The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-01-18

detective policeman"
was about to repeat the words i,
astonishmept, when be motionei u.
10 silence.
Where i. he r
The detective he sits by the door
yonder, with ragged fur cap pulled
over his eyes. Did YOU ever see NOR.
perfect specimen Of a ,iilapilated
couuirymsu
| smiled; could hot help it.
w hat IS the case :
Murdei- man ami his wife and
'wo little children their throats Gu,
ist nigh, aud the house set on fire AT.
terWafd"
Great heavens What = monster -
We had continued the conversation
ii "a whisper throughout, scarcely above
our breath, ami now the conductor rose
aud left me to study the faces Of nv
fellow passengers with curious dread
and horror.
Somehow, often as | revolyed the
matter IN my mind. my fancy would
settle on coarse, gross-looking man
opposite, with oushy beard and
shaggy coat. with collar turned up
around his ears. 1 felt convinced that
this man with the heavy, hanging jaw
was Cain and as | looked furtively
across l caught the white open, blue
orbs OF the fair little girl.
ooeying the instantaneous impulse
oi my heart, arose and went over to
her
You heard what We were saying,
my child :"
"1es-a murder-oh. how horrible,"
do not be frightened-n one shall
hurt YOU"
She smiled up in my face with
sweet. contiding innocence.
Our stay in Exmouth was but brief,
but during the delay could see that
the watchful detective had changed his
seat tor enc nearer the british man in
the shaggy coat.
See, faltercd the young girl,
they locked the car doors At Exmouth;
they are unlocking them now."
She was right.
Probably they were fearful thi the
criminal would escape" remarked in
an undertone
Will you may l trouble you to
bring me n glass Of water :"
rose and made my way toward the
water cooler by the door, but with diff
hcu!ty tor the train was again under
rapid motion. 10 my disappointment,
the tin goblet was chained TO the shelf.
No matter. said she. with . win
ning smile, Il will come myself"
drew the water and held up the
cup. but instead Of taking it ss she ap-
preached, she brushed suddenly past /
me, opened the doer and rushed out on
the platform
stop her stop her" shouted the de- |
teetive, spriuging TO his feet. "She I
w'li be killed conductor, brakeman.
hold up"
l was first upon the platforms; 6Gt II |
was empty and deserted, save by half
frozen looking brakeman, who seemed
horror strlken.
'She went past me like shadow. aud
jumped off as we turned Cairn turnpike
road, he stammereG.
Jumped Oft the express train Well,'
said the conductor, Struggling his shoul-
ders, "she must have been instantly
killed. What mad folly"
Its five hundred dollars out of my
pocket" said the detective ruefully. Il
didn't want row before We got to
Bayswater. but | was u confounded fool.
A woman cornered will do anything,
believe
What :" calculated, you surely do
not mean that child -"
Il mean, said the detective calmly,
THAT the child, as you call her, Is Atilla
Barton, "A married woman, twenty-slx
years of age, who last night muir
dered four persons III cold blood. and
VAS trying to escape 10 Canada. That's
what l mean"
The train was stopped and Is party OF
US, headed by the conductor and the
detective, went back In search of any
trace of the beautiful young creature,
whose loveliness and apparent mno-
cence had appealed SO strongly to my
sympath,es. Nor was it long before We
found her. lying quite dead by the side
OF the track, frightfuliy mangied by the
force Of the fall. aud mutilated almost
beyond recognition.
We'll. SHE'S escaped justice in this
world if not in the next said the de-
,ec;ive gloomily. as be stood looking
down upon her remains.
DO you suppose she expected to be
able to spring off the moving train with
out injury asked.
Without much injury women are
unreasonable creatures. But l never
dreamed of such Insane folly, or should
have taken prompt measures to prevent
it,"
They lifted up the fair dead thing.
and carried it To the nearest place OF
refuse-a lonely farm house among the
frozen hills and we returned to the
train. reaching Bayswa,er only few
minutes beyond our regular time.
And when. in the next mornings pa
per. read an account of the murder
ess, thought If the slender creatures
. blue eyes and rosebud mouth with .
strange. plying thrill at my heart.