The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-05-31


time came upon n beaten track which
led me to road, the same which had
been travelling on the previous night.
l walked on, scarcely knowing whittier,
anxious only to increase my distance
from the accused house, until the day
began to break, when almost the first
object could see distinctly was a small
body of men approaching me. II was
with no small pleasure that recognized
at their head my friend the Cabo di
Polizia. 'Ahl' he cried, unfortunate
Inglese, what trouble you have given
me! Where have you been? God be
praised that see you safe and sound
But how? What is the matter with
YOU? You look like one possessed
Z" told him how had lost my way,
and where / had lodged.
"And what happened to you there ?
he cried, with look Of anxiety.
al was disturbed in the night. i
could rot sleep. l made my escape,
and here l am. | cannot tell you
more
"But you must tell me more, dear
sir forgive me; you must tell me
everything. l must know all that
passed in that house. We have had it
under our surveillance for long time !;
and when l heard in what direction
you had gone yesterday, and had not
returned, feared you had got into
some mischief there, and we we're even
now on our way to look for you.'
81 could not enter into particulars,
but told him that had heard strange
sounds; and, at his request, went
back with him to the spot. He told
me, by the way, that the house was
known to be the resort of banditti ;
that the landlord harbored them, re-
ceived their ill.gotten goods, and helped
them to dispose of their booty.
Arrived at the spot, he placed his
men about the premises, and instituted
strict search the landlord and the
man who was found in the house being
compelled to accompany him. The
room in which had slept was carefully
examined; the floor was of plaster or
cement, so that no sound could have
passed through it; the walls we're
sound and solid, and there was nothing
to be seen that could in any way ac-
count for the strange disturbance had
experienced. The room on the ground
floor underneath my bedroom was next
inspected; it contained quantity of
straw, hay, frewood, and lumber. 1t
was paved with brick and, on turning
over the straw, it was observed that the
bricks we're uneven, as if they had been
recently disturbed.
"'Dig here said the officer; we
shall find something hidden here,
imagine
"The landlord was evidently much
disturbed. stop = he cried. { l will
tell you who lies there; come away out
of doors, and you shall know all about
it,
"'Dig, say. We will find out fol
ourselves
"Let the dead rest cried the land
lord, with trembling voice. For the
love of heaven, come away, and heaI
what shall tell you
"' Go on with your work, said the
sergeant to his men, who were now ply
ing pickax and spade.
az can't stay here and see it, ex'
claimed the landlord once more
Hear, thenl 1t is the body of my
son, my only son let him rest, if rest
he can He was wounded in quarrel, and
brought home here to die. thought he
would recover, but there was neither
doctor or priest at hand, and in spite Of
all we could do for him, he died. Let
him alone now, or let a priest first be
sent for; he died unconfessed, but il
was not my fault; it may not yet be toe
l. 4 L. Co. l..
"'But why is he buried in this
placer
"twe did not wish to make stil
about it. Nobody knew of his death
and we laid him down quietly; one
place, / thought, was as good as another
when once the life was out of him
We are poor folk, and could not pay
for ceremonies.'
The truth at length came out
Father and son were both members of {
band of thieves; under the floor they
concealed their plumber; and there, too
lay more than one moldering corpse
victims who had occupied the room ir
which l slept, and had there met theil
death. The son was indeed buried in
that spot he had been MORALLY
wounded in a skirmish with travellers
and had lived long enough to repent O
HE deeds, and to beg for that priestly
absolution which, according to hi
creed, was necessary to secure his par
don. In vain he had urged his fathel
to bring the confessor to his bedside
in vain he had entreated him to break
off from the murderous band will
which he was allied, and to live hon
estly in future; his prayers were disre
garded, and his dying admonitions wer,
Of no avail. But for the strange mys
FERROUS warning which had reused m,
from my sleep, and driven me out o
the house that night, another crime