The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-02-10

eningly towards his wife on the night
we have mentioned.
Doctor Martin, the chief physician of
Gurnham, testified that on the might of
Thursday, the 18th day of June the
day on which Halliday paid his visit to
Gentry's house), he was returning ut q
late hour from visiting patient in the
country, when, on the road near Tyler's
Track, he saw a woman walking rapidly,
carpet-bag in her hand, and that she
stopped and inquired of him whether
she could reach Lands tavern, two miles
from town, in time for the stage-coach
to Northbeach. He replied in the
affirmative, and passed on, when, ut n
turn of the road little further on, he
came suddenly upon man, in whom, the
moon being clear, he recognized Captain
Ezra Gentry. The latter was also walk
ing fast, following the woman, and, as
he passed, he looked down, as if un-
willing to be recognized.
Doctor Martin could swear to the
mans having been Ezra Gentry. About
the woman he could not be certain, not
seeing her face distinctly; vet her figure,
step and voice, as described by him, cor
responded with those of Gentry's wife.
|. On the strength of all this testimony,
the opinion of the townspeople was
quickly formed. Harriet Gentry had
been murdered by her husband, Ezra
Gentry; and upon this conclusion war
rant was issued, and two officers dis
patched to Northbeach in time to arrest
the suspected murderer, Just as he was
about getting his vessel under weigh.
Captain Gentry turned pale when the
officer laid his hand upon his shoulder,
and informed him that he was arrested
on the charge of having murdered his
wife.
Harriet amt dead 2" he gasped, in
distinctly.
"She is dead" said the officer. "She
was found dead and buried, in the marsh
on Tyler's Track, with rope around
her neck"
Gracious heavens |" gasped Ezra,
sinking nervelessly into chair; it was
about there I parted from her. Who
could have done it2 Poor Harriet p
and n moisture rushed to his eye.
"You are suspected" said the officer;
and proceeded to mention to. him the
suspicious circumstances of the case as
regarded himself.
The captain listened in silence, thick
perspiration breaking out upon his fore
head, which he mechanically wiped away
with cotton handkerchief
When the man had concluded, he re-
marked quietly: CT see. 1t does look
against me, no doubt; but as I live, I'm an
innocent man, and know no more about
this affair than you do. All that Halli-
day says he saw between me and Harriet
is true; but I merely tied her with the
clothesline to the bed-post, to show I
was the strongest, and when she COM
menced again abusing me and my
mother, I tied n handkerchief over her
mouth. But felt that was acting like
brute to treat woman in that way; so
I soon unloosed her, when she directly
commenced packing up her traps, in a
towering rage-as, p'raps, poor woman,
she'd cause to be-declaring she'd go
back to her Uncle Meals, and never see
me again. Well, I hardly believed she was
in earnest, knowing that, generally, her
bark was worse than her bite; 80 1 sat
smoking, and let her start off with her
carpet-bag; but when she had been gone
about fifteen minutes, I started in her
wake, and overhauled her in Tyler's
Track, just after passed the doctor on
the road. I did feel ashamed to look
the doctor in the face; for I fancied he'd
met Harriet, and that she'd naturally ex-
planned how she came to be out all alone
at that time of night. When I came
alongside of her spoke as mildly rs
could; said 1 was sorry I'd treated her
80, and asked her to go back with me,
when we'd both try to behave better.
But she wouldn't answer me-wouldnt t
listen to me; and SO I was forced to re-
turn alone. I felt so badly about it, and
so ashamed of myself, that L left Gurn-
ham the next day without seeing any
one."
This was the explanation given the
officer by Captain Gentry; and this was
also, nearly word for word, his testimony
In court, when brought up for trial.
1t was two days previous to that ap-
pointed for the final hearing of the case,
when a new horror arose in the town of
Gurnham. The house of Ezra Gentry
was haunted-haunted by the ghost of
the murdered woman!
There could be no doubt of the fact
James Halliday, standing in the dusk at
the door of his house, had seen pale,
uncertain shadow of a woman pass from
the house to the we'll and back again.
She had her throat wrapped around with
white band or cloth; and though he
was too distant to see her face, yet the
figure and walk were those of Harriet
Gentry.
Such were the rumors afioat in Gurn-
ham; and so respectable were the charac-
ters of the witnesses, that even the least
n