Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-06-23
to his bed. which was a hieh, ola.

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site end of the room. This bed
had curtains also, as the room was
large and draughty. He placed
his clothes on a chair, and flung
his valise, or holsters, on a bit OF
carpet that lay at, the side OF
the bed. When he put ont the
light, he observed that the moon
was shining full into his room. He
lay awake for some time, but at
length fell into dose, from which
he was startled by noise. He
listened for some time, and present.
~ heard footsteps in the room. The
next moment the curtain of his
bed was gently drawn, and he saw
face looking 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 distinct
" saw two men at the further end
of the room, near the peddler's
bed. They passed around at the
foot of it, and disappeared at the
other side. The next moment he
heard a scream and scuffle, and
saw the legs of the peddlerprotrude
from the curtains. There was a
scufie and suppressed cry, and the
next moment the peddler bounded
from the bed and ran screaming
"Murdcr!' toward SCOTS bed,
holding his valise at arms length.
Two men followed the fugitive, ana
Scott, Mortified and terror stricken,
slipped from his bed on the far side
and hid himself in a closet. He
heard groans and blows, and the
sound of retreating footsteps; then
all was still. The next instant, the
door opened, hasty footsteps were
heard along the floor, and the cur
tains of SCOTS bed were hastily
drawn. The visitant, whoever he
was, uttered an oath of disapoint-
ment, and hurried from the room.
After waiting for some time, Scott
came forth from the closet, and
found the peddler laying on the
ground, dead. Scott was in a ter
rible dilemma, and saw at glance
that he would be suspected of hav-
ing murdered the peddler. Panic
stricken, he hastily dressed him
self, picked up his valise from the
floor, took his horse from the stable
and departed from the inn, resolved
to seek safety in flight. 1t was day
light when he reached CoDinbro',
and then for the first time he dis
covered that the valise which be
had taken from the floor was not
his, but the pediler's which be bad
no doubt dropped when the muir
derers fell upon bin, and in the
place of which they doubtless seiz-
ed and carried off SCOTS, which
lay on the carpet close by.
This extraordinary story was not
believed by the coroner's jury in
the face of all the damning evil
dence against Scott. 1t was shown
that he had seen the peddler pro-
duce his wallet from the valise,
in the blacksmith shop, that he had
offered to accompany the peddler
to Doncaster, and that he had talk
en- up his quarters at the same inn,
and slept in the same room with
the murdered man. Besides 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 young lawyer I'M
dertook his defense. The evidence
for the prosecution was clear and
convincing, and Mr.. O'Brien-af-
forwards Sergeant 0'Brien-the
prisoners counsel, sa no chance
for his clients escape. The princi-
pal witnesses against bin were the
blacksmith, John Steele, and his
son Richard, the men who were in
the smithy when the pedd er 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 who found
Scott with the peddler's valise in
his possession.
The hammer with which the
murder had been committed was
produced on the trial an shown