Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1870-12-15

| turned to drink for a solace for hi
f misfortunes. That forlorn, half
clad wretch. Harry who accosted us
, was none other than Robert Ohm
steadr'
For some moments the detective
seemed lost in profound revery
, At length L broke the silence by say,
ing:
"But this is not the conclusion Of
your story, Jack? You have yet to
explain the cause of your interest in
this unfortunate man."
That / will do in q few words
Harry. Listen a moment longer
Two years ago 1 was passing a ten.
ement house in an unfrequented
part of the city. 1t was nearly mid
night. Suddenly 1 heard loud
scream, as from one in mortal peril,
apparently coming from the upper
story of the house. Drawing my
revolver, 1 rushed up the staircase.
The sound of voices, and a heavy
fall, guided me to a door at the end
Of dark corridor. 1 sprang into
the room, but for a moment stood
appalled, at the scene before me. By
the fiickering light of a tallow
candle which was stuck upon the
mantel-shelf, beheld woman lying
upon the floor, her face covered with
blood, while bending over her, in
the act of striking the unconscious
form, stood man, whom, as he
turned his face toward me at my
unceremonious entrance, / recog-
nized at once as the man Blucher,
or Hamilton.
"The ruffian, with an oath, sprang
upon me. saw that he was intox-
icated. Avoiding the blow he aimed
at me, / struck him with the butt of
my pistol fairly between the eyes,
and he fell. In trice had slipped
pair of handouts upon his wrists,
and then turned to attend to his un-
fortunate victim. To my horror 1
recognized her as Lucy Hamilton;
at the same moment the room began
to fill with the alarmed inmates of
the house, who had been aroused
from their slumbers by the sounds of
disturbance. A doctor and police
man soon made their appearance.
The latter took the drunken ruffian
in charge, while the former; with the
assistance of some of the women,
placed the injured girl upon the bed.
Restoratives were applied, and in a
few moments she opened her eyes
and gazed wildly about the room.
Presently she appeared to realize
what had taken place, and, with a
groan, again closed her eyes. When
next she opened them her gaze fell
upon me, and 1 saw that she remem-
bered me.
"She beckoned me to come near
er."
AZ am going to die she whisp-
cred, and God be thanked for hav-
ing at last heard my prayer. I have
something to say to you, and these
people will witness my dying words. !
Listen: Robert Olmstead was inno-
cent of the burglary for which he
was condemnedn
And then, often broken by throes
of mental and physical distress, the
wretched woman unfolded her tale.
Olmstead was indeed innocent! He
had met Lucy Hamilton, and be-
lieved her to be a pure and good wo-
man, and had offered his hand and
heart to her. She, at the instiga-
tion of Blucher, who was not her
lover, encouraged the young mans
attentions, and few nights previous
to the robbery, had managed to abb
stract the keys of the store from his
pocket. Olmstead stopped that
night at their house, during which
time an impression of the keys was
taken. They were then restored to
the unconscious young mans pocket
a week after the burglary was COM
and poor Olmstead went to
the States Prison to suffer for a
crime of which he was innocent. i
"When this confession was made
public, Olmstead had been liberia
ted many months, and although
kind hands were not wanting to aid
and encourage him to reform, chief
whom was his former en-
ployer, Mr.. Whittemore, he had al
ready fallen beyond reclamation.
Soured and broken-spirited, he
rushed into the vortex of dissipa-
ton, and is, alas! now rapidly
Fastening to the inevitable end-a
dunkard's grave! 1 can never think
of this sad story" said the detec-
tive, in conclusion, without its sug-
gesting doubt of the wisdom Of
our legal code, which, in the absence
of any abler proof to convict pre-
sumed criminal, admits of dangerous
expedient which we call Estates ev-
idence." In my opinion, would be
infinitely better to allow a dozen
criminals to escape, than run the
risk Of convicting an innocent man."