the memory Of the accidental witness,
aud lie could always see, even to the most
remote details, the enraged woman, contron-
ted by that quiet, concentrated mau, strug,
Cling with his passion and hdgeting with u
wnlpcOrd. A The tune however, Pduls gave
no especial weight 10 the circumstances, and
stopping at the village inn GA his way home
only casuuly remarked to the inevitable
luunsers that he " feckoned Nancy would
keep Oh a naggin vf Capt. John until she
rIled him.
The next morning the cottage was closed
aud deserted, but the circumstance did not
excite Iemark. Buck>Un, 1t Was presumed
had gone to Providence to prepare his sluop
for sea, and Macy had a habit of making
sudden piIgrimages to the adjac ut towns!
The ev, M, then, was 50 tIum being suspI
c.Uus that II was not even Unusual.
In these days mra4nlhc' mt forest stretch
ed to the nuIihwaId lIOm the lite town,
intersprrSrd with patches ot open Land where
he blackb. rry gr,w IN Hrear abundance -
This wonder and delight # the American
glade, had fully rIpehrd under the Jnly sun,
and the Col d, ell ui the village were busy III
gathering the fruit. That afternoon the
patches were unusually crowded One group
oI children starl,d hnGre just before sun
down, taking their way dncct Ihroug the
wood, without regard to beaten paths. They
had gone but II short distance when the lit.
tie do! that was with them stopped AID
began IU suutf eagerly at spot Ut ground
which apIraIed tU have been recently dis
turb, d. GIvIu. IA ling, iE"u nful hOXI, the
do. scratched ,urluusly with his paws in the
sand, aud in Il m1nIsnL al uncovered hu
mar hand. ll""linG m.re m"urnfully than
beturr. lie bounded oil a couple uf feet and
ture at The ground with r,duuLlrd ergy.
lie sUon completed his task, and tue chll
drrn saw w"mun'S face, pale aud rigid,
imbrded in the moist clayey Earth. With
but one glance at the horror, they dropped
their pals aud fed To the village. The dog
detective remained yelpiug over the crime
be had unearthed.
Every village, probably, has its sensation
at some time, and that of Seaknnk came
with the story of the children. As the tid
ings spread from house to house, the people
gathered at the inn and eagerly dIscu sed
what should be done and who should do it.
AT last all the male inhabitants, headed by
the Squire bearing u lantern. and plotted
by the children, started out to investigate the
matter. But pilots we're not needed, as the
dog maintained his watch aud with his
mourDful hOwliugs echOing the dim woods,
the party could not 60 astray. Reaching
the spot they gathered around it, and the
SQUIRE advanced and kneeling down, wiped