The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-12-02

IObSiii IiHCAi DcSis VI GjGu Il pOb vi i]DIlbF,
making some excuse for not partaking
himself
When Mccarthy raised The pewter POI
to his lips, a sudden pain, which he af
forwards described, more particularly, in
the back Of his neck, compelled him to
set it down untasled.
The stranger urged him to drink it, and,
without explaining The cause of his hesi>
tation, he a second time raised the vessel
to his mouth. Precisely The same thihS
occurred again.
Once more the stranger expostulated,- =
and pressed him more vehemently to
/ drink and again he tried it, but with
exactly the same result.
''What ails We? ard why don't you
drink your liquor? Don't you like ii ?"
the stranger demanded
| don't like it, answered EIacarthy:
getting up, land l don't like you and
your ways, and, in Gods name, I'll have
nothing more, good or bad, to say to you"
''To the divi! l pitch you and it, said
the stranger breaking into undisguised
fury, and at the same time, through the
open door, he flung the contents of the
pewter pot upon the road.
Without another word, in his tbifbe?,
the unknown cousin strobe ont of the
door, and walked on his way, leaving the
farmer In state of perturbation and sus-
pici0n.
Happening to look into the pewter pot,
which had contained the porter just
thrown out, he saw white sediment at
the bottom OF it. He and the publican
put their heads together over it, BAT could
make nothing of this deposit
1t so happened, however, that the ply
slclan was in attendance at the dispensae
ry, only a few yards away, and 10 him
they submitted the white powder thar
lay in the bottom Of the measure. 1t
proved to be arsenic.
The mud upon the road where the por-
ter had fallen was also examined, and
some OF the same deposit was found upon
it.
Upon these facts, and the short infor-
nation sworn by Mccarthy, a neighbour
my magistrate at once issued his warrant,
with which the police pursued the miscre-
ant, who, without apprehension of his
purpose having been discovered, was pur-
st'ne his journey quite at his ease. He
was arrested, and duly committed to
prison.
The animns and purpose Of the heinous'
enterprise came afterwards to light. The
pretended cousin, whose real name was
Mara, had been bribed TO put Mccarthy
to death, by person interested in the
Termination of lease in which Mccarthy
was the last life.
The attempts to poison was only a re-
source in reserve. The primary plan,
and that relied upon with good reason,
Vas of a totally different kind. Under
the prcteXt i have mentioned, Mccarthy
was to have been induced to accompany
Mara to the lonely graveyard, TIE posi-
tion of which, and The stile by which ii
was entered, were familiar TO him He
was to have allowed Mccarthy TO cross
the stile first, and, following him closely.
as he descerded it at the other side, be
was, from above, TO have dealt him, with
bis heavy loaded stick, such blow upon
the head as must have lelIed him to the
ground, and, as he lay stunned in the
graveyard, he would have easily despatch
ed him. The sounds Of violence in that
sequestereG place no ear could have heard,
G1id 10 human aid would have ihterfarcd
to prevent the consummation of this atro>
cious purpose.
The women, who, in the large barn
like room were attending to the prepara-
tlons for supper at IFS further enc, and
caught nothing Of the conyersat;on of the
two men who stood near the door. The
effect of this might not very improbably
have been that no one would have known
in what direction their walk had lain, or
could have conjectured where the body of
Mccarthy, if he had been murdered, was
concealed. 1t might have lain under the
Ra1 of that rude cemetery undiscovered
until the next funeral brought people into
its solitary incIosure.
At this point all termed upon ne pre-
sentiment which had so mysteriously de-
termined Mccarthy, without any motive
OF which he was conscious, against going
over the stile before him. Mccarthy was
too powerful man to have been assailed
on fair terms, with fair chance of the
intending assassin's success.
When the trial was over, MIR. Bennett,
my informant, who, though not in the
caee, and very junior barrister at the
time, had listened to the trial with deep
interest, found an opportunity of speaking
to the prosecutor, and asked him some
questions upon the most extraordinary
point in the strange occurrence deposed TO
What passed was to the following eff
fec;:.
"Fou stated that you were prevented
from drinking the porter by pain in the
back of your neck. Did that pain affect
ali the back of your neck and if not, to
what part of your neck was it confined p
sit was in one spot only, close under
the skull on the back bone.''
"Was'it a severe pain ;"
'sThe worst | ever feii.''