Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-03-20


just where the Wilderness road of tn,
Adirondack Highlands strikes the edge o
tie great Ciamplain Valley. in a little clear
in-. is lonely lug-house. On the 10th day
of July, l~52, muscular. gaunt woman
~t,ld al the door IF the house, overlooking
tie vast extent OF the valley From hel
standpoint, ten miles Of green forest swept
down to the lake. winding shore She saw
the indeuatiln made in the shore line by
'tie hay" ana beyond, the wide waters
cleaning in the fcr,id brightness Of summer.
Sperk~ were here and there diScernable in
the light, flashed back from the blue, mir
rlr-like surface, and by Ion. watching it
could he seen that these Srecks were moving
to and fro.
The woman knew that these distant moy-
in. atoms were boats frciehting lumber
through Lake Champlain. She knew that
there was but one boat that would he ikeiv
10 turn aside AMI come into the little hay,
AMI that this boat would be- her son John,
~,oop-
That was why she watched So anxiou-ly IA
-rerk that nearel the bay and at length en-
tered IT, To make douJly sure She brought
20 bear an old spy glaSs whose principal lens
Wis cracked entirely through Ii gave her
smoky view Of the famous sloop, The Dol
j Anu, John property, and then She was
entirely certain that her son, who had been
three weeks absent on his voyage. was com
ing home.
Jupiter, the house dog. who had been
watching her seemed 20 know 1t too, per
iecty well, for a. she turned from her sur
'ey through the glass, his canine nature de
1el"ped degree ol wrigging iriskine>s of
which the grave old dog seemed half
ashamed lie whinel and walked about
the door-yard for few moments, then gave
ms mistress a long, steady look, and seeming
satisfied with what he read in her face,
jumped over the fence and started down the
road into the valley, at a full run
The woman knew that three or four
Aours must yet elapSe before John and Jupi-
ter would come along the path together,
tired by their long tramp up the mountain
side. She thought and waited as lonely
mothers think and wait for absent sons
At about four o'clock, a young dark eyed
man and the dog came up the road and to
the house. "lleisho, mother, all well?"
was the mans only greeting. The woman's
greeting was only, 'HOw DO yOu DO, John?''
There was no show Of sentiment, not even
hanl-Shake: but bright look in the man
face, and a tremor in the voice OF the wo-
inan, conveyed the impression that these
PLAIN people felt 4 great deal more than
they expressed.
Two hours passed away, and after supper
the ueighh1rs who had seen John and the
dog come mp the road, dropped in to have a
talk with @the captain, aS John was called
by lis friends.
Soon the inquiry was made, where did !
you leave your cousin William
John had taken his cousin William, who
lived upon the nke->hore, with him upon
this last trip, and hence the question.
Bat John did not answer the question |
directly. He seemed troubled and unhappy |
about 10. lie finally acknowledged that he |
ana William had not agreed, and that high |
words and blows had passed between them,
and added that his cousin had finally left |
the boat and had gone away in a huff, he |
knew not where, hut somewhere into the |
pinerieS of Canada. lie declared, getting
warm in his recollection Of the quarrel, that |
he didn't care darn, where viii went.
any way.
month passed away; it was August.
Cousin VIII did not return But certain
trange storie, came up the lake from Cana
da, and reached the dwelers along the Adj
rondack wilderness road. No cousin vii |
liam had been seen in the pineries hut lust
across the Canada line, at the mouth of
Fish River, where the sloops were moored !
to receive their lading of lumber, bruised.
swollen, fostering corpse had risen and float
ed in the glare OF hot August dav The /
hoamen rescued it upon the shore They |
described IL a~ the body of hale, vigorous |
Young man, agreeing in the height, size |
and appcarnce with cousin William.
And there was another story told by the
captain Of >oop which had been moored /
at the mouth of Fish River, near by Johns |
~oop, on the fatal voyage from which cousin
William had not returned.
The captain said on the Eth of July he |
had heard quarrcling upon John's >loop all |
the afternoon, and had noticed that only |
two men were there At night fall there |
was little lull hut ~oon after dark, the |
noise broke ont again. lie could not see
through the gloom. hat 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. lie listened for an hour, in the
stiffness oi the summer night. but heard no
further sound from the boat In the early
gray of the next morning, the captain, look
ing across the intervening sTace Of Johns
>luop, which he described as hardly stones
throw from his own. SAW n hat living upon
the deck. and using his glass, was confident
that he saw " Spattcrs of blood lie
thought it none of his business, and taking
advantage Of light breeze, sailed away and
said nothing. But when the floating corpse
was found, he felt sure there had been
murder. and, a. he expressed it. felt bound
to tell his story ike an honest man, and 80
told it.
Putting these things together, it soon
grew to De the current opinion upon the
lake. that Captain John had murdered his
cousin William The dwellcrs upon the
Wilderness ruad also came 10y slow degrees,
and unwillingly, to the same conclusion.
1t was felt and said that John ought to he
arrested.
Accordingly. on a dreary day in Noyem-
Der, two officers, from the country town
twenty miles away down the lake shore,
came and climbed the steep road to the lone
" log-house, and arrested John Ii was
undoubtedly dreadful blow to those two
lonely people living isolated in the wilder
ness. Perhaps there ought 10 have been
some crying and scene, but there was no
such thing The officers testified that neith-
er John nor his mother made any fuss about
it. There was slight twitching of the
strong muscles of her face. as she talked
with the officer, but no other outward
sign.
John gave more evidence of the wound he
felt. lie was white and quiyering. yet he
silently, and without objection, made ready
to 20 with the officers. lie was soon pre-
pared, and they started. As he went out
of the door, he turned and said, ''Good-bye;
it will be made right, mother She simp-
ly answered, Yes, goodbye; | know it,
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 paw upon the top of the fence, gazed
Wistfully after them When they passed
around the bend of the road out Of sight,
Jupiter went into the house. The strong
woman was there about her work, as usual;
but the heavy tears would now and then
iali upon the hard pine floor. She knew
that her own boy would spend the coming
night in the county jail
AT twelve O'Clock of that chill November
hisht' the woman and the dog went out of
Tue house she fastened the door. and then
they went together down the dark mountain
road, while the autumn winds swept dis
mally through the great wilderness, and the
midnight voice Of the pines mourned the