Litchfield enquirer., 1875-02-25

ed uns and tlleFa saW -headless skeleton. It was the body of Stolzen, as his memo randum book and other articles showed. His pistol was in his pocket, and still loaded; that fact precluded the idea of ! suicide. Moreover, upon examining more closely, bullet-hole was found in hls breast bone, around which the parts were broken OattlCGrdIy, showing that the ball must have entered from behind. It was clear that Stolzen had been murder ed.
 The curse of Frau Proch had been most terribly fulfilled.
 Circumstances soon pointed to Carl Proeh as the perpetrat0r. A stranger I corresponding to the deceased in size and dress, had been seen, about the time of his disappearance, by the neighboring family, walking towards Proch's house; and on the evening of the same day an Irishman met Carl going at rapid rate, with gun on his shoulder, as though in furious pursuit of some one A warrant for his arrest was issued, and he was lodg- ed In jail to await his trial If now the Hebrew had followed the lee talionis. af- ter the manner ofhis racein ancient times, l it might have fared badly with poor Carl. But as soon as the broker was satisfied be- yond peradventure that the depositor was actually dead, he hastened back to New York, joyful as crow over a newly found carcass, to administer upon the es- tate, leaving the law to take its own course with regard to the murderer.
 Beyond the two facts just mentioned as duplicating Carl, nothing was proved at the trial. Jameson, the lawyer, whom mentioned at the beginning of this story was engaged for the defence. He found Carl singularly uncommunicative; and though the government failed to zAaLe a shadow of 8 case against his client, he was yet puzzled in his own mind by Carls silence, and his real and assumed indiffer- ence. Katrine was in court with her child in her arms, watching the proceed ings with the closest attention; though she, as we'll as Carl, was unable to under stand any but the most familiar and col- loquial English. The case was speedily decided. the few facts presented to the jury appeared to have no necessary con- nection, and there was no known motive for the deed. The jury unanimously ac- quilted Carl, and with his wife and boy he left the courtroom. The verdict was approved by the spectators, for no man m the neighborhood was more universal ly loved and respected than Carl Proch
 Having paid Jameson his fee for his his services, Carl was about to depart, when the lawyers curiosity could be re- strained no longer, and he called his client back to the private -oom of his office.
 ''Carl," said he, ''you look like good fellow, above anything mean or wicked; but yet don't know what to make of you. Now you are entirely through with this scrape; you are acquitted; and l want to know what IS the meaning of it all. I will keep it secret from all your neighbors. Did you kill Stolzen, or not? 9
 'WelI, if I did," he answered, ':can they do anything with me?"
 "No," said Jameson.
 'sNot if I acknowledge?'
 ''No, you have been acquitted by iu- ry; by our law a man can never be tried twice for the same offence. You are safe, even If you should go into court and con- fess the deed." zas-ls9 -egs ...z would again! 's-a7'- For the moment, fierce light gleamed upon the calm and kindly face. Then, feeling that his answer would give false view of the case, without the previous his- tory of the parties, Carl sat down and in his broken English told to his lawyer the story have here attempted to record. It. was impossible to doubt word of it; for the simplicity and pathos of the narrative were above all art. Here was a simple case, which the boldest inventor of schemes to punish villainy would have beentafraid to use. Its truth is the thing that most startles the mind accustomed to deal with fctions
 We leave Carl to return to h1s farm with his wife for whom he had suffered so much, and with the hope that no furthur tenn pta- tion may come along in such guise as almost to make murder virtue.