The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-07-28

After this he remembered walking up and
down the pavement for long while and
finally at what hour he knew not going
home to his boarding house.
So much for the young mans evidence,
given voluntarily after he had heard of
the murder, and with an air that gull
ty man could hardly have assumed
When asked why he persisted in giving
an account SO damaging to himself, he
said that he could not speak aught but
the truth, even if it brought him to the
gallows.
The old man had been missing early the
next morning, Blood-stains were found
all about the library, and peculiar smell
filed the room, though the servant found
the window wide open. The fire in the
grate had gone out, but there were traces
about it of burned clothing recognized
as that formerly worn by the deceased
Also a ring of his only partially melted,
was found in the ashes. Still more thor
ough search revealed the chared remnants
of human skeleton at the bottom of the
well short distance from the library win
dow.
In short, Michael Howe had evidently
been murdered, and a terrible chain of cir
cumstantial evidence connected Frederick
Ellis with the deed. 1t was not then a
day of long trials and evasions of the law.
The accused was tried at once, convicted
almost without plea in his own defense
for he could urge nothing but his previ-
GUS good character-and sentenced in one
months time.
Now comes my connection with the sto-
ry. / first saw the prisoner in court on
the day of his conviction, and / was
strangely drawn to him by his fearless
bearing under such fearful circumstances,
and the sorrowful yet unfinching manner
in which he received his sentence. When
asked if he had anything to say why he
should not die, he repeated:
"Only this, that am but one more of
the many victims of circumstantial evil
dence."
was young then and believed in human
nature. l said to myself as 1 left the
court room. "No one can convince me
that that man is a murderer"
That night got together all the print
ed accounts of the trial, and went careful
ly over every atom of the testimony. 1t
was all reliable, and seemed to absolutely
prove Ellis guilty. Yet l felt positively
certain that he was innocent. l could
have wagered my life that he was the soul
of truth and honor. Yet it was that his
own testimony was true, and that was the
most damaging of all. One sentence Of
the murdered man struck me as peculiar
"Mark my words, young man, shall see
you hanged p Strange prophecy! Gould
the old man have had some presentiment
that Frederick Ellis would so soon be
sentenced to the gallows?
But he had said, too, 81 shall see it with
these eyes" And Michael Howe was 6
man of his word after all. Did he mean hC
would look down with his evil eyes ant
/ view the transaction from the other world
, A new thought struck me. Might there
not be some hidden meaning in his words
, Half-true they were certain likely to be-
| Might they not prove wholly? Was i
positively certain that murder had beer
: committed? Was Mr.. Howe beyond al
doubt passed from the land of the living
I did not believe it
l The next day called upon Miss Howe
l She was in deep black and quite broker
down with grief, l explained, as well as
could my suspicious and theory as to tn
murder, and she blessed me for the hope
t brought her. She was rich but her love
a must be saved if it took all. No expens
Q must be spared all was in my hands.
q left her with firm determination t
t prove Frederick Ellis innocent in spite o
= fate. 1t was Of no use to fight the evi
a dence. went through it all once more
! examined the premises, the ring, the char
: red bones, but these told no story.
@ there had been murder, Frederick Eli
was the guilty man. If he was innocent
!. Mr.. Howe was alive. l must find him
t would save the prisoner and must fin
d him within month.
{ But howP l had no clue whatever b
0 his whereabouts. II he had gone away
d he had left no traces. spared no expens'
s on all the railroads, to every part of til
: United States even dispatched mel
s senger to Liverpool, though for reasons @
l my own did not believe that Micha'
t Howe had left the country. advertise
q for information concerning man of h
d description. worked night and day m!
Is self. Alas all Of no avail. Day trod upo