Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-08-02
The Romance of Crime.

Last week there occurred in Bull
lit county a strange affair, which is
as vet unsolved in its particulars, but
which was one of those peculiar tran
sactions that seem to have no motive.
A widow lady, with a daughter some
eighteen years of age, lived near
Mount Washington. They were with
out male protectors, and lived quiet
ly and securely. One day the old Ia
dy received some $4,000 in payment
of an old account, and locked it up in
her trunk. The night following was
dark and gloomy, and one that would
cause people naturally to bar and
lock doors and windows, and cause
one to hesitate to open them to a
stranger. Towards night an old,
bent-up, decrepit man came to the
door, and on it being opened asked
for shelter for the night. The widow
told him she was alone, with no men
folks about the house and she disliked
to take a stranger under her roof
The old man said he was a stranger,
poor, decrepit, and destitute, and on
ly asked for shelter from the approach
ing night. f5f
The lady acceded to his request,
and in due time he was shown to his
room up stairs. The night grew dark
er outside, and the widow and her
daughter were preparing to retire,
when heavy knock came upon the
door, and voices of men outside were
heard demanding admittance in threat
ening tones. Terrified, knowing the
danger Of possessing such large sum
of money, the widow concluded that
the parties outside were confederates
of the man to whom she had given
shelter Acting upon this suspicion,
with trembling limbs, she ran up
stairs and locked the door of the sus-
picious stranger. Returning down
stairs, she heard the blow of an axe
on the door, and as she reached the
foot of the stairs, encountered the
man she supposed she had locked
safely in the room. No longer de-
crepit, bent and feeble the stranger
stood upright and assumed stalwart
proportions. The gray hair, the trem
bling voice, had gone, and instead
was a man of powerful build and de.
termined mien. Believing that all
was lost, the widow exclaimed, "You
know what I've got; I'll give it upr
The stranger, instead of acceding
to the terrified woman'8 offer, repli
ed, "Don't annoy me; go into your
room and I'll project you" He held
in his hands rifle he had taken from
the rack, and as the blows of the as
sailant8' axe fell fast upon the door
pushed the widow into her room.
The door gave away, and the first
man that entered was shot by the
stranger, who grasped the falling
body and pulled it inside the door
He then pulled the door wide open
and fired again, killing another of the
assailants. The party turned to fly
and another of their number received
a shot from the valiant stranger.
The attacking party having fled
the door was secured, and the alright
ed inmates took occasion to examine
the features of the dead robber, who
proved to be the son-in-Iaw and neigh
Dor of the widow.
In the morning, another man wa!
found, leaning over the fence, will
his arms thrown over the rails, dead
Mortaliy wounded, his failing strength
had carried him to the fence, where
in supporting himself he had died.
The stranger gave himself up t.
the magistrate, who examined into
the case the stranger refusing to give
either his name, place of residence
or the nature of his business. The
magistrate ordered his discharge, anC
the mysterious stranger departed
Who he was, why he assumed the dis
guise he did on that night, what wa!
the nature Of his business, or whittier
he went, is a mystery not yet explain
ed, and comment would be superau
ous.-LouisriLle Commercial.