The Placer herald., 1870-08-13
A Romantic Incident.

Last week there occurred in Bullitt county
strange affair, which is as yet unsolved in
its particulars, but which was one of those
peculiar transactions which seem to have no
motive. A widow lady, with a daughter
some eighteen years of age, lived near Mount
Washington. They were without male pro-
tectors, and lived quietly and securely. One
day the old lady received some S5 900 in
payment OF an old account, and locked it up
in her trunk. The night following was dark
and gloomy, and one that would cause peo-
pie naturally to bar and lock doors and win
dows and to hesitate to open them to stran-
ger. Toward night, an old, bent-up, de-
crepit man came to the door, and, on it being
opened, asked for shelter for the night The
widow told him she was alone, with no men
folks about the house, and she disliked to
take stranger under her roof The old
man said that he was stranger, poor, de-
crepit and destitute, and only asked for shell
ter from the approaching night.
The lady acceded to his request, and in
due time he was shown to his room up stairs
The night grew darker outside, and the wild
ow and the daughter were preparing to re-
tire, when heavy knock came upon the
door, and voices of men outside were heard
demanding admittance in threatening tones
Terrified, knowing the danger of possessing
large sum of money, the widow concluded
that the parties outside were confederates of
the man to whom she had given shelter.
Acting upon this suspicion, with trembling
limbs she ran up stairs and locked the door of
the suspicious stranger. Returning down
stairs she heard the blows of an axe upon the
door, and as she reached the foot of the
stairs encountered the man she supposed she
had locked safely in his ROOM No longer
decrepit, bent and feeble, the stranger stood
upright and assumed stalwart proportions
The gray hair and trembling voice had gone,
and instead was man of powerful and de-
termined men.
Believing that all was lost, the widow ex-
claimed, "You know what have got; will
give it upr'
The stranger, instead of acceding to the
terrified woman's offer, replied, "Don't an
you" He held in his hands a rifle he had
taken from the rack, and as the blows of
the assailants' axe fell upon the door, push
ed the widow into her room. The door gave
way, and the first man that came in was
shot by the stranger, who grasped the fall
ing body and pulled it inside the door. He
then pulled the door wide open, and fired
again, killing another of the assailants. The
party turned to fly, and another of their num-
Der received shot from the valiant stranger.
The attacking party having fled, the door
was secured, and the affrighted inmates took
occasion to examine the features of the dead
robber, who proved to be the son-in-law ana
neighbor of the widow.
In the morning, another was found lean
ing over the fence, with his arms thrown
over the rails, dead. Mortally wounded his
failing strength had carried him to the fence,
where, in supporting himself, he had died.
The stranger gave himself up to the magis-
trate, who examined into the case; the strang-
er refusing to give either his name, place of
residence or the nature of his business. The
magistrate ordered his discharge and the
mysterious stranger departed Who he was,
why he assumed the disguise he did on that
night, what was the nature of his business,
or whittier he went is mystery not yet ex-
planned, and comment would be superhuous.
-LOuisrille Journal