Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1869-03-20

directed, and one of which was the
dwelling-plecc of the murderer. | dis
mounted, aud throwing my horses
bride on the palings, in front of the
cottage, passed along the little path
which led to the door, and proceeded to
tty the latch. The door was locked.
Looking up at the windows,--there
were but. two,-l saw that they also
were firmly secuted, and that the blinds
were down. The small abode had a de-
serted look, and felt that it was empty,
but | knocked loudly, nevertheless, and
slaok the door.
The noise of my arrival and of my
Knocking at length disturbed some cf
the tcighhors, and one or two of them
appeared.
" Is this William Mason's House 2"
asked, addressing one of them; an old
man who looked toleiably intelligent,
but wasn't.
" Yes, sir But he's not there now.
He's gone out" the man replied, after
Il minute or two devoted to thought.
"Gonc out? How long ago?'
"Woll," replied the man, after more
time spent in rejection, " | should think
ii was about half an hour
(Which way did he go?''
The old man took more time than cv-
or to consider this question, driving me
almost wild with his delay Then af
ter looking first one way and then an
other, he pointed in the direction O. the
station. | was already on horseback
again, and just about to move Off wien
another of the neighbors interposed.
" | do Think" said this one, speaking
if possible, more deliberately, "that he
went to his irill.n
Drill" | cried. What drll?u
Inv .Al, lr,I 10 H..
WhatW | screamed. "Was he a
voluntcer?n
Yes, sir. The parson, he requires
every! ody in his employment
| did not wait for more, bat gallopcd
of as fast rs my house could go, to the
railway station. | 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 Is the best disguise at
his disposal.
Does any one here remember Il man
in volunteer uniform, who went Off
just now by the down train ?n
This was my inquiry, addressed to the
fl st person | met atthe station "a por
ter, who referred me to the station
Clerk, to whom put he same question.
This man answered in the affirmative
at once. His attention had been partic-
ularly directed to this volunteer, by his
having required change fora five pound
note at the last moment, as the train
was going to start.
For what place did he take his
ticket"'
Bristol"
"That man is Il murderer" | said,
land must be arrested. If YOU tele-
graph at once to Bath, the message will
be there long before the train, and he
can be stopped"
And 50 this terrible eXpcriencc-ihc
particulars of which | have re-
lated just as they occurred-came t, an
end. The murderer was arrested 1T
Bath. and on his being searched the
huadred rounds-except the small sum
which he had expended on his railway
ticket, were found upon him. The evil
dencc against him was in all points
overwhelming. The body of poor Mr..
Irwin was discovered in the little wood,
| myself directing the search. When
it was concluded / wandered 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 tc give on the trial was ir-
resistible. Great attempts were made
to shake it, to prove that | might easily
have made mistake of identity; and
that such details as had described could
rot have been visible through the tele-
scope at such distance. Opticians
were consulted experiments were made.
1t was distinctly proved that it was re-
ally possible for me to have seen all that
l had stated | had seen and though
there was much discussion raised about
the case, and though some of the news
papers took it up, and urged that mems
lives We're not to be sacrificed to the
whims of san idle gentleman who chose
to spend ais afternoons in looking out
of a window through a spyglass," the
jury returned a verdict against the pris-
Oner, and William Mason was convicted
and hanged.
The reader may, perhaps, be sufficient
ly 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 CHASTITY crime did get her
hundred pounds after ALL though not
from the hands of Mr.. John Irwin