Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1873-07-10

! could return to my room prepared
to exhibit as much surprise as any
one when the robbery was discovered
in the morning
| But why continue to rapeat thell
iniouitous exhortation? yielded
and the next night after my. benefac
tors departure was selected as thu
occasion for the commission of one o
the blackest acts Of ingratitude tina
ever disgraced the annals of Chris
tendon.
My uncie's apartments consisted o
suite of ..hree rooms OH the gr'.nnt
floor of the mansion in which we liv
! ed. The first of these was a larg'
| chamber, used as reception-rooln
opening directly from the hall. Th'
next, entered through that just men
toned, he occupied as q study or Of
fee, and from this, the third, his bed
chamber, had access. This last apart
ment was at the back Of the hous'
and overlooked the rear lawn anc
aower-garden. The study had win
dows opening at the side of the hous'
through which, if they were unfas
tened, an active man could easily
climb. My own rooms were on thu
next floor, directly over his, and th'
servants slept on the third story a
the other side of the building. Il
was therefore possible for me to gain
entrance to the study without danger
of any one oveThearing me as long a.
my uncle was absent.
On the night selected for the nefa
rious attempt l retired at an early
hour to my own rooms, informing the
servants that / was not well, and de-
string them to 60 to rest as early as
possible in order that the house might
be quiet. They complied, Of course
and though during the evening tsere
had been considerable hustle below
(the cause of which little suspected
is I sat in agitated anticipation lis.
tening to it), an h ur after midnight
not sound disturbed the stiffness
md I as silently prepared to execute
my dark design. Taking lighted
candle,in my hand, and arming my
self with large and sharp carpen,
5er's chsel. with which I intended;to
force the secretary in which the mon
ey was kept. I Iopened.lny door, and
having listened in the corridor until
| was sure no one was stirring, rap
idly descended the staircase in my
stocking feet to the door of the re.
ception-room.
This was urfastened as usual, and
passing in, traversed that apartment
and entered the study. In pursuance
Of my design to render to the rob-
berry all the appearance of burglary,
I went Immediately to one Of the win
dows, and setting down my light,
| struck out one Of the centre panes Of
! glass with the ha-dle of my chisel.
had no fear that the noise would be
heard, as all the servants slept in so
distant a locality, and having unfas-
tened the bolts of the sash, l threw
it up, intending to break open the
blinds outside. This done, l took up
the light. again and crossed the room
to the secretary.
This piece Of furniture stood at the
| right-hand side Of the entrance door
and directly opposite that leadingin-
to my uncle's bed-chamber, conse-
quently, when engaged in the en-
deavor to break the PANEL Of the
desk open, my back was toward the
latter. Once more disposing of the
candle, I applied the chisel to the
crack above the lock, and had juat
succeeded in pryins off the band that
held the bolt when heard noise
3slhnd lne, tollowr.! by Il startled cx
clamation in !. MIN : voice! Turning
in sudden dread. imagine how sud
.Ieniy and ter IDLY this was increased
when l beheld M uncle standing in
the open doorway Of his'bedroom
In moments Of great excitement
| explanations of singular circum ,t;,n-
ces seem to A ash upon the mind b.
intuition This Was the casv, with
me in the present instance, and. lis ii
some one had whispered it in my ear
1 saw how this had happened The
hustle winch I had heard in the house
after ! had retired to my room was
caused by his unexpected return, and
doubtless having been told that I was
unwell, he had ordered the servants
not to disturb me by acquailting me
with his arrival. Not dreaming that
he vas at home; l had been careless
as to the noise I made in breaking
the window, and this having aroused
him, he had risen to learn its cause.
AS this revelation presented itself
to me, ANOTHER still more appalling
was manifest to my mind Twas dis
covered These three words called
up vision in which disgrace, pun
ishment, and utter ruin were the hor-
rible figures ! have no conscious
ness of any thought bat this at the
moment; no recollection of seeing
anything but his piercing eye fixed
upon me in horror, scorn, and anger.
1 rushed forward in mad frenzy; the
chisel uplifted in my hand. He ut
tered a loud cry of astonishment and
terror; there was brief but awful
struggle; twice, thrice. my right arm
rose and fell, and them was alone
with the dead The corpse of my
uncle lay bleeding at my feet. and l
was an assassin!
My subsequent acts on that awful
night were in great part mechanical,
though undoubtedly dictated BY a
process Of reasoning of. which. / was,
at the time, unconscious. I.remoyed
the money from she secretary, delib-
erately washed my ensanguined' hands
in his bedroom, threw the chisel out
of the window, and thus having com
pleted the evidence which would g.
to prove that the MURDERER had bro.
ken into the house, I took up the
candle and regained NY own room.
During the ramainder of,the night |