The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-08-04
gktttbes, 3nttOotes, &t.
CIT he ELM So
A TRUE STORY.

Among the yerdant bills of Eastern
Pennsylvania, near where the noble,
winding, Susquehanna, coursing through
the State, divides the Blue Ridge noun
tains, snugly nestles the little town, or
rather village, Of Linton-for it is SO small
It scarcely merits the appellation OF town
and which, If ii were not tor the self
asserting dazzle of the guilt vane which
surmounts the splre Ut The little moss Gov
cred church in that place, would be lost
TO view even /. its existence was not for
gotten by the great, worrying, busy, ont
side world.
1t was picturesque little place /; the
great high mountains, their tops almost
seeming to pierce the heavens, towering
at its rear, the shimmering waters of the
Susquehanna flowing at its feet, and the
numerous shady trees casting their cooling
umbrage over its dwellings and lawns, all
consplred TO make it one of the most de-
lighttul spots one could imagine and one
would scarcely believe il could be made
the scene of a tragedy SO henious as that
which was perpetrated in 1t during the
latter part of the summer OF 1S5-, and
which, for the cold>bloodedness and inge-
nuity evinced in lis consummation, has
scarcely parallel.
Mir Edison, the victim Of the tragedy,
was a retired merchant, who resided with
his family in an elegant villa situated on
the outskirts of the town, and which, from
the fact of its being surrounded by shady
grove of trees of that species, was known
in Linton by the name of The Elms. !"
The family consisted of only his wife and
nephew. besides several domeslics. His
wife. Estelle, was Of Southern origin,
dark, imperious, beautiful as Venus, of
very passionate disposition, and, if nee
essary, would not scruple to 60 any length
to satisfy either her affections or her hate.
Rumor had it that her marriage with
Mr.. Edison was not free from the charge
of mercenariness for in no other way
could the gossips account for the union of
two persons whose ages exhibited such
great disparity for Estelle had only
passed her twenty-third year, while Mr..
Edison was on the shady side of fifty when
he brought home his dark-eyed houri as
the mistress of 'FThe Eims," scarce one
wear before, and his appearance exaggera-
ted his age. And it was no great wonder
if the meddlesome threw out sundry invid-
;ous insinuations as to the propriety of
allowing two such fine and comely persons
as Randolph, Mr.. Edson's nephew, a
handsome, broad>shouldered fellow Of
twenty five, and Estelle, the pleasure of
each others constant company, as must
necessarily be the case from their present
relations and further, it was true that
Randolph was somewhat of wild fellow,
which fact the gossips urged in support of
their disinterested hints. The praters
kept talking, and the inmates of ''The
Elms' remained in ignorance of their be-
ing the subjects of their idle comments,
until one morning in August, Linton woke
up and learned the news OF the murder OF
Mr.. Edison, which aroused it from its
semi. apathetical state to renewed action !;
and many were the speculations that be-
came rife in the village as to who commit
ted the bastard act. Nor had they long
to wait for a subject on which TO vent
their put-up garulity for suddenly anoth-
er rumor was bruited abroad to the effect
that Joe Smith, rather hard character,
and confirmed ha6itue of the village tavern,
was discovered to have misteriously dis
| appeared simultaneously with the discov-
ery OF Mr.. Edson's assassination, and on
him Immediately fell the overwhelming
weight of suspicion. He was not natural
" vicious character, for his vices were
only inebriety and shiftlessness, but he