Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-11-01

ford's house as usual. / stayed there
until eleven o'clock and then took my
leave. | was accustomed to return home
by the garden at the back of the house
as | saved something in distance by SC
doing. On the night l refer to l was
about dozen yards from the back gate
when two men started up from behind
some bushes and seized hold of me. Be
fore l had time to defend myself one OF
them struck me violent blow on the
head, which knocked me down sense
less. When / recovered it was day
light and l must have been there all
night. l found my hands and clothes
covered with blood, and my knife,
which | carried for self-defense, alb
stracted from my pocket. l had scarcely
risen 10 my feet when | was seized and
accused of having murdered Mr.. Mil
ford"
"But how about the watch and
purse?"
81 assure you no one was more sur
prised than myself when they were ta-
ken from my pocket"
Chow long time had you parted
with Mr.. Milford when you were as
sailed in the garden?"
"Mr. Milford usually retired at ten
O'Clock, leaving Miss Milford and my
self up together"
After little more conversation with
the prisoner Withdrew, not very well
satisfied with the result of my visit. Ii
is true it served to confirm me i'm tn /,
opinion had formed of Warnings in
nocence, but l was no nearer discover
ing the truth than before.
Ny next proceeding was to make a
strict examination of the premises lately
occupied by Mr.. Milford, and especially
the spot where he had been assailed.
The house afforded no clew, but the
garden convinced me that the disorder
there had been made after the young
man had been struck, and that it was
not occasioned by any real struggle
that had taken place, but to induce the
belief that such struggle had occurred.
There was too much regularity in the
uprooting of the flowers and roots, and
the shrubbery was broken too sys-
tematically not to set this point at rest
to the eye of the detective.
l discovered that the most minute
search had been made for Mr.. Milford's
body, but without any success. After
making these investigations 1 returned
to New York, and really saw but little
hope of being able to unravel the mys-
terry.
Three weeks passed away and had
not discovered one single link in the
chain was seeking TO find. One day
Miss Milford called on me again. In a
few words / told her that up to the
present time my researches had all been
fruitless. She looked disappointed.
"Have you heard" she said, "that
my uncle, Oliver Milford, is occupying
Linden Manor house?"
"Your uncle occupying Linden Ma
nor house." | exclaimed in tone of
great surprise.
"Yes, he appeared there two weeks
ago and claimed all my fathers pro-
perty by virtue of will which he ex-
hibited, and by which he was made sole
heir to all my fathers estate"
"Are you sure that the will is a genu-
inc one?" asked, ray of hope enter
ing my mind.
There can be no doubt that il was
signed by my father" she replied.
.'But who is this uncle of yours?
never heard you mention him before"
81 had almost forgotten his exist
ence, for the fact is, my father and he
were not on good TENS together, and
his name was scarcely ever mentioned"
'Are you left nothing in this will:"
"No.hing."
sis it not very strange, Miss Milford,
that your father should have left your
uncle all this property"
alt is, indeed, very strange" replied
the young lady. 'They have ever
spoken to each other for years. Father
could never bear TO hear the name of
his brother Oliver mentioned, and
whenever he did speak of him, which l
have before said was seldom, he always
spoke of him as a bad-hearted man."
"And yet you say the signature to the
will was in your fathers handwrit-
ing?"
"Yes, sir, am perfectly satisfied of
it; so much so that when some of my
friends advised me to contest the vali-
dity of the will, being firmly convinced
that my father really did sign it, l re
fused most positively. 1 care nothing
about nv fathers wealth, and it is not
to regain this that 1 ask your assist
ance, sir; my simple wish is TO obtain
Henry Warnings release"
elias the will been proved?" Iasked.
go yes," she replied; ''my uncle has
taken full possession"
"And what have you been doing
since? ?" / asked, more out of curiosity
than anything else.
81 have obtained some music pupils,
and am doing very well, as l before
said. have no concern about myself"
"Have you any letter or document
with your fathers signature attached to
it?"
81 have number at home." she re-
piled. "By the by, think l have
letter of his with me now, written to
me some six years ago, when he was in
Albany"
so saying she took from her reticule
the letter in question and handed it to
me.
"Will you allow me to retain posses
sion of this?" l asked.
Certainly" she replied. "but can
assure you that if you suppose the will
to be a forgery you are mistaken. The
will is undoubtedly genuine"
"well," my dear young lady," re-
turned, 81 do no. doubt your word, but
.,, ,,,,r ho u,iStaEen At ALL events. L