The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-30
THE FATAL NAIL.

We tried 10 De an nOncEt Sulue.
You find the grave has got door,
And somethin' for you tother side.
THE FATAL NAIL.
On the evening of June 30, 1887, {
peddler on horseback stopped at the
smithy OF one John Steele, on the out
skirts of the town Of Tickhill, near Don
caster, England. Several persons were
in the smithy at the time besi des the
blacksmith and his son Richard. The
peddler asked Steele to shoe his horse as
quickly as he could, as he wished tc
reach Doncaster early and get bed al
his old place. for the next day being
"Statues," or fair, a number of visitors
would be looking for accommodation.
While the smith was attending to the
peddler's horse another stranger arrived,
also on horseback, and likewise desiring
the smiths services, as his horse had cast
a shoe.
The two strangers and the loungers got
into conversation, and the peddler finally
opened mahogany case which was sus-
| pended by strap from his shoulder, and
exhibited his wares, which consisted of
rings, gold and silver chains, watches,
| etc. On the last cOmer's hearing that
the peddler was going to Doncaster he
offered TO accompany him, as be was
! going in the same direction; adding that
as he was Il stranger the peddlcr might
| take him 10 some house where he could
get accommodation. The peddler re-
piled that he was going to the Tray
| eler's Rest" on the outskirts of Doncas-
| ter, as it was good house and he knew
| the landlord.
When the smith removed the shoe
from the horse Ofthe last conner he exam
incd it closely, remarking that it had
been made in HOlderness, pointing to the
fact that the nail was peculiarly made,
having Il half split in the head, and say
ing that it was a HClderness fancy.
"rll keep this nail," the smith said,
and lie drove it as wedge into the
handle of small hammer, where it
passed through the head.
The pcddlcr sent for fagon of ale
ana they stood talking and drinking for
some time. When the blacksmith joled
the pcddlcr about being in such a hurry
when he first came in, he laughed and
said:
"Oh, that's all right. I've made up
my mind to sleep in the big clubhouse,
where have often slept before; it's com
Portable"
When the two men were ready to depart
the peddler took large wallet from the
valise on his saddlc-bow and paid the
smith. The peddler seemed to make a
rather ostentatons 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 pcddler 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 land
lord said there was good accommodation
there, and promised to make them com
Portable The peddler retired first, and
the stranger remained behind to have
supper ana linger over his ale. At eleven
o'clock he went to the outbuildn.g, and
five minutes later the landlord observed
the light put out.
Next morning neither the peddler 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 peddler in his
shirt, lying on the floor at the far end in
pool of blood. His head 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
accompanied the peddler 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 notified, and officers were in pursuit
of the supposed assassin before the day
was an hour older. They tracked him
to Coninbro', but lost trace of him just
outside the town, on the road to Sheffield.
The keen eyes OF the officers, however,
caught sight of horse among the bram-
bles in a valley to the left of the road, and
there the man was captured. He was ter
ribly frightened-so much so as to be un-
able to articulate for some time. Strapped
to his saddIe-bow was valise, and on
opening it a heavily filled wallet, identi-
fed as the peddler'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 to the clubhouse the ped
dler 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 has curtains
also, as the room was large and draughty.
He placed his clothes on a chair and
flung his valise, or holsters, on a 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 pres
emily heard footsteps in the room. The
next moment the curtain of his bed was
gently drawn, and he saw face look
ing down upon him. He lay quite
still, though greatly alarmed. The face
disappeared, and retreating steps were
heard. He arose on his elbow and peered
through the curtain He distinctly saw
two men at the farther end of the room,
near the peddler's bed. They passed
round the foot of it and disappeared at
the other side. That moment he
heard a scream and a scuffle, and saw
the legs of the peddler protrude from
the curtains. There was scutfie and a
suppressed cry, and next moment the
peddler bounded from the bed and ran,
screaming MURDER" toward Scott's bed,
holding his valise at arms length. Two
men followed the fugitive, and Scott, hor
rified and fear stricken, slipped from his
bed on the other side and hid himself in
q closet He heard the groans and blows,