Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-11-24
specially signalled here. You are cold, my


We are moving once more" said.
I" Conductor"-for the man Of tickets was
Passing through the car" why did we
stop at that backwoods place 2"
"Out Of water" was the reply, as he
hurriedly passed by.
Now / knew perfectly we'll that. this
answer was not the true solution of the
matter Our delay did not exceed. half a
minute, altogether too short a time for re-
plenishing the boilers and where on earth
was the water to come from in that desc
late stretch of barren pine woods
Five minutes after. the conductor re-
entered the car / made room for him at
my side;
do this minute"
He obeyed.
What do you mean by telling such
lie just now"
fspoke under my breath he replied in
the same tone:
About WHAT
About the reason you stopped just
now"
He smiled.
ITO tell you the truth, stopped to take
on single passcngcr-a gentleman VINO
has come down from Bayswater."
" For the purpose Of travelling once more
over the same routey
Exactly so--fOr the purpose Of travel
ing it in certain society. Don't be alarmed
for your own safcty-itsa detective police
man"
was about to repeat the words in aston
ishmcnt, when he motioncd me TO silence.
Where is he!"
"The detectiyes He sits by the door
yonder, with ragged fur cap pulled over
his eyes. Did you ever see more perfect
specimen Of the dilapidated countryman :"
smiled; could hardly helpit.
"What is the casey
"A murdcr--a man and his wife and two
little childrcn--thcir Threats cut, last
night, and the house set on fire after
wards"
"Grcat Heavens! what monster"
We had continued the conversation
throughout in whisper, scarcely above
our breath, and now the conductor rose and
left me TO study the faces of my fellow
passengers, with curious dread and horror.
Somehow, often as Ircyolved the matter
in my mind, my fancy would settle on a
coarse, gross looking man opposite, with a
bushy beard and shaggy coat, with the
collar turned up around his cars. felt
convinced that this man with the heavy
hanging jaw was the Cain and as looked
furtivcly across l caught the widc-open
blue orbs Of the fair little girl.
Obcying the instantaneous impulse ofmy
heart, arose and went over to her
you heard what we were saying, my
childg"
"Yes---a murdcr--oh, how horriblc!"
"Do not be frightened no one shall
hurt YOU"
She smiled up in my face with sweet
confiding innocence.
Our stay in ExmOuth was but brief; but
during the delay could see that the watch
full detective had changed his seat for one
nearer the british man i'm the shaggy
coat
See" faltered the young girl, {" they
locked the car-doors at Exmouth they are
unlocking them now"
She was right
Probably they were fearful that the
criminal would escape" | remarked, in an
undcrtone.
"Will YOU may trouble you to bring
me II glass Of water ?"
rose and made my way toward the ice
cooler by the door, but with difficulty, for
the train was again under rapid motion.
To my disappointment, the tin goblet was
chained to the shelf.
"No matter" said she, with a winning
smile, will come myself,
drew the water, and held up the cup;
but instead ofmking itas sheapproaclied, she
brushed suddenly passed me, opened the
door, and rushed out upon the platform.
Stop her! stop herr shouted the dc.
tectivc, springing to his feet " she will be
killed conductor, brakeman, hold up"
There was a rush, u tumult, a hustle.
was first upon the the platform but 1t was
empty and deserted save by a halffrozen
looking brakeman, who seemed horror
stricken.
"She went past me like a shadow, and
jumped off rs we crossed Cairn turnpike
road, he stammered.
Jumped off the express train. Well"
said the conductor, Struggling his shout
ders, " she must have been killed instantly.
What mad follyW
Its five hundred dollars out Of mn
pocket" said the detective, ruefully. 81
didn't want u row before we got to Bays
water, but | was a COMPOUNDED fool. "A
woman cornered will do anything, l be.
lieve."
"Whats" CALCULATED, "you surely do
not mean that child"
a. mean" said the detective, calmly,
F" that child as you call her, is Attila Bur
ton, married woman oftwenty six, years of
'age, who last night murdered four persons
in cold blood, and was trying to escape to
Canada. That's what mean"
The train was stopped, and party of us,
headed by the conductor and detective, went
back to search for any trace of the beauti-
full young creature, whose loneliness and ap-
parent innocence had appealed SO strongly
to my sympathies Nor was it long before
we found her, lying quite dead by the side
of the track, frightfully mangled by the
force Of the fall, and mutilated almost be-
yond recognition.
"Well, she's escaped justice in this
world, if not in the next said the detect
i've, gloomily, as he stood looking down
upon her remains.
"Do you suppose she expected to be able
to spring off the moving train without m
jury" asked.
Without much injury; women arc un-
| reasoning creatures. But never dreamed
of such insane folly or should have taken
Il