The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-22


| heard slight click, and saw a CLEAN
of light thrown upon the bed from the
dark lantern Of the villain, who stood
near 1t, and between me and the sleeper,
the light beyond giving his dark figure a
bold relief. To get distinct view Of the
sleeper's face he now advanced along the
side of the bed with great care, shading
the light with his hand; and to be ready
to take him at a sudden advantage in
case he should turn, stole in after him,
and came close up behind him without
being discovered.
now perceived it was my uncle who
lay there asleep, his face turned toward
the side where the villain stood, who,
as well as l could Judge from partial
view of his features, was regarding him
with an expression Of fiendish hate. He
had evidently found the person he was
seeking for, and was about to perpetrate
one of the darkest crimes known to the
law. If robbery had entered into his
calculations, it had taken secondary
plaCe-murder was the first, and that of a
particular individual, for the special pur-
pose of revenge.
AS l now stood close behind him, ex-
cited to degree that made me feel as if
a giants strength had entered into my
slender frame, saw him thrust his hand
into his bosom and produce long, for
midable butcher.knife, which he eleva-
ted over the sleeper with an unmistaka'
BILE intention of plunging it irto his neck
or breast.
Now was my time to actor another
moment might be fatal to my kinsman-
and with yells of Murder murder !
help helpW l Cluiched him by the
throat, and jerked him backward with
all my might. This staggered him around
and nearly overthrow him, and before he
could recover from his surprise and re-
gain his equilibrium, | struck him three
times in the face, and kicked him once
in the stomach, and doubling him over
forward and sending him down with q
heavy crash, his knife in one hand and
his lantern in the other. Still shouting
murder and help alternately, I now, by
happy impulse, turned, dragged the
clothes off my unCle's bed, threw them
over the assassin's head, as he attempted
to rise, and then beat him backward with
a chair, and endeavored to twist them
about his neck and arms, and so entange
him that he could not use bis knife, and
might be easily secured.
| had inst succeeded in doing this when
my cousins appeared on the scene in a
terrihcally excited condition, and the
whole house rung with alarm. As it was
now dark in the room, the lamp being
buried with the villain under the clothes
l shouted to one of my kinsman to get a
light, and told the other to take a chair
and beat the struggling object as long as
he found any resistance or movement,
In short time we had the villain Sc
cured, and so tightly bound, hand and
foot, that he might as well have been a
dead man, for any power he possessed to
help himself, or to do any one an injury;
and then related to group of excited
listeners all l knew of the mysterious
and terrible affair.
Edward" cried my uncle, grasping
my hand, and speaking in a voice half
choked with emotion, 81 do believe the
good God sent you here tonight to save
me from an awful death, and my graft
tude for my deliverance is more than l
can express; but why any one should
desire to murder me, | cannot conceive, as
l have always aimed to do justice to all,
and until now was notaware l had ma
licious enemy on earth"
"Well, III tell you then, you gray
headed scoundrelW growled the ruffian,
as he lay writhing on the floor gnashing
his teeth. "You had it once in your pow
er, when sitting on the bench, to send
me to the penitentiary for any term from
three years up to ten, and you made it
all the law would let you. swore then
if got out and got a chance, I'd cut your
heart out, and I'd a done it tonight if it
hadn't been for this young, meddIing
foolw
"Well, your confessed wickedness only
proves that 1 was rightin giving you the
full extent of the law" rejoined my un-
Gle; 'and if l am not greatly mistaken,
you will be perfectly harmless when the
law shall have done with you for the
present otfense. Although in this case l
shall not sit in judgment on you, ] have
reason to believe your sentence will be
for life"
1t was; and nine years after the villain
had so providentially captured on that
eventful night, breathed his last within
the walls of his prison.