Litchfield enquirer., 1876-09-21

scarcely separate us. The next thing knew Arthur had laid me on a sofa in a sbright, warm room, and that we were safe-Arthur. baby, and Land together. But the servants. Iconyeyed to Arthur, as cohereRtly as I could, the events of the afternoon, and my conviction that nothing short of murder had been com- mitted. In less than five minutes he was off, with some of the others. to the cot tage, where the awful scene presented it. self to their view as they entered.
 In the passage from the kitchen to the entrance hall lay the dead body of our unfortunate cook. A blow from some heavy weapon had actually smashed in the back of the head, and life was quite extinct; our other servant was found in an insensible state, but after some time recovered sufficiently to be able to give the particulars of the attack, and de- seription of their assailant. who proved to be none other than the monster who had glared in upon mo that very after noon.
 It seemed that after had seen every thing was secure the servants had gone out to the coal-house, and during their temporary absence from the kitchen door the rufian had slipped in, secreted himself in a cupboard in the passage, and thus been actually locked into the house with ourselves! Imagining, it was supposed, that Arthur would not return, and knowing that we had good deal of plate in the house, he had arranged to begin operations after all was quiet, and the first scream that had heard had been elicited from the unfortunate ser- wants, at whose bedside he had suddenly made his appearance.
 The miscreant had struck down the cook while she attempted to escape, which, happily for herself, the other servant was too paralyzed to do. The scream had heard as I left the house must have. been the last dying one of the poor cook, whom the murderer had pursued and overtaken before she could gain my door, which was, no doubt, the point to which she was flying for succor. Not moment too soon had gone. An accomplice had been admitted by the front door, which was found wide open, my bedroom door shattered, but nothing touched, my flight having doubtless scared them. The tracks of their pursu- ing footsteps were discerned easily when the blessed morning light of Christmas day shown. They had evidently gone in pursuit of me, but probably my safe- ty was due greatly to the whiteness of my garments, which must have rendered my flying figure almost invisible against the snowy ground.
 The police were soon in quest, and ere many hours elap psed the retreat of the assassins were discovered. A desperate struggle ensued, and recognizing in one man an escaped and notorious convict, and in the conflict, feeling his own life was in danger, the constable fired on him, and the miserable corpse was conveyed to the police station. where our servant identified it as the murderer of the cook and the assailant of herself. The wretched man had, with his companion and accom- plice, escaped only two days before from prison, to which the latter was safely escorted back by couple of policemen. The funeral of our poor servant took place few days afterward, and the Bungalow was finally deserted by us. The other servant recovered completely, and the policeman, who had been wound ed by the convict rather severely, was reported convalescent before our depar- ture.
 1never saw the Bungalow again, and very joyfully didI enter the steamer which conveyed us to dear old Eng land.