The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-09-13
THE SECRET CLOSET.

THE SECRET CLOSET.
In the year of is, John Smith I use
fictitious namcs) was indicted for the viii
ful mmder of Henry Thompson. The case
was one of the most extraordinary nature,
and the interest excited by it was almost
! unparalleled. The accused was . gentle
man of considerable property residing upon
! his own estate. 4 person, supposed to be
an entire stranger to him, had, late i'll a
summers day, requested and obtained
shelter and hospitality for the night. lie
had, 1t was supposed, after taking some
light refreshment, retired to bed in perfect
health, requesting to be awakened 1T an
| early hour the following morning. When
the servant appointed TO call him entered
his room for tl-at purpose, he was found in
lis room perfectly dead; and from the ap-
pearauce OF the body it was obvious that
he had been so for many hours. There
was not the slightest mark Of violence upon
lis person, and lie counjcuance retained
The same expressionit it had borne during life.
Days and weeks passed on, and little
further was discovered. In the meantime
gyIaor had not been idle. Suspicious were
vague, indeed, and underlined, and were at
! first whispered, and afteward boldly cx-
! pressed. The precise object Of these sus-
/ picions was not clearly indicated; some
! implicated one person, some another; but
! they all pointed to Smith, the master of
/ the house, as concerned in the death Of the
| stranger and, III fine the magistrates
were induced 10 commit Mr.. Smith to jail
! to take his trial for the wiIful murder of
! Henry Thompson. As it was deemed cs-
| sentiaI to the attainment Of justice to keep
| secret the examination of the witnesses
! who wprv produced before the magistrates,
! all the information Of which the public
! were in possession before The trial took place
was that which have here narrated
! Such was the state Of things upon the morn
ing Of the trial.
Tie counsel for the prosecution opened
! his case TO the Jury i'll a manner that indi-
Gated very little expectation Of conviction.
He began byimploling them to divest their
/ minds of all that they had heard before
! they came into the box he entreated them
to attend to tie evidence, and judge from
that alone.
1t would be proved beyond the possibili-
ty of a doubt that the deceased died by poi
! son-poison of most subtle nature, most
active in its operation, and possessing the
wonderful and dreadful quality of leaving
10 external mark or token by which its
presence could be detected. The ingredi-
ents of which it was composed were of 50
| sedative a nature that, instead of the body
on which it had been used exhibiting amy
, contortions, or marks of suffering, it left
upon the features nothing bat the calm ard
placid quiet of repose.
The prisoners family consisted only OF
himself. a housekeeper, and one man ser
want. The man servant slept in an out
house adjoining the stable, and did 50 on
, the night of Thompson's death. The pris-
oner slept at one end Of the house and the
housekeeper at the other, and the deceased
had been put into room adjoining the
housekeeper's.
1t would be proved, by person who
happened to be passing 10y tie house on
the night in question, about three hours
after midnight, that he had been induced
to remain and watch, from having his at
teution excited by the Circumstance, then
very unusual Of a light moving about the
house, at that late hour. That person
would state most positively that he could
distinctly see figure holding light, sc
from the room i'll which the prisoner slept
to the housckeeper's room, that two per-
sons then came out Of the housekeeper 5
room, aud the light disappeared for a MN
ute. Whether the two persons went INTO
IhompSon's room he could not see, as the
window Of that room looked another way
but III about a minute they returned, pass
ing quite along the house to Smiths room
again and in about five minutes the light
was eNtinguished and he saw it no more.
Such was the evidence upon which the
magistrate had committed Smith and,
singularly enough, since his committal the
housekeeper had been missing, nor could
any trace Of her be discovered.
Within the last week, the witness who
saw the light had been more particularly