Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-04-01
A Crime Prevented by a Presenti-
menf

= I
The following occurrence, reported by
the Detroit Free Press. has no little in
, terest for those fond of examining into
the strange phenomena of mental life
1t, as will be seen at once, belongs to that
} class of subjects which have been consid.
erably discussed in these pages.
"On Tuesday evening last, Bernard
Rolfe, German farmer, residing about
nine miles from this city, on the Pontiac
road, had business with hardware firm
on Woodward Avenue. He had Ger.
man laborer in bis employ named Hen.
ry Artles, and him Mr.. Rolfe left at
home busy with the team, and procured
a passage in with neighbor. 1t was
about five o'clock in the afternoon when
he left home, and as it was understood
that the neighbor would not return be-
fore the next day, the family, consisting
of wife and three small boys, knew that
they would be alone with the hired man
for the night Artles was comparative
strangerto them all, having been at work
for two weeks only. He was a quiet
man, and spent his leisure hours by him.
self, never indulgipg in conversation
when not directly appealed to. Still,
neither Rolfe nor his wife found fault, or
ever had occasion to suspect that the la
bcrer was other than what he seemed.
"On his arrival in the city, Mr.. Rolfe
partially concluded his business with the
merchants, and engaged lodgings at a
hotel on Larned Street. About o'clock
in the evening, while seated in the Office
smoking, Mr.. Rolfe says he began to
tremble add feel nervous shocks, which
SO increased, that in short time he
could scarcely hold his pipe between his
teeth. He walked several times across
the room, went into the open air, but the
feeling did not pass away. His thoughts
kept recurring to the laborer at home
and he called to mind the features of Ar
ties, and the fact that he had several
times caught him peering about the room
where bureau was standing that con-
tanned money to go toward putting an
addition on the house. AT ten o'clock
Rolfe decided to go home. He was
laughed at by his neighbor, who told him
that the feeling was the first symptoms
of chill fever; and that Rolfe would go
home next day and find everything had
passed off peacefully. Rolfe hesitated
for some time, but at last started for
home on foot, promising to return in the
morning on horseback, in time to secure |
the balance of his things before the
neighbor should be wanting to return
home.
He reached home about midnight,
awakened his wife, and to her express
sions Of astonishment could say nothing,
only that he felt that he ought to return.
Inqniring as to Artles, the wife replied |
that he had performed the farm chores
as usual, remained about the house for a
while, and then informed her that the
night being warm he would sleep in the
barn. Rolfe passed through to the
kitchen, where he found window up
that looked directly upon the barnyard.
His wife was certain that she had shut
all the windows on retiring. As they
stood for moment looking out, they saw
the barn door swing open, and Artles led
out one of the horses. As they watched
he led the horse through the gate, and,
going to the front, they saw that he had
tied the animal to the yard-door gate.
Rolfe Immediately opened the door and
walked down to the gate. He was with
in ten feet of Artles when the latter es-
pied him, and, giving utterance to an
oath of angry astonishment, Immediately
fled down the road.
Rolfe pursued him for some forty or
fifty rods, and then gave up the chase.
On returning to the horseback, the
CLEAN of steel caught his eye, and he
picked from it an ugly-looking sheath
knife. The open window, the pretense
Of sleeping in the barn, the horse and
knife, all went 20 prove that Artles in
tended to rob the house, even if he had
TO make ase of the knife. The facts are
given exactly as narrated by Mr.. Rolfe
himself, and the reader is free to Judge
4 the truth or absurdity of the PRESENT.
nent. On Friday, Artles had not re-
urned to the neighborhood, neither had
he slightest clue to his whereabouts"
MAGNANIMITY.-One of Sheridsn's
,reditors, after having long and vainly
lunned him, at length suggested, that if
lie could not discharge the principal of
he debt, he might, at least, pay the in
crest.
NO." said the wag " it ID not my
interest to pay the principal. nor my
to pay the interest"
Though he had previously hated the
nan for his vulgar importantly, it is re-
orded that he took him into favor from