Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-27

the pineries OF Canada. lie declared, get
ting warm in his recollection Of the quar-
rel, that he "didn't caro- darn where Will
went, any way"
A month passed away it was August.
Cousin viii did not return. But certain
strange stories came up the lake from Can.
ada, and reached the dwelIers along the Ad-
irondack Wilderness road. No cousin
William had been seen in the pneries !;
but just across the Canada line, at the
mouth of Fish River, where the sloops
were moored TO receive. their lading of lum-
Der, bruised, swollen fostering corpse
had risen and floated in the glare of
hot, August day. The boatmen rescued II
and buried it upon the shore. They de-
scribed it as the body of hale, vigorous
young man, agreeing in hoight, size and
appearance with cousin William.
And there was another story told by the
captain of a sloop which had been moored
at the mouth of Fish River, near by Johns
sloop, on the fatal voyage from which cous-
in William had not returned.
The captain said tina: upon the 4th of Ju-
~, he had heard qnarrelling upon Johns
only two men were there. lie thought the
men had been drinking. At night-fall
there was little lull but soon after dark,
the noise broke out, again. He could see
nothing through the gloom, but he heard
high and angry words, and at length blows;
and then dull, crushing thud, followed
by plunge into the water, and then there
was entire silence. He listened for an
hour, in the stiffness Of the summer night,
but heard no further sound from the boat.
In the early gray of the next morning, the
captain, looking across the intervening
space TO Johns sloop, which he described
as hardly stones throw from his own,
saw hat lying upon the deck, and using
his glass, was confident that he saw "spat-
ters OF blood" lie thought il "none Of
his business" and taking. advantage OF a
light breeze, sailed away and said nothing.
But when the floating corpse. was found
he felt sure there had been murder. and. az
he expressed it, felt bound to tell his story
like an honest man, and so told it.
Putting these things together it soon
grew to be u current opinion upon the lake,
that Captain John had murdered his cous.
in william. The dwellers upon the Will
derness road also came by slow degrees,
and unwillingly, TO the same conclusion.
II was felt and said that John ought TO be
arrested.
Accordingly, on dreary day in Novem-
Der, two officers, from the county town
twelve miles away down the lake shore,
came and climbed the road 10 the lonely
log house, and arrested John. 1t was un-
doubtedly a dreadful blow to these two
lonely people living isolated in the wilder
ness. Perhaps there olght TO have been
some crying and a scene, but there was no
such thing. The officers testified that nei-
ther John nor his mother made any fuss
about ii. There was slight twitching of
the strong muscles Of her face as she talk
cd with the officers, but no other outward
sign.
John gave more evidence of the wound
he felt. He was white and quivering, yet
he silently and without objection, made
ready to go with the officers. lie was soon
prepared, and they started. John, as he
went out the door, turned and said, Good
by; il will all be made right, mother" She
simply answered, "Yes, good. by; know
1t, my son."
The trio went on foot down the road TO
the next house, where the officers had left
their team. Jupiter, standing up with his
fore paws upon the top of the fence, gazed
wistluly after them. When they passed
around the bend of the road ont of sight,
Jupiter went into the house. Tho strong
woman was there about her work, as usu.
al but the heavy tears would now and
then fall upon the hard pine floor. She
knew that her own boy would spend the
coming night in the county Jail.
Attwelve o'clock OF that chill Novem-
Der night, the woman and the dog went
out of the house she fastened the door,
and then they went together down the
dark mountain road, while the autumn
winds swept dismally through the great
wilderness, and tic midnig ght voice of the
pines mourned the dying year. The next
day at noon, a very weary woman on foot,
with a small bundle and large dog, put
up al the little village hotel hard by the
county Jail.
Another day passed and then the prelim-
mary examination came on before JUS
tice to determine whether there was sufn-
cient evidence to hold John in custody un-
Ill grand jury Of the county should be as
sembed for the next Court Of Oyer and
Termiuer.
Three days were spent in this examina-
ton before the justice the captain of the
sloop who had overheard the quarrel in The
night told his story, and the boatmen who
had fou nd The body told theirs. Two men
who had been the crew of Johns little ves-
sci were also called. But they could tell
little more than that they were absent on
shore upon the 4th of July, and when they
returned Il the vessel William had gone,
they knew not whore nor why.
The evidence against John seemed to the
magistrate clear and conclusive. But the
counsel for the accused (employer by Johns
mothe) took the ground thatas the offense
was committed in Canada, a justice in the
United States had no jurisdiction in the
matter.
This view prevailed, and after live days
the accused was set at liberty. But that
voice Of the people, which the ancient prov
CRIB says is like the voice of Sod had decd-
ed that John was guilty. 1t was under this
crushing condemnation that John and his
mother left the county town on cold De-
cember day, turning their steps homeward;
and at evening they climbed the activity
so familiar to them, and reached The lonely
Lighthouse on the mountain. Their neigh
bors were glad to see them back again, but
were plain 10 say that 'it appeared like as
if John was guilty" These dwellers in
the solitudes were accustomed TO speak tru-
ly what they thought. John and his moth
or, too, spoNe openly of this matter. 1t was
only of showing affection and love that
these people seemed ashamed and shy.