The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-22
THE MURDERERS DOUBLE.

On the Odd of May, 1882, Mary Rand,
the keeper of huckster shop in
the village of Houghton, in the
county of Durham, England, arose early,
as she was going TO make some purchases
in a neighboring town. 1t was just day
break as she opened the curtains of her
bedroom and looked forth. Immediately
in the rear of her house was the open
country, and in the field adjoining her
premises she observed a man digging
As this was no unusual sight, she paid
no particular attention to it, but dressed
and went about getting her breakfast.
As she was engaged at the fire, shadow
crossed the window and she looked up.
At the same moment tall, strongly-built
man presented himself at the doorway.
Mrs. Rand started and gave a shout, the
man stepped into the room, and seizing
knife which lay on the table, he said !:
Course you, be still or I'll make
hole in you ~
The woman dropped into chair and
smothered her alarm.
Where's your husband 2" the man
asked.
MY husband has been dead five
years, was the answer.
"Who is there in the house with you?"
the man inquired.
only my two boys, twelve and four
teen, and they're upstairs, fast asleep"
the woman answered.
''That's lucky for YOU" said the man !;
"come, hustle and get me some break
fast.
The woman with much fear and trem-
bling complied, and the man ate a hearty
meal, and drank a quart of home brewed
ale. When he was through he said:
" You get up early, mistress. But for
the light in your window L should have
missed a good breakfast. / happened to
be near by, so l jumped the fence and
called in to see you.
The woman then for the first time
identified her visitor as the man whom
she had seen digging i'll the field behind
the house.
After pause the man asked, shave
you got any of your husbands clothes 2"
Yes, / have" was the reply, "and
won't part with them.
"Would they fit me 2" the man asked.
My husband was just your size, I"
Mrs Rand said.
the knife from the table and toying with
it; want you to lend me a good suit of
your husbands clothes, and I'll return
1T tonight. Don't say no." he added,
:" for then I'll have to make YOU.
The woman, III great trepidation and
fear, said she would have to go up stairs
for the clothes, whereupon the man said
he would accompany her. The clothes
were procured, and the man insisted on
the woman's remaining in the room
while he removed his old worn garments
and put on a suit of the dead Mr.. Rand.
"Now," said he, IF any one asks
who / am, you must say / am your hus-
bands brother, just returned from sea-. :"
The woman then explained that she
was going to town, whereupon the man
said
That's tirst-rate, and I'll go with
you"
The poor woman was greatly taken
aback, but burst not decline, and having
aroused her two boys, sac left the small
shop III their charge and started for
town, accompanied by the man. When
they reached the suburbs of the town
the MIN suddenly disappeared, and
that was all the woman saw of him.
When Mrs. Rand returned home the
same afternoon, the village was i'll fear
full state of CONSERVATION. AT eight
O'Clock that morning, Mr.. Greene, who
resided at Houghton Hall and owned
property adjacent worth fifty thousand
dollars year, had been found in his
bedroom murdered. The hall stood
only about one hundred yards from O
cd, n the,x .;11
consisting Of three thoroughfares in the
form of an arrow head. Mr.. Greene
was a widower and childless he was
over fifty years of age, and was much
respected TOR his simplicity of manners
and generosity.
Investigation showed that wall
over thirteen feet high, which shut off
the garden from the quay, had been
scaled, and the perpetrator of the crime
had entered the house by climbing
iaburnum tree whose branches extended
almost to the window of Mr.. Greene's
bedroom on the second floor. He en-
tered, it was thought early in the even
ing, and concealed himself in the gar
den, and later on scrambled up to the
second story window. Mr.. Greene was
found lying on the floor close by desk,
at which he had evidently been sitting
when assaulted in the rear. A towel had
been flung over his head and then his as
sassin had strangled him, as was evident
from the marks on the dead mans throat.
His desk had been rifled, but it was not
known that any money, or anything of
value had been taken, as nobody was
cognizant OF Mr.. Greene's private affairs.
When Mrs. Rand heard the story os the
crime, her mysterious guest of the
morning arose to her mind, and she