Litchfield enquirer., 1872-04-11
THE ExPERiENcEs 0F A BARRis-
 TER-..MO. 7
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 The Mortisesn Circuit.
 About the commencement of the pres- ent century there stood, near the centre of rather extensive hamlet, not many miles distant from northern seaport town, . large, substantially built, but sosnewllat struggling building, known as Craig Farm t (popularly Gro0k Farm) House. The farm consisted of about one hundred acres of tolerable arabic and meadow land; and at the time I have indicated, belonged to a farmer of the name of Armstrong. He had purchased 1t about three years pre- viously, at a sale held in pursuance of a decree of the High Court of Chancery, for the purpose of hquidating certain costs incurred in the suit of Craig VeEssts Craig, which the said court had nursed so long and successfully, as to enable the solici- tor to the victorious claimant to incarcer- ate his triumphant client for several yeaxs in the Fleet. in satisfaction" of the char ges of victory remaining due after the proceeds of the sale of Craig Farm had been deducted from the gross total. Farmer Armstrong was married, but child less; his dame, like himself was native of Devonshire. They bore the character of plodding, taciturn, morose-mannered couple; seldom leaving the farm except to attend market, and rarely seen at church or chapel, they naturally enough became objects of suspicion and dislike to the prying. gossipping villagers, to whom mystery or reserve of any kind was of course exceedingly annoying and unpleas- ant. Soon after Armstrong was settled in his new purchase, another stranger ar rived, and took up his abode in the best apartments of the house. The new-com- CT, man of about fifty years of age, was evidently, from his dress and gait, 2 sea faring person, was as reserved and unso- cial as his landlord. His name, or at least that which he chose to be known by, was Wilson. He had one child, 6 daugh- ter, about thirteen years of age, whom he placed at boarding g-school in the adia- cent town. He seldom saw her; the in- tercourse between the father and daugh- ter being principally carried on through Mary Strugnell, a widow of about thirty years of age, and native of inc place She was engaged as 8 servant to MT. Will son, and seldom left Craig Farm except on Sunday afternoons, when, if the weather was at all favorable, she paid a visit to an aunt living in the town; there saw Miss Wilson; and returned home usu- ally at .half-past ten o'clock-later rather than earlier. Armstrong was occasionally absent from his home for several days to- gether, on business, 1t was rumored, for Wilson; and on the Sunday in the first week of January 1902, both he and his wife had been away forupwards of week, aud were not yet returned.
 About quarter-past ten o'clock on that evening the early-retiring inhabitants of the hamlet were roused from their slumbers by loud, continuous knocking at the front door of Armstrong's house; louder and louder, more and more vehe- ment and impatient, resounded the blows upon the stiffness of the night, till the sOundest sleepers were awakened Win dows were hastily thrown open, and pres ently numerous footsteps approached the scene of growing hubbub. The unwont- ed noise was caused, it was found, by Farmer Armstrong, who accompanied by the door with heavy black thorn sIfcK. Still no answer was obtained. Mrs. Strug- nell, it was supposed, had not returned from town; but where was MT. Wilson, who was almost always at home both day and night? Presently lad called out that white sheet or cloth of some sort was hanging out of one of the back win dows. This announcement, confirming the vague approximations which had be- gun to germinate in the wise heads of the villagers, disposed them to adopt a more effectual mode of obtaining admission than knocking seemed likely to prove Johnson, the constable of the parish, a man of great shrewdness, at once propos- ed to break in the door. Armstrong, who as we'll as his wife, was deadly pale, and trembling violently, either with cold or agitation, hesitatingly consented, and crowbars being speedily procured, an en- trance was forced, and in rushed score of excited men. Armstrong's wife, it was afterwards remembered, caught hold of her husbands arm in hurried, frighten- ed manner, whispered in his ear, and then both followed into the house.
 ssNow, farmer" cried Johnson, as soon as he had procured light, '1ead the way up stair.
 Armstrong, who appeared to have some what recovered from his panic, darted at once up the staircase, followed by the whole body of rustics. On reaching the landing place, he knocked at Mir. Wilson's bedroom door. No answerwas returned. Armstrong seemed to hesitate, but the constable at once lifted the latch; they entered, and then melancholy spectacle presented itself. .
 Wilson, completely dressed, lay extend ed on the floor lfeless corpse. He had been stabbed in two places in the breast with some sharp pointed instrument. Life was quite extinct. The window was open. On farther inspection, several bundles containing many of Wilson's valuables in jewelfy and plate, together with clothes, shirts, silk hand kerchiefs, were found. The wardrobe and secretary bureau had been forced open. The assassins had, it seemed, been disturbed, and had hurried of by the window without their plunder. A hat was also picked up in the room, a shiny, blackshat, much too small for the deceased. The constable snatched it up, and attempted to clap it on Armstrongs head, but it was not nearly large enough This, together with the bundles, dissipat- ed suspicion which had been growing in Johnson's mind; and he roughly exclaim- ed, ssYou need not look so scared, farmer; it's not you; that's quite clear"
 To this remark neither Armstrong nor his wife answered . syllable, but contin. ued to gaze at the corpse, the bundles, and the broken locks, in bewildered ter TOT and astontshment. Presently some one asked if anybody had seen Mrs Strug- nell? @-ss@ 445 .s
 Ths question reused Armstrong, and he said, stShe is not come home; her door is locked" '9 -s <
 ssHow do you know that ?" cried the constable, turning sharply round, and looking keenly in his face "How doyou know thnt ?'' . 'es = g
 Because because" stammered Arm strong, sbecause she always locks it when she goes out,
 (Which is her reom3'
 saThe next to this.
 They hastened out, and found the next door fast. .x2 fss,sA
 ..Are you there, Mrs. Strugnell ?" shout ed Johnson.
 There was no reply.
 '.She is never home till half past ten o'clock on Sunday evenings, remarked Armstrong in 3 calmer voice. sThA key is in the lock on the inside.