Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1874-08-15

his house. He carried q valise, ant
, by his side walked q small, rough
looking man whom l did not know
and with whom he was earnestl,
cOnversing. I went q few steps t
meet them, and was within yart
t of them before Collins saw me.
"Ah, how are you, Mr.. Collins ?
1 said.
He started visibly, but on recog
nizing me, seemed to regain his com
posure, and answered my salutation
He would have passed on, but de
tanned him by pausing in front o.
him and opening dialogue.
"Not going travelling ~ i said.
'Yes-a short distance-Only tt
New Haven. So.
"WOuld't it be just as we'll to &c
to Trenton l asked, in a signifi
cant tone, cycling him keenly.
He turned very pale, and in a
voice thatquivered perceptibly, said
"Great Heavens, Mr.. Whitmire
what do you means 2"
"l mean that you and your friend
must go to the station with me-"
With a look of despair on his
white face that l never shall forget,
he dropped his valise, and stagger-
ed a step or so to an awning post,
which he grasped for support.
At the same moment his compan.
ion turned to dart awaw but luck
lily two men, who had just stopped
OH the sidewalk to talk about some
thing, stood directly in his path,
and his movements being confused,
l reached him with one bound, and
seized him by the collar, warning
him not to attempt to resist me.
He was thoroughly cowed, while
Collins had too little strength left
him to attempt to escape.
In five minutes / marched them
into the station, together with the
valise, and had them locked up in
separate cells.
then told the captain the whole
story. He was disposed to think,
at first, that I had made blunder;
but on questioning the two prison
Ell md especially on examining the
VA. &, and finding large sum of
money in it, he concluded that had
caught the right men, and SO dis
tanced the regular detectives.
1t proved to be so, and the two
men duly convicted of murder, on
evidence that was beyond all dis
pute. Indeed, when Collins lost all
hope of escaping the gallows, he
was so broken down that he made
full confession. giving substantially
the following account of the crime:
The stories of Bradley's great
wealth had first put it into his head
to rob him. BY watching long
time from a back window he had
discovered the nature of the fasten.
ings by which the back door and
gate were secured. He was not bold
enough to undertake the task alone,
but he knew a certain bad charac-
ter named Kevern, to whom he con-
fided his scheme, describing the
fastenings Of Bradley's gate and
door and asking him if he could
force them.
Kevern said he could, and readi-
ly entered into the plot. They went
to work a little after dark, one
night, when they knew that Brad
ley had gone out, but the fastenings
of the rear door resisted much long
er than they had expected, and they
had fairly succeeded in entering
when Bradley came in at the front
door, locked it and lighted his can
die.
Determined not to be foiled now,
they rushed upon the old man and
struck him down with the tools they
had been using. This, it seems,
was between nine and ten o'clock.
They then ransacked the house,
finding considerable money, chiefly
in bank notes. The latter were in
a discolored condition, and in order
to make a compact bundle of them,
Collins hastily tore in two the fatal
newspaper, which he chanced to
have in his pocket, using one-half
to wrap his spoils in, and in his ner-
vous haste, leaving the other lying
upon the floor.
In order to examine their plunder
at leisure, they went to the hotel al
luded to, where one of them engag-
ed room to which he repaired, and
in which he was soon joined by the
other. Both were disguised, por.
tion of Collins being a false beard.
Collins felt 80 nervous over the