The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-02-11

full he returned with his hat full of bricks
to Steubcnville, where he had frequently
been punished by the squire for intOxi-
cation, with ine and Imprisonment. Still,
everybody liked him because he had an
excellent, unselfish heart, and never forgot
a favor done him.
"What sort of hat did Capon wear last
night ," asked the sheriff.
"Why, no hat, but fur cap-made of
| beaver skin-with two ear-c covers"
"Was this the cap?' said the sheriff,
producing the fur cap which he had found
near the corpse of the murdered man, and
which he had thus far been holding under
his cloak.
"Yes,'' exclaimed the landlord, ''that is
Capon's cap, and no mistake. Where did
you find it ?''
The sheriff told him. Everybody seemed
horror struck at the idea that poor Jack
Capon should have committed SO atrocious
a crime.
Men were Immediately dispatched to
hunt up Jack Capon. They did not find
him at his wonted haunts in SteubenvilIe
but man who was well acquainted with
his habits said if he could be found any
where it would be at the cabin of old Sim
Brooks.
Brooks lived in the woods on the Pitts
| burg side of Steubenvlle, about one mile
from the spot where the corpse of Mr.. Sam
mis- had been found. Like Jack Capon,
old Brooks was fond of whis|ey. and the
two would frequently drink together until
they were utterly oblivious of the cares and
sorrows of this world, which, as they
thought, had not treated either Of them too
well.
So to Brooks cabin went The men. They
knocked at the front door, which was lock-
ed. For several minutes there was no re-
sponse. At last old Brooks himself opened
the door. They saw at a gi;;Hce that he
was in an alarming state of INVESTIGATION.
els Jack Capon here p they asked.
eye -ye-yes," hic]Supped Brooks she is
lying asleep yonder, behind the stove"
Then the drunken cid fellow went back
to his lounge, and minute later he was
sound asleep again. The men stepped up
to Capon. He was drank also. His coat
and shirt were covered with blood. They
exchanged significant glances, and aroused
him not without considerable difficulty.
"What do you want?" he asked, yawn-
ing.
''The sheriff wants you, jack
''The sheriff. What for? hain'5 done
nothing"
''You are suspected of having murdered
a Mr.. Sammis of Pittsburgh.''
q
You must be loony."
Look at yourself"
Capon looked at his clothes. The sight
of the bloody stains on them caused him to
sober up at once.
GLOW did get these stains on my coat
and sl.irt?'' he stammered out at last.
Don't you know anything about tLem?'
they asked.
''No-no! You say murder was commit
ted ?''
''Come-comc, Jack Capon,'' they re
piled, ''you cau't fool any body by pleading
ignorance. What did you do with your
cap? 2"
He looked about the room.
''Some one must have taken il away" he
said at last.
''You left it near the corpse o: the mur-
dcrcd man"
ss'vas it found there? Great God-great
God -
lie buried his face in his hands, and be-
gan to cry.
Then he followed the men, who also took
old Sim Brooks along, willingly, TO the
Ohio Tavern, where the coroner had mean
while arrived. Tie sheriff appeared soon
afterward with some men who were carry
ing the CORY, frozen corpse of the victim.
Jack Capon was conducted to the corpse.
As he caught sight Of it he recoiled in hor-
ror
cts Mr.. Sammis," he gaspod out.
"Poor Sammis who has murdered him ?''
''You were the last seen in his company"
said the sheriff, ''your cap was found near
the corpse; your clothes are blood-stained;
| who but you can be the murderer ?"
! 'I am innocent y cried Capou, desper-
ately. 81 got tight at Brooks. I don't
know how I got this blood on my clothes,
nor how my cap got near the corpse. 1
have even forgotten that l was with this
poor gentleman"
The coroner impancled a jury, and in
/ the first place, took them to The spot in the
woods where the murder had been commit
! ted Jack CapOn, who had been mean
while, heavily ironed, was also conveyed
/ thither. The foot prints near the point
where the corpse of the murdered man had
lain, were not very distinct, butithey seemed
to correspond exactly with the soles Of
Capon's shoes.
Returning to the Ohio Tavern. the coro-
ner swore Sim Brooks, who by this time
had become perfectly sober. and who
stated that last night, about half-past ten
o'clock. Jack Capon came to his cabin and