The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1878-03-28


"Yes, sir he answered, M til 4
perceptable tremor OF voice.
"Did YOU ever work at your rads
in Holderness p
Yes, sir, when l was a ye .uue
man."
Anything peculiar in the man, fac
ture Of horse shoe nails in that dis
trict, Mr.. Steeles
81 think there is, sir"
Pray tell us what tue peculis rty
is, Mr.. Steele"
The head is divided like in the
middle
Anything like the head ofl nat
nail used az y wedge in tho han lie
of that h,mn1r. Mr. Steole!" 4, he
counsel asked, handing the witm ss,
tho weapon found near the body OF
the murdered peddler.
The witness hand shook lik n
leaf as no REACHED ont for the ha n
mer, his cheeks grew deadly pa o
and his lips became parched. N 4.
though he held the hanmer in ,is
band. his starting eyes were fs I'd
on the que 'tioner.
Anything like that naili" ] Ir.
OBrien repeated calmly, looking at
tho witness
Yes. sir" Steele replied at leul til,
with difficulty.
"!ohonld you say that nail ,as
made in itollorness, Mr.. Steele!
1T looks like it, sir" was Steel, is
reply.
movoing almost close up to hiif
and standing 50 that the judge AMI
jury could see both witness and in
terrogator distinctly, Did you ever
see this hammer before yOu saw il
in this couit?'
The witness gave gasp and then
! recovering himself. said ;
Yes, sir / saw it in the han1s o!
I the coroner.
At this inocturo there was q dil'
! turbance in tho cont, aud the oti
GERS were seen striving to prevent u
young MN from quitting the rok n.
| lug NOuup uiu WbS iS'SN .TI
Steele. the blacksmith son.
Let me 60, he said, "thats the
damned old sconndrel that d III it.
He knows that it is his hamms well
!. enough He knows he planW / the
whole thing aud led mo into III
, tnrn kings evidence I'll " lab tn,
story Let nv 20, and TA hana
the old william, though he ia 'r y fa'
tner.
| Tie scene that followed c@ inot b,
described. Suffice it TO - y noH,
} prossgu; was entorcd, and :" ,ott wa.
transferred into an imporu mt wit
=, ess. Steele and his son bei'oS dul,
indicted aud tried for tie murde,
. 1f tho peddler. Scott sw' re to th,
: b!acksinith's having tab,,n the nai
from tho old horse-s,' oe. remarked
l that it hal been mad e in Holderness
$ anil driven il in to the hammer heaC
| ~ wedge The hammer wa'
furthermore identifi ,d IA having bo
u longea TO steele. testimony was Civ
+ en which showed that the black
0 smith and his son were absent from
Q homo on the night of tho murder,
marketmnn swearing that he hue
a passed them near Doncaster, goin,
l. in the direction OF Vickhil, ut thre,
" o clock on the morning Of the 2ls
IA of June. But the evidence that set
tied their fate was furnished b,
't Scott valise. which they had tnkel
10 at the time Of the murder of tn,
'e pedller 1t was discovered in tht
u ash heap Mt the back of tho smithy
Is Steele aud his son were sentenced Il
/ be hanged, aud both made full
TO confession to the following effect:
y Steele sr, resolved on the robbery
IS and the murder. if needs were, o
u the peddler Immediately after h,
= discovered that the mnn was pos
y sessel of large sum of money
s. After the peddler and his companion
Is had left the smithy, Steele closed it
aud communicated to bis son, whit
10 was protligate man, assentea TO th'
~ scheme Both were about to star
Tx after the two men aud get ahead o
ne them by Il bride path, but the smitl
G changed his plan. II they did tina
- they wonld have to tackle them botl
8 in the open road and on horseback
5 The smith knew the inn to whici
:, l. they were going. and was we'll nc
I'd anainted with the outbuilding il
ie which they were to sleep He pro
30 posed, therefore, that they shoul,
10 rob the peddler in his sleep, an,
~ only use violence IN case it was Ne
le Cessaiy to secure their safety. Whel
10 they entered the outbnilding til,
10 smith went towatd SCOTS bed
u while Richard remained near tn
door. Finding the man they want
+ ed was not there, Steele and his soi
% approached the other bed, aud uun'
ID the peildler asleep. Knowing il wa
~ he from his bald head They triel
l. to remove the valise from under hi
10 head, but he evidently had his han,
\, in the strap. aud the ting awoke him
'n The reader knows the rest from
a. the story told by scott After th
a smith and his son had quilted til
10 ro m. with what they supposed wa
,e TO be the peddle's valise, Steele
~ mind misgave him aud drea.
IL that scott hnd been an observer q
St A.. t,rnol., .la.l Al ,,n,,l.I - a,