Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-10-21
The DEATH TEST.

remaining? May it not he in my
power to rob the grave? Tt is a dang.
erous undertaking, and If / am found
here shall most certainly be accused
of the crime. Blood upon my hands
and clothes, and | have not seen the
corlIsei AhI | see how it came, the
bushes are stained with it. The body
was dragged To this lonely spot. Lone
ly? Who would ever think of coming
here unless he had some foul purpose,
save il might be geologi,t, like my
self, whom the people in this part of
the country would call mad. Yes, it
would go hard with me, especially as
am Il stranger, and though poorly clad,
rs becomes my present occupation,
have Il considerable amount of money
about my person."
He drew back a few steps from the
corpse, upon which he had come sud-
denly and unexpectedly, and looked
around. Without noticing his path.
he had j0urneyed to the bottom of the
deep ravine before his progress was ar
rested. High hills rose up on either
side, covered with q heavy gr0wth
of trees and tangled underhru>h. y
little stream found its way with great
difficulty through the rocks at the
bottom, and its waters were never
glided by single ray of sunshine.
Even in the brightest day it was
gloomy twilight there; and Il more dis
NAL place would have been difficult to
f:nd-the very spot for dark deeds, for
murdeTer's hiding, And there be-
fore him, stopping the path, lay a
b!ood-Stained human body, as if to
finish the picture and give CORY evil
dence of ills evil character.
His first thoughts were to pass on.
What had he to dD with the crime of
another? Why should he mix himself
with that in which he had not the most
remote business? His clear head and
logical mind foresaw all the difficulties
that would arise should he be discover
ed and charged with the commission
of the deed, and the fearful network
of circumstantial evidence that would
surround him; yet he was Il man of
the most determined firmneSs IL we'll
aS tender heart, and not for the sake of
escaping trouble, or even danger, would
he suffer Il chance to relieve suffering
or save life to IrI~S unemhrIced. SO the
drew nearer, and bending away the
bushes, looked scrutinizingly upon the
victim of sumc fiends stupidity or
revenge.
The corpse was that of girl who
must have been under twenty years,
and the face was one of more than
common beauty. The ovel of the
cheeks WAS perfect, the nose straight,
the mouth small, and the lips how
parted 10y agony, We're full and arched.
The ewes, wide opened and CLASSY,
were blue as the depths of the ocean,
and curtained by long lashes shadow
darker than her glossy brown hair.
The figure was tall and delicately pro-
the feet small and eXquisi-
lively arched, the hands white and
denoting good birth and free
dom from manual labor. The clothing,
now torn and stained, was of fine ma
terial; AID the discoloraiiOn of the
neck, ears, fingers and wrists-the piece
torn from The bosom of ;he dIess, and
the pockets turned outward told that
robbery as we'll aS murder had Teen
mmiIC, d.
AT once deeply interested, the stran-
ger knc!t down, brushed back the tam
rled tresses, gazed sadly upon the
~ Get, pallid face, ana examined both
pulse and heart for symptoms ui life,
hoping against hope ut least spark
might remain. But his intellectual
lnd USUALLY sunny face clouded, and
he shook his head i'll doubt. The
marks upon the base OF the skull,
.aused apparently by heavy blows
rom Il sharp stone, seemed sufficient
20 have produced death alone; but, i'll
to them, blood was slOwly
)uZ!ng from, and cOngealing upon
several wounds, in one of which Il
knife was still sticking. His profession !
Iad taught him skill as we'll as cool |
hess, and with extreme tenderness and \
lelicaCy, he made still closer eX |
and began preparations I
% staunch the blood and dress the !
"With this knife" he said, giving 1
ltterauce to his thoughts as he drew /
'ut the weapon. Il could even thus
Kill all my enemies, make myself rich,
md L"
The sentence was not finished. Be
ure it could be, Il dozen men, who had |
,een Watching and creeping neal, ,sprang |
,ut of the bushes, ana piuinned him
,eyond the power uf resistance. Taken
,eside The corpse, with The blood drip
,ing knife in his hand, what could he
ay in deiense? The situation he had
orseen had come upon him, and lie
tOod convicted, i'll their eyes, at least,
mu derer. TO appeal tU their reason
le saw ut Il glance would be Useless
hey were :lot of that class ;hat would
Dok deeper than the surface. His de
ensc must he made at another time
mi place; ana, III truth he was think
ng more OF the corDss of the MUIR
irI Nf ,,5.s q.
ituaiiun, and drawing himself up
,ruudly, he asked that she might be
AIRED fog.
"Wha;evcr may he your purpose
With me-" he replied, Fat least see if
here is not life remaining. Take
our hands OFT, and let me see if my
kill can be of some avail. | am Il
&;
ScOldlng brOws and clinched fists
rere the only answer lie received.
'h,y paId not The slightest attention .
D his words, except it might Ge To q,
rasp him even more tightly than be- ,
IRE, aud hurry him before Il neighbour :
lg Justice To- be examined and eX- ,
iUiled As monster! 1t was even Il
lore unpieasa Mt situation than he mad !
and the chances were des-
erately against him; but he retained !
is GOODNESS. AMI prepared To make the :
est possible defeuSe. (
The evidence was given with the ut j
lost bitterness given, per- |
APPS, but without the slightest leaning
,ward the side of mercy, and with the I
lorbid desire on the part of the MAJ c
'rity To see Il man hanged, for such q !
hing had never happened in that =
Aud what could he I
" u rebut the sworn statements of u 4;
OZen witnesses? What were his 7
ssertion5 against the evidence Of @
leir own eyes and his bloody hands q
nd clothes? a
But he had the satisfaction, if, in a
eed, il could lie called by that name, n
, learn who the supposed victim of