Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-06-14
The Fatal Nail.

ul l'khiii near liuucaoff, England. sew
eral persons were in the smithy at the time,
beside the blacksmith aud his son Richard.
The pedder asked Steele to shoe his horse as
quickly as he could. as he wished to reach
Doncaster early, and get bed at his old
place for next day being Statues" or fair,
a number Of visitors would be looking for
accommodation
While the smithy was attending to the
peddlers horse, another stranger arrived,
also on horseback, and likewise desiring the
smiths service, as his horse had cast a shoe
The two strangers and the loungers got
into conversation, aud the peddler finally
opened mahogany case which was sus-
pended 10y strap from his shoulder, and
exhibited his wares, which consisted of rings,
gold aud silver chains, watches, and so forth.
On the last comer's hearing that the peddler
was going to Doncaster, he offered to accom-
pany him, as he was going in the same direc-
ton adding that as he was a stranger the
pcddlcr might take him TO some house where
he could get accommodation. The peddler
replied that he was going to " The Trav-
eler's Rest, on the outskirts of Doncaster,
as it was a good house, and he knew the
landlord
When the smith removed the shoe from
the horse of the last conner, he examined it
closely, remarking that it had been male in
lloldemess, pointing out the fact that the
nail was peculiarly made, having a half split
in the head, and saying that was Holder
ness fancy.
"I'll keep this nail, the smith said, and
he drove it as a wedge into the handle Of a
small hammer, whore it passed through the
head
The peddler sent for hagon of ale, and
they stood drinking and talking for some
time. When the blacksmith jokcd the ped
der about being in such hurry when he
first came in, he laughed and said
"Oh, that is all right I've made up my
mind to sleep in the big outhouse, where
have slept before; its comfortable, and you
take nybody you like in there, you know"
the pedder added, with a wink.
When the two men were ready to depart,
the peddler took large wallet from the val
ise on his saddle bow and paid the smith
The peddler seemed to make rather osten-
tatious exhibition of his wallet, which was
crammed with bank notes and gold.
The two men rode of together, and the
smith cleared his place aud closed it for the
night.
In due time the peddler and his new friend
reached the Travellers Rest, and told the
landlord they would sleep in the outbuilding
in the rear, in which there were several beds.
| The landlord said there was good accommo-
dation there, and promised to make them
comfortable, The pedder retired first, and
the stranger remained behind to have sup
per and liuger over his ale. At eleven
O'Clock he went to the outbuilding, and five
minutes later the landlord observed the light
put out.
NaNf fttnrttitrr nathan tho Ill
friend appeared, and the landlord went to the
outbuilding TO arouse them. He found the
door open, and on entering the room discov.
cred the peddler in his shirt, lying on the
floor at the far end, in pool of blood. Ills
head was battered in, and near him was
lying a hammer with blood and hair on the
head lie was dead and cold.
When the alarm was given it was found
| that the horse belonging to the man who
had accompanied the peddler TO the inn and
occupied the same room with him, was miss
ing, and suspicion at once fell on him as the
murderer. The authorities were notified,
and officers were in pursuit of the supposed
assassin before the day was an hour older.
! They tracked him to Coninhro', but lost
trace of him just outside of that town, on
the road to Sheffield. The keen eyes of the
officers, however, caught sight of horse
among the brambles in u valley to the left of
the road, and there the man was captured.
lie was terribly frightened-so much so as
TO be unable TO articulate for some time.
Strapped to his saddle bow was a valise, aud
on opening it heavily filled wallet, identi-
fled as the pedder's was found.
Before the coroner the prisoner who said
his uame was Henry Scott told a most as
founding story. lie said that when he went
to the outhouse the peddler had already gone
to his bed, which was high, old-fashioned
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. lIe placed his clothes on chair
and flung his valise, or holsters, on bit OF
carpet by the side of the bed When he put
out the light he observed that the moon was
shining full into the room. lie lay awake
for some time, and presently heard footstep,
in the room The next moment the curtain
of his bed was gently drawn, and he saw q
face looking down upon him. lie lay quit,
still, though greatly alarmed. The face dis
appeared, and retreating steps were heard
lie arose on his elbow and peered through
the cmtan. lie distinctly saw two men Al
the farther end Of the room, near the ped
dler's bed. They passed around the foot o
it and disappeared at the other side. Tha
moment he heard scream and scute, ans
saw the legs Of the peddler protrude from
the curtains. There was a scuitle and sup
pressed cry, and the next moment the ped
dler bounded from the bed and ran, scream
ing murder" towards Scott's bed, holding
his yalise at arms length. Two men fol
lowed the fugitive, and Scott, Mortified ant
fear-stricken, slipped from his bed on tn,
other side and hid himself in closet. II,
heard the groans aud blows, aud the sounC
of retreatiug footsteps then all was still
The next instant, however, the door opened
other footsteps were heard along the floor
and the curtains of SCOTS bed hastily
drawn. The yisitant, whoever he was, ut
tered an oath of disappointment and iie'
from the room.
After waiting some time, Scott came iortl
from the closet, and found the peddler lyinl
on the ground, dead. Scott was in a terrible
dilemma, and saw at a glance that he woul'
be suspected of having murdered the ped
dler. Panic-strieken, he hastily dresse,
himself, picked up his yalise from the floor
took his horse from the stable, and departe,
from the inn, resolving TO seek safety il
I flight II was daylight when he reached
Coninbro' and then for the first time he dis
covered that the valise lac had taken frou
the floor was not his, but the peddler's
Z which he had no doubt dropped when tn
murderers fell upon him, and in place o
, which they doubtless seized and carried OF
Scotts, which lay on the carpet close by,
This extraordinary story was not be
leved by the coroner's jury in the face o
all the damning evidence against Scott. |
was shown that he had seen the pcddler pro
duce his wallet from tho yalise in the black
smiths shop that he offered to accompan,
the peddler TO Doncaster, aud that he haC
taken up his quarters at the same inn, ant
slept in the same room with the murdered
man Besides this, he was captured with
the yalise in his possession, and what better
evidence of his guilt could there be
Scott was sent 10 jail, and In due time
was tried for willful murder. Quito charity
a young lawyer undertook his defence The
evidence for tbs prosecution was clear and
convincing and Mr. O'Brien, the prisoners
counsel saw no chance for his clients rs
cape The principal witnesses against him
were the blacksmith, John Steele, his son
Richard, the men that were in the smithy
when the peddler and Scott first met, the