The daily gazette., 1874-10-03

Ellis Lad cooked his revolver again,
| when suddenly a better impulse seized
| him, and lie laid it on the table. "FOr
| Gods sake, Mr.. Howe" he said, take
| this yourself or shall he a murderer,
| and then hurried out, still fearing for
his sclf-coutrol. After this he rcmem
bcrcd nothing for long while, and ii
nally, at what hour he knew not, went
home to his boarding house.
So much for the young mans cvi-
dencc given voluntarily after he had
heard of the murder, and with an air
that guilty mau could hardly have
| assumed. When asked why he persis-
ted in giving an account SO damaging
to himself, he said that he could not
speak aught else but the truth, even if
it brought him to the gallows.
The old man had been missed early
| the next morning. Blood-stains were
found all about the library, and pc
culiar smell filled the room, though the
servant found the window wide open
The fire in the CRATE had gone out but
there were traces about it of burned
clothing, recognized rs that formerly
worn by deceased. Also ring of his
partially, melted, was found in the
| ashes. Still more through search re-
| vealcd the dharred remains ofa human
| skeleton at the bottom of the well a
| short distance from the library win
dow.
In short Michael Howe had evident
| ly been murdered, and "A terrible chain
| of circumstantial evidence connected
Frederick Fills with the deed. 1t was
| not then day of long trials and cXas-
ions of the law. The accused was tried
at once, convicted almost without II
plea in his own defence-for he could
urge nothing but his previous good
| character and sentenced in one month
| time.
Now comes my connection with the
story. first saw the prisoner in court
on the day Of his conviction, and | was
strangely drawn to him by his fearless
bearing under such trying circumstan-
ces, and the sorrowful yet untlinching
manner in which he received his sen
ltence. When asked if he had anything
to say why he should not die, he repea-
tied:
| "Only this that am but one moro of
the many victims Of circumstantial cvi-
dence."
was young then, and believe in hu-
man nature said to myself as | left
the court room, No one can convince
me that that man is a murderer.
Il That night got together all the print
ed accounts of the trial, and went care
fully over every atom of the testimony.
1t was all reliable and seemed to abso-
lutely prove Ellis guilty. Yet felt pos
itively certain that he was innocent.
could have wagered my life that he was
the soul of truth and honor. Yet it Wa,
, / Al. 1. trtt4 M.
that WAS the most damaging of all. Ont
sentence of the murdered man struck
me IA peculiar; mark my 'conts young
, nda, | shall see you hanged Strange
prophecy! Gould the old man have had
some presentiment that Frederick Ellis
; would So soon be sentenced to the gal
! lows?
But he had said, too. II shall Sc It ,rtth
, these eyes, And Michael Howe was a
. man OF his word after all. Did he mean
he would look down with his evil eyes
and view the transaction from the othei
, lworld? A new thought struck nv.
Might there not bc some hidden mean
ing in his w,rls, llalt true they wrr,
certain likely to b.. Might they not
. provs wholly Was it positively certain
that u murder had been committed. Wa.
{ MIR. Howe beyond all doubt passed from
e the land of tile living? idid not btt,trr Il
1 She was in deep black and quite broker
e down with gIicf. explained, rs we'll IL
i | could, my spSpiciuns and theory a5 I,
: the murder. and she hlcssel mu tor thu
=, hope brought her. She was rich hu
= her lover must be- saved 1t IT took all
; No expense must he spared; all was il
T my hands. | left her with n firm deter
ii mination to prove Frederick Ellis inno
y cent. in spite of fate. 1t was no use T.
I. -. L.. L. nj ltrh 4
E ali once more, examined the premises
1.-THE ring, the charrrd bones. but thrs
, told no story II there had been II mur
. der, Frederick Ellis WAS the guilty man
; Ii he wa. innocent. Mr.. Howe WAS alive
;, | must find him If | wnuld save The pris
Il on.r; and | must lind him within
IL month.
Il But how Ihad no c,e~ whatever 10 h
IL whereabouts. Ii he had gone away, he la
d left no trace. 4 spared no expense, on "A
y the railroads, 10 every part of the lutte
- States. 1 eveli dispatched messcnger
=, Liverpool, though Tor reasons Of my own
- did net celieve that Michael Howe had lie
Is the country. 4 advertised for informatio
q concernin Il nan OF his description.
IS worked night and day myself. Alas all {
Il no avail. Day lrod upon The heel oi dal
the second week followed The first. the thir
followed the second, and now 1t was the FIR,
OF MsfSu, anu i'his W ~ hanS = ~ shN 'hh
I' MIS- Howe was not despondent, thougl
II But 1. though had now given up all hop,
ii of finding any man in his place OF hidinl
'c still ,uduleed in one forlorn hope, which
d / had comm unicated to no one. He had said
H. ~ ,cH see you hanged riM my oion eyes
y and Michaei Howe was notoriously a ma
M of his word. His sole passion was reveng
s. and thus far his scheme had been perfec
m was mistaken in The man, OF he would
y presept to taste the sweets OF that reveu:
Is 10 the last liz would be in town on Il
III third of March, aud l should meet him
to The eallows. The more thought of it 4
ot more sangulne became.
ut At nine o'clpck on the morning of
ly second, almost twenty four hours before q
M time appointed for the execution, Ieceiv
nv a telegram which very much raised L
homes. 1t was dated ut b, and vas frc
Snow, the most skillful detective IN my e.
ploy 1t read simply thus:
IA AL think have nv man. lie Is movi
%. yonr way. Watch every train Fl ON here.
10; Ito ok out no warrant, told no man OF {
l plans, hut was present at the arrival
tn every train, and narrowly observed eve
,rs passenger. No reward crowned my etior