Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-17
He oheyed

uDuer my breath. lie replied In the
same tone
"About what?"
about the reason we stopped just
now"
He smiled
"To tell you truth, | stopped to
take on single passenger-a gentle.
man-who has come down from
Bayswater."
For the pleasure of travelling
once more over the same route 2"
"Exactly--for the pleasure OF
travelling itin certain society. Don't
be alarmed for your own safety-it's
a detective policeman"
a"
! was about to repeat the words
in astonishment, when he motioned
me TO silence.
"And who is the offender"
81 don't know myself yet. He
don't want a scene until the moment
of arrest we are safe enough until
we reach Bayswater."
Where is he ?"
"The detective? He sits by the
door yonder, with ragged fur cap
pulled over his eyes. Did you ever
see more perfect specimen of the
dilapidated count Y man ?"
| smiled; could not help it.
"What is the case ?"
GA murder-a man and his wife,
and two little chldren-their throats
cut, last night, and the house set fire
to afterward"
"Great heavens what a monster I"
We had continued the converse
ton throughout in q whisper, scarce
ly above our breath, and now the
conductor rose, and left me to study
the faces of my fellow passengers
with curions dread and horror
Somehow, often as | revolved the
matter in my mind, my fancy would
settle on a coarse, brutalish looking
man opposite, with a bushy beard
and shaggy coat of wool, with the
collar turned up around his ears.
| felt convinced that this man with
the brutal eyes, and the heavy hang
ing jaws, was the Cain And, as
looked furtively across, | caught the
wide open orbs of the fair little girl.
Obeying the instantaneous impulse
of my heart, | rose and went over to
her.
"You heard what we were saying
my child 2"
Yes a murder-oh, how horri-
bic !"
"Do not be frightened no one will
hurt you"
She smiled up in my face with
sweet, confding innocence.
Our stay at Exmouth was brief !;
bat during the delay | could sec that
the watchful detective had changed
his seat to one nearer Che british
man in shaggy overcoat.
"Sec !" faltered the young child !;
"they locked the car doors at Ex-
mouth they are unlocking them
now"
She was right.
Probably they were fearful lest
thS criminal escape" l remarked in
an undertone.
"Will you-may | trouble you to
bring me glass Of water? 2"
| rose aud made my way toward
the ice-cooler, by the door, but with
difficulty, for the train was again in
rapid motion. To my disappoint-
ment the tin goblet was chained to
the shelf
mo matter" she said with win
ming smile, 81 will come myself"
drew the water, and held up the
cup but instead of taking it as she
approached, she brushed suddenly
past me, opened the door, and rushed
out upon the platform.
stop her stop her |" shouted the
detective springing to his feet. "She
will be killed Conductor-brake-
MANIFOLD upr'
There was q rush-a tumult-a
hustle. ! was first upon the plat
form BUTT was empty and deserted,
save by half-frozen looking brake
man, who seemed horror stricken.
"She went past me like shadow,
and jumped off as we crossed Cairn
turnpike road" he stammered.
Jumped off the express train
Well" said the conductor, Struggling
his shoulders, "she must have been
killed instantly. What mad follyl"
''It's five hundred dollars out of
my pocket" said the conductor rue
fully. IL didn't want scene before
we got to Bayswater, but | was a
COMPOUNDED fool. Il woman corner
ed will do anything, / believe |"
"What" calculated "you sure
ly do not mean that child"
81 mean" said the detective calm
ly, "that that child, as you call her,
is Astilla Burton, O married woman,
twenty-six years old, who last night
murdered four persons, in cold blood,
and was trying to escape to Canada"
The train was stopped. and par
ty of us went back to search for any
trace Of the young creature, whose
apparent innocence had appealed to
my sympathies so earnestly. We
found her at length, quite dead, by
the side of the track, frightfully
mangled by the force of the fall, and
mutiiated almost beyond recogni-
ton.
"Wcll, she's escaped justice in this
world, if not in the next" said the
detectivd gloomily, as he stood look
ing down upon her remains.
"Do you suppose she expected to
be able to spring from the train with
out injury /" asked
without murh injury Yes ;
women are unreasoning creatures !
But | never dreamed Of such insane
folly, or | should have taken meas
ures to prevent it."
They lifted up the fair dead thing,
and carried it to the nearest place of
refuge-a lonely farm house among
the frozen hills-and we returned to
the train. reaching Bayswater only