The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-08-20
THE VERDICT;
OR "Hi'
The Reversal of Hasty Conclusion.

.,. commencement of the present CEN
tnrv there stood, near the centre OF ta sn.
extensive hamlet, not many a maes snbstantiaiy
built, but somewhat straggiTng I11au House.
"a Craig Farm (populariy CrooE arm Io oores
- ar toIsrable arabic and meadow land anu aI
the time have indicated, belonged TO ihrnass
Of the name of Armstrong. ne n at ALE held
:. =. rnranance OF o decree of the High Court OF
Thancery, for the purpose OF hqulda!ihg Gel
tain coss . sa an high court had
TIE 1sSr and successfully as to enable the SOIL
c;tor 70 the victorious claimant to lncarcern t
his triumphant client 'o Of the charges Of vic
tory remaining due after the proceeas OF e .no
sale of Craig Farm had ee r,nstronp Was mar
r r;aa hut childless his dame,like himself,
ia native of Devonshire. They pore Sne
character of piodding, s r.n sxcspt to attend
Ipmerket. and rarely seen at church or chapel pei
they naturally enough became ;0 Og1e sossppnr
p;uoa..rs To whom mystery or reserve OF any
lind was of course exceedingly annoying anu
unpleasant. ..,.a In his new
nnrchase, another stranger arrived, ana .o tba
I'm his abode in the best apartment "a sf.S
house The new 9 from his dress
gait, a seafaring person, was as IeSe o. et leas,
Snsociai as his landlord His name, or al l Wi
that which he chose to be known by was WI
son. He had one child, q daughter, aoou
sS;r+.en vears of are, whom he placed at !
hoardinpsschooli in the adjacent town. Ie o %
5om saw her; the intercourse between the "a
fber and daughter being principauy carrie To VI
through Mary Strugnell, WIDOW az 1a Mace
thirty years of age and native OF the Pgi Laoe
She was engaged o servant TO nar. w iIeo.
and seldom left Craig Farm except on sum"
afternoons, when, If the weather was Nv "
favorable she paid a-yist to an aunt living u
the town there saw Miss Wilson ana re
turned homo usually AT halt past ten ctooh \
later rather than earlier. Armstrong was OF
casionally absent from, his home for severa
days together, business it was rumoreu, IL
yilson and on the Sunday in the hrsG wee
Of january, 1902, both he and his wife ha
l,een away for upwards of a week, and wei
not yet returned. ,, - .h
About o quarter past ten o'clock on IN
evening the early-retirtng inhabitants OF u
han,let were aroused from their s!umbers by
loud continuous knocking Mt the fronu door
Arnnstron0's house louder and louder, mo
md more Vehement and impatient, resouno
the blows upon the stiffness OF the nlgne, Nv, =
the soundest sleepers were awakened WI
dows were hastily thrown open, and presen'
numerous footsteps approached the scene
Growing lubbub. The unwonted noise
Caused it was found, by Farmer ArmsSro!
who, accompanied by his wife, was tnun1 39a
yehemently upon the door with q heaVy o!"'
thorn stick Still no answer was ootaln
Mr. Strugnell it was supposed, had not
4urued from town but where was MT WIS
Who was almost always at home botn DAY y
NIGHT Presently q lad called out thaJ WI
aheet or cloth of some sort was hanging out
one of the back windows. This announ
ment, confirming the vague ePp p tp'a "
haada of the yfilsgeTs, disposed them to adc
amore effectual mode of obtaining admissI
+han knockinR seemed hkely to prove. Joi
or the constable of the parish, q man OF or