The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-11-27

frightened hin out OF MS wlts-f
boy who knows not the grades Of
homicide--who fears that the gal
lows would follow revelation Of the
deed,
II cannot tell you, gentleman, bow
that thing worked upon my mind.
came to believe that my wife had
truly solved the problem and the
more | reflected the more firmly be-
came that solution fixed ia my faith
The time for Ashcrofts execution
was drawing near How coald !
save him. There was but ono way.
A new trial without some new owl
dence was out of the question. l
must set him free. I could not see
him hanged. / visited him in his cell
and came away sure that he was in
nocent. / asked my wife il she had
the will and courage to help that
man to break his bonds She fash
ed in the glory of her womans pow
or like an impatient soldier. | told
her l would set her on the track, but
Imuat not know how the work was
done, nor who're the prisoner had
gone She comprehended aud
agreed. 1 lent my official influence
to gain her access to the Jail, and she
did tho rest She came homs one
night radient like giant who had n
glimpse Of heaven. Onthe following
morning | WAS informed that the
condemned man had escaped. I
asked my wife no questions and sho
offered no Information.
SEARCH WIS instituted, but not n
trace OF the fugitive could be found
The time set for the execution pass
ed. aud not many days thereafter an
honest farmer. living oear & the un
cIp whom Susan L,timrr went 81
visit on tha, Saturday afternoon, came
10 me in erca. tribnlation. His son,
"a bov oi fourteen. hid confessed tn
shooting OF Mis-. La.imer 1 vent
over with the father. and saw the
boy found him sick and nigh un :
to death his iiio Worried away by the
fearful secret which he hell gnawing
"a his bo-om. l promised him, that
no harm. should como to him, and he
frightened mp. 1t WAS exactly rs my
wife tad suggested Tho lad had
seen a pigeon upop % trce, and had
crcpt into clump Of bushes upon the
opposit. side Of the cart path, 10 or
der that he might raise his gGn With
out frightening tho bird. He cooked
tho piece, had taken aim, aud his fn.
ger was pressing tho trigger, when
Mss L,ttimer with her head bent
down. camc directly befnre the mDzzlc.
She hal come like dark shadow he ..
tween him and the bird, and no, un-
til his pece hal been discharged
did nc know what bah thus suddenly
obstructed his sight. When he had
lca pcl out from his cover, and had
seen the fearful work ho hid done. be
was fr u moment paralyzed with II
terror that was awful. Soon the
phantom Of Murder appeared to hi
appalled, sense, and hc raD away aud
bid and from that time no hal suf-
iorod, until his secret WAS SO near kill
ing him 'ha, no hal tn let il ont.
II returned homo and asked nv
wife il she knew where Chas. Ashcroft
was. She said she knew. l told her
what had discovered and bade her
brjn. him back. On the very ncxt
day Ashcroft appeared, and delivered
himself up at til Jail.
"rhe final result you can csSilv
comp chcn6. At ,hn new trial the
,oy was able IN attend. and Fh,s Ash
croft, was set at liberty wi,h bat it'll"
crrmony. his character fully cleared
from ev m the appearance Of gn'it,
and his fri .nds multiplied 10 number.
"And so tho life Ofan in oe.nt,
bi.h mia led man was say"d. He
wonld have snrriy hceu hang d had
he rrmaincd in prisou TO tie appoini>
cd day. Fcoplo say it was an inter.
position of Providence. They little
dreamed how much of that precious
Providence lay il the subtle instincts
and N the heart Of my wife nor did
thcy suspect nv olfi;ial treason, Bn'
| never blamed mysclf-never. And
the teaching Of that experience has
served mo we'll in the latter years.