The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-11-11


re-entered the car. l made room for
him at my side. He obeyed.
sit down, conductor; you've moth
ing to do this minute
What do you mean by telling me
such lie just noWl"
i spoke under my breath he re-
piled in the same tone:
About what"
About the reason you stopped
just now" He smiled.
ITO tell you the truth, stopped
b take on a single passenger-a gem
tleman who has come down from Bay
water"
For the pleasure of travelling once
more over the same route?
Exactly so-for the purpose of
travelling il in certain society. Don't
be alarmed for your own shfety-it's
detective policeman"
was about to repeat the words 10
establishment, when he motioned me
to silence.
Where is hep
THE detective? He sits by the door
yOnder, with a ragged fur cap pulled
over his eyes. Did you ever see
more perfect specimen of the dilapi-
dated countryman?"
2 / smiled; l could hardly help it,
What is the case?"
"A MURDERS man and his wife
and two little children--their throats
cut last night, and the house set on
fire afterwards"
Great heavens! what monsterl"
We had continued the conversation
throughout In q whisper scarcely
above our breath, and now the con-
ductor rose and left me to study the
faces of my fellow passengers wis 5u-
rious dread and horror.
Somehow, often as l revolved the
matter in my mind, my fancy would
settle on coarse, gross-looking man
opposite, with q bushy beard and q
shaggy coat, with the collar turned
up around his ears. ] felt convinced
that this nan with the heavy hanging
jaw was the Cain and as looked
fnrtigely sacross l caught the wide
open blue orbs of the fair little girl.
Obeying the instantaneous impulse
Of my heart, / arose aud went over to
her.
You heard what We were saying,
my ehild?"
blel"
DO no. be frightened--nO one shall
hurt you"
She smiled up in my face with sweet
confding innocence.
Our stay at Exmouth was but brief !;
but during the delay, could see that
the watchful detective had changed
his seat for one near the british man
in the shaggy coat.
See, faltered the young girl, ''they
locked the car doors at Etmouth; they
are unlocking them now.
She was right.
Probably they were fearful that
the criminal would escape" [ re-
marked In an undertone.
II VIII you-may | trouble you to
bring me glass of water.
rose and made my way toward the
ice cooler by the door, but with diff :
Guilty, for the train was again under
rapid motion. To my disappoint-
ment, the tin goblet was chained to
the shelf.
No matter" said she, with win.
ming smile, t" will come myself"
drew the water, and held up the
cup; but instead Of taking it as she
approached, she brushed suddenly
past me, opened the door, and rushed
out upon the platform.
Stop her! stop herl' shouted the
detective, springing to his feet; she
will be killed; conductor, brakeman,
hold upl"
There was a rush, q tumult, a bus
tie. / was first upon the platform ;
but it was empty aud deserted, save
by q half. frozen looking brakeman,
who seemed horror stricken.
She went past me like a shadow,
and jumped off as we crossed Cairn
turnpike road" he stammered.
/" Jumped off the express train
Well, said the conductor, Struggling
! his shoulders, " she must have been
killed instantly. What mad folly "
" It's five hundred dollars out OF
| nly pocket, said the detective, rue
fully. II didn't want row before
VIC got to BaysWater, but | was a con
, founded fool. A woman eornered
will do anything, believe"
WHAT" [ calculated, you surely
do not mean that child"
" | mean" said the detective, calm
t ly, that child, as you call her, is
| Attila Burton, a married woman OF
twenty-six years Of age. who last night
} murdered four persons In cold blood
and was trying to escape to. Canada.
3 That's what / mean.
. The train was stopped, and a party
of US, headed by the conductor and
3 detective, went back 20 search for any
trace of the beautiful young creature,
whose loneliness and apparent inno-
cence had appealed to my sympathies
f Nor was it long before we fonnd her,
} lying quite dead by the side of the
D track frightfully mangled by the force
!, Of the fall, and mutilatod almost be.
= yond recognition.
8 Well, she's escaped justice in this
i. world, if not In the next" said the
( detective gloomily, as he stood look,
I, ing down upon her remains.
Do you suppose she expected tC
! be able to spring Of the moving train
without injury" l asked.
Without much injury; womens are
i unreasoning creatures. But | never
dreamed of sech insane folly or
r should have taken prompt measure:
. to prevent it."
[. They lifted up the dead fair thing
/ and carried it to the nearest place o
refuge lonely farmhouse among thu
frozen hills, and we returned to thu
train, reaching BaysWater only q few
minutes behind our regular time.
: Aud when In the next morning
3 papers / read an account of the muir
deress, | thought of the slender crea
y lures blue eyes and rosebud mouth
: with a strange plying thrill at m!
q heart