Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1876-05-23

valise, aud on open ng it heavily filed
wallet, identified as the ped ec's was
found.
Before the coroner the prisoner. who
said his name was Henry Scott. told a
most astounding story. He said that
when he went 10 the clubhouse the pedlar
had already gone to his bed, which was
high, old fashioned tent bed, with cur.
'ains. Scott took bed at the opposite
erd OF the room. This bed had curtains
also, as the room was large and draughty.
tie placed his clothes on chair, and
flung his vslise or holsters on bit OF
carpet ut the side OF the bed When he
pat out the light be observed that the
moon was shining iull into the room.
tie lay awake for somo time, and present
y heard footsteps in the room. The
next moment The curtain of his bed was
gently drawn. and ne saw face looking
down upon him. lie lay quite still.
though greatly alarmed. The face dis
appeared. and re;reatins steps were
heard. He arose on his elbow and peer
ed through the curtain. He distinctly
saw two men at the farther end OF tho
room, near The pedey's bed. They pass
ed round the foot of it ana disappeared
at the other side. That moment he
heard scream ana scufile, and saw
the legs Of the pedler protrude from the
curtains. There was . scuille and q sup
pressed cry, and the next moment the
pedlar bounded from the bed and ran
screaming murder" towards SCOTS
bed, holding his valise At arms length.
Two men followed the fugitive. and
Scott, horrltied and tear stricken. slipped
from his bed on the other side and hid
himself in q closet. He heard the groans
aud blows, the sound Of retreating foot
s,eps, snd ther all was still. The next
instant, however, the door opened. other
footsteps were heard along the floor.
aud the curtains of SCOTS bed were
hastily drawn. The visiJant, whoever
he was, uttered an oath of iisappoint.
ment and fed irom the room
Alter waiting for some time. Scott
came forth from the close, and found the
pedlar lying on the fIor, dead. Scott
was 10 q terrible diem !, and saw at y
glance tha, he would be suspected OF
having murdered The pedler. PAuic-
stricken. he hastily dressed himself, pick
- up his vali,c from the ilJor took his
horse from tue s,a0.e aud departed from
The ruu, resolved tu seek safely III hight
Ii IA, day hight when be reach d CONN
5.o'. aud thea tor The tTS, time be Dis
covered that the yalise which he had
taken tom the llor WAS not his, but the
ped,ar's. which he had no doubt dropped
when the murderers tell upon him, and
in the place OF which they doubtless
seized aud carried oil Scots, which lay
on The carpet close by.
This extraordinary story was not lc-
licyed by the coroner's jury in the face OF
all The damning evidence against Scott.
|, was shown that he had seen the ped
Ter produce his wallet from tho valIse in
The Jlacksmith's shop; that be offered TO
accompany the pedlsr to Doncaster. and
that he had taken up his quarters at the
same iun, and 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 course
tried Tor willul murder. Out OF charity
young lawyer undertook his defense.
The evidence for the prosecution was
clear and convincing, and Mr.. O'Brien-
afterwards Sergeant O'Brien-t the prison
er's counsel. saw no chance for his c.i
enl's escape. The principal witnesses
AGAINST him were the blacksmith, John
Steele, his son Richard. the men that
were in the smithy when the pedlar and
Scott first met, The landlord OF the inn,
who swore that Scott had urged the ped
lar 10 90 to another inn. and the officers
who found Scott with the pedlcr's yalise
in MS possession.
The hammer with which the murder
had been committed was produced on the
trial. and shown To the Jury. One oi
them remarked to the court that 1t was
blacksmith's shoeing hammer. Mr..
O'Brien quietly asked TO be allowed to
look u, il, and he examined II closely.
Then he stood up and banded 1t to the
prisoner. Scott glanced his eye over 1t
I tor a moment, and then handed /. back
10 his counsel. The next instant he
c,utcheG II from Mr. O'Bren's grasp, and
scrutiuize1 il with the most Iutense in-
tsrsst. Then he leaned on The desk and
smoke in q hurried tone TO his counsel
The latter, with flushed face and hasty
movements, made his way TO Inc side ol
the prosecuting officer, and conversed
with him in low tone for several min
utes. The prosecuting officer then spoke
with the Judge, and after Jew seconds
bsckored an officer. and whispered few
words TO him. Dir. Steele, the black
smith. was recalled to the witness stand
by Mr.. O'Brien. who said
MIR. Steele, you are an old and expe'
rienced blacksmith, are you nol?"