The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-21

captured. He was terribly frightened
so much so as to be unable to articulate
for some time. Strapped to his saddle
heavily-filled wallet, identified as the
peddler's, was found.
Before the Coroner the prisoner, who
said his name was Henry Scott, told a
most astounding story. He said that
when he went to the outhouse the ped
dler had already gone to his bed, which
was a high, oldfashioned tent bed, with
curtains.
Scott took bed at the opposite end of
the room. This bed had curtains also,
as the room was large and draughty. He
placed his clothes on chair, and flung
his valise, or holsters, on bit of carpet
at the side of the bed. When he put out
the light, he observed that the moon was
shining full into the room. He lay awake
for some time, but at length fell into a
dose, from which he was startled by a
noise. He listened for some time, and
presently heard footsteps in the room.
The next moment the curtain of his bed
was gently drawn, and he saw face
ooking down upon him. He lay perfectly
still, though greatly alarmed The face
disappeared, and retreating footsteps
were heard. He arose on his elbow, and
peered through the curtains. He dis
tinctly saw two men at the further end
of the room, near the peddler's bed.
They passed round the foot of it, and
disappeared at the other side. The next
moment, he heard a scream and scuff1e,
and saw the legs of the peddler protrude
from the curtains. There was scuffle
and suppressed cry, and the next mo-
ment the peddler bounded from the bed
and ran, screaming "Murder!" toward
SCOTS bed, helding his valise at arms
length. Two men followed the fugitive,
and Scott, Mortified and terror stricken,
slipped from his bed on the far side, and
hid himself in closet. He heard groans
and blows, and the sound of retreating
footsteps; then all was still. The next
instant, however, the door opened, hasty
footsteps were heard along the floor, and
the curtains of Scott's bed were hastily
drawn. The visitant, whoever he was,
uttered an oath of disappointment, and
hurried from the room.
After waiting for some time Scott came
forth from the closet, and found the ped
dler lying on the ground, dead. Scott
was in a terrible dilemma, and saw at a
glance that he would be suspected of
having murdered the peddler. Panic
stricken, he hastily dressed himself,
picked up his valise from the floor, took
his horse from the stable, and departed
from the inn, resolving to seek safety in
fight. 1t was daylight when he reached
Coninbro', and then for the first time he
discovered that the vahse, which he had
taken from the floor was not his, but the
peddler's, which he had no doubt
dropped when the murderers fell upon
him, and in the place of which they
doubtless seized and carried off SCOTS,
which lay on the carpet close by.
This extraordinary story was not be-
Geved by the Coroner's jury in the face
of all the damning evidence against
Scott. 1t was shown that he had seen
the peddler produce his wallet from the
valise, in the blacksmith shop, that he
had offered to accompany the peddler to
Doncaster, and that he had taken up his
quarters at the same inn, and slept in the
same room with the murdered man.
Beside this, he was captured with the
valise In his possession, and what better
evidence of his guilt could there be-
Scott was sent to jail, and in due course
tried for wilful murder. Out of charity
a young lawyer undertook his defense.
The evidence for the prosecution was
clear and convincing, and Mr.. O'Brien-
afterward Sergeant 'Brien-the prison
er's counsel, saw no chanceof his clients
escape. The principal witnesses against
him were the blacksmith, John Steele,
his son Richard, the men who were in
the smithy when the peddler and Scott
first met, the landlord of the inn, who
swore that Scott urged the peddler to
take the out-room when he wanted to go
to another inn, and the officers whe found
Scott with the peddler's valise in his
possession.
The hammer with which the murder
had been committed was produced on
the trial and shown to the jury. One of
them remarked to the court that it was a
blacksmith's shoeing hammer. Mr..
O'Brien quietly asked to be allowed
to look at it, and he examined it closely.
Then he stood up and handed it to the
prisoner. Scott glanced his eye over it
III l1OluCAl, lllCh IL DtCh
to his counsel. The next instant he
clutched at it, drew it from Mr.. O'Briens
grasp and scrutinized it with the most
intense interest. Then he leaned on the
dock and spoke in hurried tone to his
counsel. The latter, with flushed face
and nasty movements, made his way to
the side of the prosecuting officer, and
conversed with him in low tone for
several minutes. The prosecuting officer
then spoke with the Judge, and after
few seconds, beckoned an officer and
whispered to him few words. Mr..
Steele, the blacksmith, was recalled to
the witness stand by Mr.. O'Brien, who
said:
"Mr. Steele, you are an old and ex-
perienced blacksmith, are you not2"
Eyes, SIR" Steele answered with a
perceptible tremor of voice.
=" Did you ever work at your trade in
Holderness2"
eyes, sir, when was a young man. +"
Anything peculiar in the manufac-
ture of horseshoe nails in that district,
Mr.. Steelel"
"I think there is, sir"
/" Pray tell us what that peculiarly is,
Mr.. Steele.