The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-03-29
IN INNOCENT MN HUNG,

uttS lGN IdIld4ltISs MblC Iball q dozen
suspicious circumstances pointed to the
guilt Of persons accused, and one fact dove
tailed into the other with the utmost neat
ness and accuracy.
On the 5th of June, 1869, RUbers Bell, a
farmer residing IN the neigh5orhood of
Norwich, England, was found murdered
aud robbed in an unused by-ruad leading
from the highway TO his house. Two
laborers going at daybreak to small
cODpiCe near by, saw.
THE BODY IN \ DITCH,
and, recognizing The farmer, notified his
family, which consisted of a wife and one
daughter. The proper authorities were
summoned, and a careful examination
begun. Mr. Bells skull was cut in two
places from the blows of a blunt weapon,
and there was one stab wound in his heart
and another in his throat. In the mud
near by were the marks of Mr. Bells boots,
and of the bare feet of another party
Lying in the ditch large iackknife was
found, with which the stab wounds had
been inflicted. The marks Of Mr. Bells
boots were visible from the road up to
where the body lay, as was also
THE PRINTS OF NAKED FEET.
These latter were traced along The road
leading from Norwich for about quarter
of mile, to stone by the roadside. Here
they ceased, and 1t was supposed that the
murderer had sat upon the stone and put
his boots on. Between the stone and the
! hedge Mr.. Bells hat was found. The lin
ing was wanting. On the top of the stone
/ there was thin layer of mud, and in it
! was the impression of corduroy trowsers.
| In the yard of an inn about two miles
/ further ON the lining of Mr.. Bells hat was
) found.
Itwas eviden. that, after committing the
! crime,
THE ASSASSIN HAD VISITED THE Inn.
Inquiry showed that Mr.. Bell quilted
! Norwich about : o'clock in the evening to
| walk home, a distance of about three miles.
/ The probability was, therefore, that he
/ was murdered between s and 9 o'clock,
I while it was still daylight. About 10 o.
clock the same night a Jewish pedder
! called at the inn, in the yard of which the
hat lining had been found. He wore long
| boots and corduroy trOwsers. lie ate a
| little bread and cheese, drank glass of
ale and quilted the place, remarklug that
Le had long journey before daylight.
! That was all that was known about him at
the inn, but the wife and daughter Of the
murdered man had
AN IMPORTANT FACT TO RELATE.
| Between 6 and 10 o'clock the same night
the pedGler called at the farmers house
and informed Mrs. Bell and her daughter
that Mr.. Bell had sent him with a message
to the effect that he had forgotten some
important business and had returned l.,
| Norwich, and that probably he would not
return home until the next morning.
These facts clearly pointed TO the peddleI
| as the guilty man. After numbering and
| robbing the farmer he coucocted the plan
of pretending to be messenger from hin
wi h the view Of relieving his family from
all fears at his prolonged absence, thu:
! securing.
TIME FOR HIS OWN FLIGHT.
Officers were sent after the peddler, anC
next day he was arrested, examined anC
committed for trial as the murderer of Mr.
Bell. When the tIial came on the peddleT
whose name was found to be Abraham
Lewis, told a most eNtraorGiuAIy and, a
was generally believed. artCul story. Be
1 fore this, however, additional testimony %
a most startling nature was produced fu
the prosecution. In the peddleT's box, il
which he carried the goods which he of
fcred for sale. WAS found a small parCe
containing ten shiIlings the wrapper being
a piece Of 4 newspaper. In the farmer
pocket was found the newspaper from
which the piece used as a wrapper haC
been torn. 1t fitted exactly. The hostile
of the inn at Norwich, at which the faIme
stopped on the day he was murdered,
IDENTIFIED THE PEDDLER
as having been in the inn yard uu the da,
in question, aud as having asked a mum
Der of questions about the farmer. Tn,
hOstlcr also swUTe that the knife found b.
the dead man belonged to the pedt!leI
lie knew it from the fact of the peddle
having loaned it to him that very day I
bore 4 hole in a strap Of harness hP wa
fixing. None of the money " hich the farm
er was known to have had abuu- him Wa
, found ON the pcddler, but it. was suppose
that be had hidden it SOmew here before
e. was arrested,
70 THE PEDDLER ~ HIS DEFENSE,
! proved, first Of all, that Re was d man q
5 good charaC er, bringing up his family j
T. responsibility. Then he told his storl
; He said that on the night of the murder d
, was on his way from Norwich to the mio
! land counties. About a hundred yard
!, from the stone above referred TO he met
: ! man well mutlled up; the man passed hin
2 | and the pcddlcr walked on. lie sat dow
. ! on the stone to rest, and filed his pip
% The paper in which he carried his tobacc
. was worn out, and he looked around TO s.
5 if there was anything lying near he couI
{ | substitute for 1t. ~
BETWEEN THE STONE AND THE HEDGE
he saw what he supposed was an old ha
| tie picked it up, zone out the lining, All
:, wrapped his tobacco in il. As he did TIN
: he saw the man whom he had passed ju'
4. before coming toward him. When Il
f man got close t. him, he said
8 ''Fuend, do you want 10 earn q coup
T Of shIlings ~
Z Il always want to earn money" Il
a peddler replied.
j "If you will carry message tn the hou
:, on the hill thoIc,' the man said, Il "
- give you ten shilliugs."
e "What Is the message the peddl
" asked
II a. live there said the man eco a,
e. tell The folks that have forgotten some II
It portanU business, and ann going back
Il Norwich, and won't be home, pcrhai
u ( until lO-msIrOw.'
u The puddlcr agreed 10 GO aud carry Q
>, message. and the man gave hun 90 ii. /
lr wrapped in piece of newspaper ID
d. vas the money "ud the paper found ia
e. box lie took the message, as bel,
le sworn to- In The evidence hy.
ls MRS. BELL AND HEE DAUGiiII.E.
To After eating his supper at tie lun I
e peddler, according 20 his story, went u
. the yard aud filed his PIPE. Then
ie transferred the rest of his tobacco 10
w waistcoat pocket and threw the wrapper
n. the lining which he had taken out of
!