The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-02-28


Her sons stared at her in amazement.
They at first imagined that she must be
laboring under some mental disorder /;
but when she related to them, plainly
and nationally, and in her own straight
forward, terse fasion, the story as just
told, they saw she was telling them a
simple fact.
$50" she said, SNAKE what arrange
ments you please. l will wait here, and
you can tell me what course is best to
pursue in this matter. )"
The sons took the light and went to
their mothers room. They opened the
door, and there, sure enough, was the
body of man hanging half through the
window. The floor was pool of blood.
With difficulty the oldest son got near
enough to the body without stepping
into the gore to raise the head, which
was dropping ON the chest. He grasped
the hair and raised the head SO that the
light might fall upon the face. As he
did cry of horror escaped them all.
"Great God it is our brother
George"
"What did you say ?" said Mrs. Now
bray, in a voice horribly calm, from
the doorway, whittier she had followed
unperceived. George What do you
mean?"
The oldest son dropped the head to
prevent, if possible, his mother seeing it,
and all of them endeavored to explain
their exclamation and get their mother
away from the spot. 1t was in vain.
"Boys," she said, in her old, we'll
known tone of authority, stand aside
and let me see the face of the villain 1
have slain."
With that she put her sons aside as
though they were mere lads, and walked
through the slippery gore that lay upon
the floor up to the body. She took the
candle from the unresisting grasp Of her |
frst-born, and, with hand that trembled
not, lifted the head of the dead man so
that the light shone full upon it. She
gazed at it steadily for half minute,
then said, gently lowering it until it
rested upon the breast again, =" It's my
boy George"
Mrs. Mowbray was the only one in the
who remained calm and mo-
tionless. The family was in the widest
state of sorrow. The three brothers
with difficulty extricated the body from
the window. The authorities we're mott
fed. and everything kept as quiet as
possible. The inquest was duly held.
Mrs. Mowbray was fully exonerated, and
the body was tenderly prepared for
burial. The real story was known to
few outside the family and authorities.
It was believed by them that George,
instead Of going to Devonshire, had re-
NAMED lurking in the neighborhood,
md had planned the robbery, and if
need be the murder Of his mother. He
Knew that she had large sum of money
md valuable jewels in her room. The
I'D nurse who had held George in her
rms when he first saw the light, took
are of the body and prepared it for the
omb.
She dwelt tenderly on the familiar
marks upon the limbs and face which
he knew so well, each of which had
tory Of youthful daring or folly con.
ected with it. In due time the funeral
ook place. The corpse was laid in the
amily vault. Only the family and one
r two relatives attended-Mrs. Now I
ray spent the best part of every day by
he side Of her dead son. She showed
no signs Of emotion. Before
he lid was closed she kissed the forehead
nd cut off lock of his hair.
The day after the burial she gave
directions to her eldest son to pay all the
ead mans debts, which was done at
nee so far as known. Gloom settled
yer the hall. The wing of the building !
n which the tragedy occurred was closed
p, and Mrs. Mowbray removed to bed .
DOM up stairs.
On the fifth day after the funeral a !;
drove up to the door of Har-
ich Hall, and from it stepped George
fowbray, looking better than he had 9
,oked for many a long day before he {
1T home. The servant who opened the c
all door started back, and almost drop
edwith fright. His ordinations caught !
he ears Of Mrs. Mowbray and her sons, t
'ho seemed to be dumb-founded.