The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-07-22


sight, and then sat down to wait will
what patience we might for the returI
of our mates. % f'1 .i-is~
About the middle of the afternoon
they got back, accompanied by uni
formed policeman, and detective il
plain clothes. They had said nothin,
of their errand until they had fount
the officers, who had cautioned then
to maintain a similar discretion unit
they (the officers) were ready to &C
company them on their return, whicl
was in about an hour; so that our par
ty, now increased to eight in number
were still the only ones who knew o
the discovery of the body. ~ '-is'r
Il AS soon as they arrived, we com
menced digging up the corpse, the Off
GERS narrowly watching and noting ev
erything. As we cleared away tn,
sand and gravel, it became plain tina
the man had been struck while engag
ed In digging, for his hands still held ,
shcrt-handled shovel. He had beel
struck on the head with pick, by som,
one standing on the surface, and th'
dirt he had thrown out had been fillet
in on top of him again; he had dug hi
own grave! We lifted him out ant
laid him on the grass.
The officers looked at each other a!
soon as they saw the mans features
and the detective rbserved to the other
"Tim Riley, by Jove! and l had ;
drink of coffee from him at his tent thi:
morning; he told me then he was go
ing out TO prospect to-day. See if hi
watch and money are gone. He car
ried that old silver bull's-eye that JAKE
Wilson raffied off Sunday before last
Tim won it; and he carried it; and III
carried that and his money in a cha
mois leather bag in his shirt jacket
See if it's gone"
Neither money nor bull's.eye
could be found; poor Tim had beer
murdered for his little money and the
old watch.
Two poles and q blanket made rude
bier to transport the body to the town
ship, for which we were soon under
way. An hours walk brought us t.
the vicinity of the "camp" Tor police.
station where we halted and conceal
ed the body, the detective going into
the township, and leaving the Othel
officer with us. AS soon as it was dark
he returned, and handing something
to the uniformed policeman, asked
"Do you know that?" 81.
"Tim's old bull's-eye! Where die
| it come from 2" replied the other.
"Bought it of big Hans, Tins mate
Jenkins is watching him. He's beer
drinking all the afternoon; he'll be
locked up by the time we get in. But
come on boys, if you're ready; you'll
get some grub when we get to camp,
and a good place to Sleep"
Our CHASTITY burden was soon deposi-
ted in the camp and good supt er and
good beds were furnished us by the po-
lice, though I had but poor nights
sleep myself Big Hans, Riley's mate,
had been locked up before We arrived
by the vigilant jenkins, who handed
the detective a leathern bag he had
found on Hans person, which contain
ed seventeen shillings, and was marked
with Riley's initials, T. r. rudely
worked with common black thread.
"We've got him; he's safe to swing
| for it % remarked the detective, as he
finished examining the bag. "This
was Tins"
During the night the body was
placed in an upright position in one
corner of the room in which we were
sleeping, and secured there by cord
passed under the arms and around a
Stake driven into the ground for the
purpose, there being no boards for a
fioorI clean, blue shirt was put on in
place of the blood-stained one, which
was removed; the face was washed,
and hat put on the head of the corpse;
blanket was then hung up as screen,
and all was ready to give Big Hans a
fearful surprise, in hope to secure a
confession through terror.
At daylight the police threw out
some hints to various parties of dig
gers on their way to work, about the
Arrest of q whole party of new arrivals
for some great crime; the news spread
like wild fire, and curious crowd was
soon collected around the camp. Our
party were all up early, but we were
kept inside by the police, who did not
wish the miners outside to hear of Ri
ley's murder till they had seen what
effect view of the corpse would have
OF the suspected murderer; but We
were not long kept waiting.
Big Hans woke from his drunken
sleep, thirsty, and begged for drop of
whisky. One of the officers gave him
some in a tin dipper, at the same time
remarking, You didn't seem to sleep
very well, Hans. What was that you
were talking about in your sleep?-
Have you and Tim Riley been having
a growl ?"
If Hans had not been quick in drink
ing the whisky he would have lost it,
for the pinnikin dropped from his hand,
and he trembled like leaf as he gasp
ed cut, "What did l say? l havn't
had any growl with Tim"
"Oh, don't know what you said"
returned the officer; "but you talked
about Tim, that's all. But come, get
out of this you're sober enough now
to take care of yourself. Go out to Mr..
Nicholson (the detective) and get your
money"
Hans came out, pale and still trem-
bling, and approached the detective,
who was standing near the screen. AS
he came up, tine officer suddenly de-
manded, sternly, Big Hans, where Is
your mate, Tim Rileyw
The guilty wretch glared at him like
a maniac, but made no answer, when
the officer suddenly dropped the blan-
ket, and exposed to his sight the awful
spectacle of the murdered man stand
ing erect before him.
The experiment did not have the eff
feet expected. Hans seemed to be
more astounded than horror-struck,
and looked at the officer and his muir
dered mate like one stupefied; then,
turning he walked into the inner room
where he had been confined during the
night, and fell down i'm a fit.
The dead man was laid out on rude
pallet in the center of the camp, and
the miners outside (having first been
informed of the murder, and that our
party had been the ones to discover,
not to commit it) were admitted. tf
NV story is about told. On coming
to his senses, Hans had confessed the
whole. He said that he had no thought
of harming Tim until he was down in
the hole; the unfortunate man, finding
that his money-bag, which also con-
tanned his watch, incOmmoded him
" hile digging, and handed it up TO
Hans to take care of; and the paltry
sum it contained-less than three
pounds sterling, including the price he
received for the watch from the detec-
tive-was the only motive he had for
committing the crime. His victim had
fallen without struggle ON receiving
the blow from the pickaxe, and Hans
had filled in the earth around him as
he fell, half supported by his shovel
and the side of the hole.
Tim was buried that day, and the
consumption of large quantities of
"diggins brandy" and perhaps fifty
fights, marked the feelings of the mi