The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1871-02-16

took out, with the quickness and neatness 0
u skilled manipulation, two things: one !
sort of cushion about eight inches square, GOV
cred with chamois-leather-I have that h0rri
BILE relic, no doubt intended to aid in the pro
cess of sufocation, still IN my possession; til.
other was the renowned chplaster.
My brother had no idea what he intended
for the disclosure in Edinburg had not vet en-
lightened and terrified people of all agei
throughout England.
The miscreant kept bis face close to his vic
TINS, with his powerful eyes fixed on his
His dark, lean features and long beak, and the
thick hair that hung forward like sooty plu
mage round them, and the long sinewy neck
that arched over my poor brother as he lay al
his assailant's mercy, gave him, in the fasci
mated gaze of the boy, the appearance of a
monstrous bird of prey. tet.
dare say this ghou had an actual power,
such as many men are said to possess Of con-
trolling the springs OF action, mental and bodi-
ly, by some occult power OF the eye To my
brother it seemed that it needed perpetual
and desperate struggle of viii to prevent a
friglttul trance from stealing over him.
For moment the wretch's hand was slight
ly raised from the boys mouth. He intended,
no doubt, ut this instant to introduce the
and nostrils. Bat my brother now struggling
trantically uttered two two piercing yells,
which compelled the murderer to replace bis
hand before he had accomplished his purpose
He was evidently now transported with fury
Cpto this he had been operating as methodicay
asa spider. lie looked SO ilendish that my broth
er iancied he would cut bis throat, or other.
wise dispatch him at the moment
His plans, however, were different He
had no idea OF losing sight of his interests,
much less of his safety. No principle of his
neiarious trade was better established than
the absolute necessity OF leaving no trace OF
actual violence upon the persons of bis victims.
Even the knee with which he held his prey
Was padded so carefully that this young boys
breast did not exhibit the slightest confusion,
although so long under pressure which held
him al the verge of suttocation. az
Rapidly, aad with more success. the villain
again cssayed his final slight One dreadful
yell escaped, and the deadly pitch plaster was
liked on mouth asd nose, aud another sound or
respiration became impossible
The leaiy bushes above and about him, the
figure, the face of the spectre, began to swim
before his eyes. lie saw the man, still on his
knees, rise with start and pause, with eyes
askant, aud his dark hand TO his ear. la the
next instant he had disappeared.
In his struggle the boy now rolled from the
lair IN which be had been attacked into the clear
light upon the open path, where he lay perfect
ly insensible.
When consciousness returned, which was
not Tor some minutes, three men were about
him, drenching his head with water, and all
to extract word of explanation;
but for long after be could not speak sylla-
bic, nor for some time, even hear distinctly
what they said
Not moment was lost, so soon as he was
able TO describe what had happened, in direct
ing pursuit, wherever any results were the
least likely. All my brother could say as to
the point toward which the assassin had d. |
rected his flight was that, as his sight failed,
he thought, though very distinctly, he saw
him pass away obliquely in the direction of the |
lane in which he had observed the donkey.cart |
1t must have belonged to an accomplice. who |
was there by arrangement Everything had |
been prepared to carry away the body of the |
poor tellow, which would have been secured
IN the sack, enveloped in the carpet and cov-
cred with straw, and thus secreted i'm some |
lonely lookup yard, until at dead of night, it |
would have been conveyed to the dissecting-
room. The boys hat thrown upon the water
would have turned inquiry off the scent, and
induced delay. sas .s i.
The strap. still buckled with cruel force
about the poor fellows arms and ribs, the
chamois cushion | have mentioned, and the
bitch plaster fixed over the lower part of his
ACE, were the only properties" of the vii
ain left to indicate his visit.
The cool old assassin had carried off every
'ther trace OF his presence, and he and his
'omrade, taking the donkey-cart with them,
lad decamped with celerity, and managed
heir disguise with an art which, ms matters
hen were and with n full hours start, had baf-
led pursuit.
No doubt, with the police force now at our
the result might have been differ.
mt. As it was, no clue whatever was discov-
red and this was positively marvellous, con-
idering the marked pecuiarIties of dress and
f person that belonged to the culprit The
ersons best acquainted with the WAYS of our
riminals at that period were of opinion that
he strange details of the dress, the gait, the .
air, the complexion, and the distortion of the
gure, were parts of an elaborate piece of {
lasquerading ta" s..5'@s td'8
There was some controversy as to the OBJ
,ct of the projected crime. 1t was not until
he terrific exposure at Edinburg had made {
II the world horribly familiar with the
machinery of that peculiar species of mur-
er that all debate upon the matter ceased,
nd the pitch-plaster was accepted as conclu- e
we evidence that the body was intended for
ale to the surgeons. sAs dttaa .ieh sf
No doubt these poachers on a great scale 9
'ere thoroughly skilled in oil the finessc and I
srategy of their contrnband art. The regu I