Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-02-18
THE FATAL NAIL.

THE FAT AL NALL.
On the evening of June 20, 1887, a ped
| ler on horseback stopped at the smithy of
one John Steele, Oh the outskirts of the
town of Tickhill, near Doncaster, England.
Several persons were in the smithy at the
time, beside the blacksmith and his son
Richard. The pedler asked Steele to shoe
| his horse as quickly as he could, as he
/ wished to reach Doncaster early, and get a
| bed at his old place; for .next day being
s'Statues," OF fair, number of visitors
would be looking for accommodation.
While the smith was attending to the
pedler's horse, anot her stranger arrived,
also on horseback, and likewise desiring
the smiths services, as his horse had cast
shoe.
The two strangers and the loungers got
into conversation, and the pedler finally
opened mahogany case which was suSpen-
ded by strap from his shoulder, and ex-
hibited his wares, which consisted of rings,
gold and silver chains, watches and so
forth. On the last comer's hearing that
the pedler was going to Doncaster he Of
fered to accompany him, as he was going
in the same direction; adding that as he
was stranger the pedler might take him
to some house where he could get accom-
mediation. The pedler replied that he was
going to ''The Travellers Rest" on the
outskirts of Doncaster, as it was 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 made
in Holderness, pointing out the fact that
the nail was peculiarly made, having a half
split in the head, and saying that that was
a Holderness fancy.
''IlI keep this nail,'' the smith said, and
he drove it as wedge into the handle of a
small hammer, where it passed through the
head.
The pedler sent for f1agon of ale, and
they stood drinking and talking for some
time. When the blacksmith joked the ped
Ter about being in such hurry when he
first came in. he laughed and said:
ooh, that's all right. I've made up my
mind to sleep in the big clubhouse, where I
have often slept before; it's comfortable,
and you take anybody you like in there,
you know" the pedler added with wink
When the two men were ready to depart
the pedler took a large wallet from the va
lise on his saddle bow and paid the smith,
The pedler seemed to make rath-
Ell ostentatious exhibition of his wallet,
which was crammed with bank notes and
gold.
The two men rode off together, and the
smith cleared his place and closed it for
the night.
In due time the pedler 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
accommodation there, and promised to.
make them comfortable. The pedler re-
tired first, and the stranger remained be-
hind to have supper and linger over his ale.
At II o'clock he went to the outbuilding,
and five minutes later the landlord OBJ
served the light put out.
Next morning neither the pedler nor his
friend appeared, and the landlord went to
the outbuilding to arouse them. He found
the door open, and on entering the room
| discovered the pedler in his shirts lying on
| the floor at the far end in d pool of blood.
His bead was battered in, and near him
| was lying a hammer with blood and hair
on the head. He was dead and cold.
When the alarm was given it was found
that the horse belonging to the man who
had accompanied the pedler to the inn and
occupied the same room with him, was
missing, and suspicion at once fell on him
as the murderer. The authorities were no
titled, and officers were in pursuit of the
supposed assassin before the day was an
hour older. They tracked him to Comm
bro, but lost trace of him just outside that
town, on the road to Sheffield. The keen
eyes of the officers, however, caught sight
of horse among the brambles in valley
to the left of the road, and there the man
was captured. He was terribly frightened
so much so as to be unable to articulate
for some time. Strapped to his saddle bow
was valise, and on opening it a heavily
filled wallet, identified as the pedler's, was
found.
Before the coroner the prisoner who said
his name was Henry Scott, told most as
founding story. He said that when he went
to the clubhouse the pedler 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. He placed his clothes on a
chair and flung his valise, OF holsters, on
bit Of carpet at the side of the bed.-When
he put out the light he observed that the
moon was shining full into the room. He
lay awake for some time, and presently
heard footsteps in the room. The next
moment the curtain Of his bed was gently
drawn, and he saw face looking down up
on him. He lay quite still, though greatly
alarmed. The face disappeared, and re-
treating steps were heard. He arose on
his elbow and peered through the curtain.