The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-05-12

the finding and positive Identification of
the body of the slain person essential to the
conviction of the murderer and as the
same remarkable case had peculiar moral
and social significance for the young lovers
of all times who, in their passionate de-
votion to each other, are altogether too apt
to disregard the fortunes of everybody else
in the world, it may be recalled appropri-
ately for modern reading.
Upon the death of Mr.. George Perkins,
widowerof considerable property in Lon
don, it was found that his will appointed
brother of his, living near Epping Forest
the sole guardian of his only daughter, and
directed that said guardian should inherit
the whole fortune devised in case his
young ward should die either unmarried or
without children. Implicit confidence in
his brother, who was a middle-aged bache-
lor of limited means, had, of course, in
spired the dying man to make such will
but number Of family relatives pronoun-
ced the document an extraordinary piece
of servile fatuity, and darllly limited that
harm would ensue from it. This feeling
caused an alienation between the occupants
of the Epping Forest residence and the
aforesaid prophets, and made the latter the
bitterest prosecutors of the dead mans
brother in the strange and tragic succeed
ing events, which have been described rs
follows
Uncle and niece were both seen one day
walking together in the forest, but the
young lady suddenly disappeared, and the
uncle declared that he had sought her as
soon as he missed her, and knew not whith-
er she had gone or what had become of her.
This account was considered improbable,
and appearances being clearly suspicious,
he was arrested and taken before a magis-
trate. Other circumstances, hourly coming
to light, rendered his position serious. A
young gentleman in the neighborhood had
been paying his addresses to Miss Perkins
1t was stated, and generally believed, that
he had gone, few days before she was
missed, on a journey to the North, and
that she had declared that she would marry
him on his return. The uncle had repeat
edly expressed his disapprobation of the
match, and Miss Perkins had loudly re-
preached him with his unlindness and
abuse of his authority over her as his ward.
A woman named Margaret Oaks was pro-
duced, who swore that at about eleven
o'clock ON the day on which Miss Perkins
was missed she was passing through the
forest and heard the voice of young lady
earnestly expostulating with gentleman.
On drawing nearer the spot whence the
sound came, Margaret Oaks testified that
she heard the lady exclaim "Don't kill
me, uncle, don't kill me p' The woman
was greatly terrified, and ran away from
the spot. AS she was doing SO she heard
the report of firearms. On this combina-
ton of circumstantial and positive evidence
coupled with the suspicion of interest, the
uncle was tried, convicted of murder, and
almost Immediately Notwithstanding
to the customs of those days-was hanged.
About ten days after the execution of the
sentence upon the uncle, the niece reap
peared, and, stranger still, showed by the
history she related, that all the testimony
given on the trial was strictly true. Miss
Perkins said that, having resolved to elope
with her lover, they had given out that he
had gone on a journey to the North, where
as he had merely waited near the skirts OF
the forest until the time appointed for the
elopement, which was the very day OF
which she had disappeared. Her lover haC
horses ready saddled for them both, anC
: two servants in attendance on horseback
While walking with her uncle, he reproach
ed her with her resolution to marry mar
Of whom he disapproved, and after somt
Temonstrances, she passionately exclaim
ed:
! 81 have set my heart upon him. If
don't marry him it will be death to me
and don't kill me, uncle, don't kill me p
just as she proclaimed those words sh'
heard gun fired, at which she started, anC
she afterwards saw a man come from
among the trees with wood-pigeon in hi
, hand, which he had shot. On approaching
, the spot appointed for meeting with he
lover, she formed pretence to induce he
uncle to go on before her. She then fed Il
! the arms of her lover, who had been wait
: ing for her, and they both mounted thei
horses and Immediately rode off. Instead
, however, of going to the North, they re
a tired to Windsor, and about week after
a wards went on tour Of pleasure to France
!. There they passed some months so happil,
- ~
r scarce, when there was no very regula