Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-10
THE SECRET PASSAGE.
Tho Mysteries of HOrse-Trainer,s
Dwelling.

land, went to the nelghbOr1ng village OF
Askern to keep his sisters birthday. On
returning home, late in the evening, he
took by-path which led right in the
rear of the dwelling Of one Roger Groom,
who had charge of training stable near
by. AS he drew near he heard shrieks
and the cry Of {" Murder" and "Help!n
Springing over a fence, he was going
toward Croom's dwelling, when a man
rushed out and approached him.
| "For Gods sake,' said the man, s'come
and help me, for am afraid murder will
be done!''
Green turned toward the dwelling with
the man, and on entering he saw three
men attired as gentlemen, standing before
a large fire which burned on the hearth.
Lying on rugs by the blazing logs we're
two boys, or rather diminutive men.
| "Here he comes" said one Of the lat
ter; "he has cooled off,
"Oh, what have yon done with herr"
the man asked in beseeching voice.
Where is the girl2'
| sThere he goes again. said the man
who had before spoken.
One Of the gentlemen made rapid
movement and seized the man by the arm.
LET us put the straight jacket on him"
he said; che is mad as March haren
II should have thought so, too,o said
Green, "if had not heard the shrleks and
cries for help"
'sWhy he made them,' said the gentle
man, and then, assisted by one of his com
panions, and despite the struggles of the
lunatic, he forced him into an adjoining
room, where it was evident, from the out
tLr,, NJ II
made fast.
Green was about to depart, when the
remaining gentleman, who still stood by
the fire, asked for an explanation Of his
appearance there. He told how he was
|passng, when heard cries, and how be
sprang over the fence and confronted the
lunatic.
@Huntley is all right when he does mo-
drink" said the gentleman; "but when he
takes liquor it sends him wild, and he i'm
AGNES all kinds Of things. and the tallel
of the two inside own the stables, and We
are preparing for the Doncaster spring
meeting. Groom is away, and Huntley i
his head man. He will be all right to-
morrow"
Green went home and soon forgot al
c about his adventure at Croom's. The
' next day but one-that is, on February
t 19th-Joseph Wild, a cousin of Green s
s called on him at his shop. They had me-
It at the feast on Green's sisters birthday
n but had had to depart by different ways
! After some general conversation, WilC
It said:
t II had strange adventure on my way
: home the other night. Ny road lay right
: past Croom's stables, which are abou
y half mile from his house. AS I was
n passing the building at the corner which
e is USED for an Office and doctors shop, ]
$ thought heard a scream. I stopped and
d distinctly heard the cries of sMurder!' and
q 'Helpn AS / was standing uncertain
e what to do, a light flashed through lit
d tie window by the door Of the Office.
e glanced in and saw that the light was in
d the doctors office beyond. saw shad.
i ow moving about, and the the skirts Of
IT womans dress.
J '"There was loud shrek, and l was
so excited that I grabbed the handle Of
t the door, which, as it was fastened,
n shook with some violence. The mex
n moment man came out and asked:
! "Who's there?'
II "'Whats the matter inside?' I asked
a, what are you dong with that woman?'
u "'Oh,' said the man, 'it's Croom'
If niece. She's mad, and has come dow1
at here from the house, and is raising ole
d, Harry
er st stirred me up and if there had beel
to any thing wrong I'd have been the mar
re for 'em just Them
e Green was about to relate the expert
It ence which he had the same night, bu
II the very extraordinary fact that both Q
~ them should have passed through sue
w similar circumstances struck him as be
IN ing perhaps of unknown importance, ant
l induced him to keep still.
st The facts presented themselves to hir
or thus: Green and Wild quilted Asker
er together, and separated within a hundre
DIS yards of Crooms dwelling, Villa havin
| about half a mile to go to reach the Sta
ID bles. Consequently Wild must hav
lie heard the cries and seen the strugglin
d. woman about ten or fifteen minutes afte
pit Green heard the shrieks and cry for hel!
1T which he thought at the time came fro1
a woman. In the first case the explain
re- ton was that a man was insane, and
to the second that woman was insan
ng One happened at Croom's house, the otl
ng er at his stables, half mile distant, and
o. quarter of an hour later. The matte
ny troubled Green all night and all next d.
a and he did not know what to make O
Ter Of it. That it involved some mystery Y
ITO felt sure, and for all he knew gre
nd crime might be at the bottom of it.
nd On Feb. 21st he went to Askern, al
;gs tried to find out something about Groom
ng household. He learned that Groom HI
tho a niece, a very lovely girl, who had liv
the with him since her infancy, but th
the about three months before, on the dea
ITS, of Mrs. Groom, she had gone to live wi
But an aunt in York. Further inquiry sho
us? ed that this girl, who was known as Ma
ect gle Groom, had returned to her uncles
mes week before, though nobody had Sc
lch her around, although she was recogniz
e a at the Doncaster depot, where her un,
i've met her.
md Green had also learned that Groom b
are been away for several days.
~IA