Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1878-11-28
The Stnry Teller.
THE MURDERER'S ORDEAL
A CALIFORNIA SKETCH.

From my youth UP, "ae uoteo Aoi ny 'P'o
clivity for reading the character Of man
from his face and finally became such an
adept in the art that l could occasionally
guess the very thoughts of an individual
whose colntenauce I was studying. u,
Soon after the gold fever. broke out, ! came
to California and here must confess, thai
among what else there was to interest me,
had grand opportunity for exercising my
skill upon all sorts of faces, seen under all
sorts of circumstances, from the highest trl'
umph Of success to the deepest despair OF fail
ure.
I first tried my luck at digging gold myself
but soon tired of that, and, believing could
get money faster and with less labor, open.
ed kind Of grocery and provision store, and
went regularly into the business oftrade, buy:
ing most of my articles at Sacramento, and
disposing of them at fair advance to the
miners and others. .
Of course had chance to study all sorts
of faces to my hearts content, but having as
I have said, become an adept in the art, an
ordinary countenance, or man governed by
ordinary passion, whether gentle or british,
did not interest me. / wanted to get hold OF
what is termed character, or one whose ex.
ternal would give no indication Of his internal
to any but connoisseur; or one that would
really puzzle you to tell what to think Of him.
Among the many, such at length found.
At frat did not notice him-did not think
of him. At casual glance there was moth
ing to distinguish him from the herd. he
came in quietly, unobtrusively. purchased
a quantity of -four, pork and tea, paid for the
same in gold dust, and went out about his bus
iness. He repeated his visits at different
intervals, perhaps some half dozen times
before he attracted my attention by anything
peculiar in his appearance, and then | should
have been at loss to say what l saw more IN
him at last than at first .....
He was apparently about twenty-five years
of age, of medium height and slender figure.
a dark complexion, regular features, with
dark, straight hair, dark eyes, and q beard
that covered the lower part of his face in all
of which there was nothing remarkable
nothing striking. He was quiet-not talka.
tive had nothing to say except about the
business he came on, got what he wanted
when was disepgaged, paid for what he got
like gentleman, and generally retired with
an ordinary "Good-day," or some similar ci-
Witty. And yet, as I have said, he began to
attract my attention at last, and | began
to wonder why. Was it because he was so
quiet, reserved and gentlemanly, and did not
purchase whisky like the rest, and occasional.
ly get excited and boisterous. At all events,
he had begun to interest me in some way ;
and the very fact, perhaps that I could not
tell how or why, led me into closer scrutiny,
deeper study of the man. .,.'.'. ..
After this I prolonged his visits as much
as 1 could, without causing him to suspect |
did so intentionally. The things he. want
ed I generally had some trouble in getting,
and filled up the interval by remarks about
the weather, the country, the mines, the sue
cess of some and the failure of others-in a
word, anything could think of to induce con-
versation, watching him furtively all the while.
He answered easily and readily, and yet with
that peculiar kind Of reserve that was not sug-
gestive of tending towards familiarity. His
replies, however, evinced man Of mind and
education, and began to give him credit for
being perhaps practical and sell
fish dreamer, if l may use paradoxical term
that best expresses my idea.
One day, 1 scarcely know how, touched
upon the general superstitions of mankind,
and, to my surprise, saw that at last he was
much interested.
His eyes changed expression, and brighten
ed, and emitted strange and peculiar gleam ;
aud my attention being thus directed to his
eye, now bethought me that had never seen
one exactly like it-one capable of being so ap-
parently open down to the soul, while conceal
ing SO much. 1t was off its guard now F.; the
door was really open to the soul Of the man ;
and looked in at the door of that opening,
and saw that the soul of that man was really a
dark one.
A nameless fear came over me; strange
thrill passed through me-like an electric
shock, I felt an electric shudder of dread.
No wonder l had not been able to read
him before; the man had been wearing an
impenetrable mask.
1t chanced that no other person was pres.
ent when this conversation occurred about
the superstitious fancies of men, and as soon
as we were interrupted by the entrance of an.
other customer, my dark visitor left some
what abruptly.
After that he did not come 30 often as he
did before, and never renewed the conversa-
ton which had so agitated him, and never,
in fact, entered into any other that he could
possibly avoid. kept my thoughts to my
self, but made some causual inquiries about
him, and learned that he had been so fortu-
nate as to secure capital lead" from which,
with his partner, another young man, he was
taking out gold in quantities which promised
to enrich both, and that both of them had
the good will and esteem of all who knew
them.
One dark night, about three or four weeks
after this, I was startled from my sleep by
wild, prolonged shrieks, and cries of "Mur.
der |! murder help! help!"
I Jumped, seized my revolver, and darted
out into the open air. The cries and screams
still continued, coming from a bend of the
river about a hundred rods below.
In minute 1 was joined by FIVE others, all
we'll armed, and together we ran, as hard
as we could, to the place from which the
alarm proceeded. When we arrived there
at least thirty men were collected in and
around the tent of the dark man | have been
describing, and he himself it was who had
given the alarm. ...., .....
His partner and companion had been mur
dered and robbed, and he himself had been
slightly cut across the face and gashed on the
left arm, and he was all excitement, lament
ing his dearest friend, and vowing vengeance
against the assassin.
It was some time before we could get al
the particulars, and then we learned thai
both had been sleeping side by side, when al
unknown robber had crawled under the light
canvas, stabbed one to the heart, and taken q