The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-18
In the Shadow Of the Moose

In the Shadow Of the Moose
Liberty was not large town. but 1t
was large enough to own banking |
house, which did u thriving business.
The president Of the institution, who
also filed The position Of cashier, was
Jasper Trentham, white-haIred olu
man, who WAS well up in the seventies,
but still possessed OF much physical
and mental strength.
| His family consisted of a rather beau
litul daughter named Amy. She did the
honers of The BANKERS house.
Those who pretended TO be we'll in
formed, said that a good deal ofl0Ve was
being wasted between Amy and young
MIR, Walters, the corporations teller.
At the same time others declared that
the teller had been supplanted in tue
Qirfs graces by Jerome Mcdonald,
dark.faced ex-army officer, who had
lately taken up his residence in the
place. This latter parsonage had served
with some distinction in the late civil
war between the States, AID was re-
lported to be worth considerable.
He seemed to WOO Amy Trentham
boldly and in the face of tue goss ps,
and there were not Il few who openly
said that she had best capture the ma
Tor while the opportunity remained.
/ But Amy appeared to know what was
best, for she suddenly broke off with
McDouald, aud, much to his chagriu,
smiled upon the teller.
About this time new patent chrO-
{ nometer lock was attached to the sale in
the vault OF the bank, and proving nine
days' wonder to Liberty. Such precau-
tion had been deemed necessary by the
, robbery OF banks ln neighUoriuk towns,
aud as that Of Liberty contained great
deal Of money, many cepOsit0rs did not
, feel safe.
But tue new lock brought security TO
their thoughts, and all fears OF bank
4 breakers were abolished.
3 IT. was quite late one cold night whe n
Amy Tren tnam had occasion to ente +
a u her fathers sleepiag-r0om. She entered
v on tip-toe, believing that he slept, an d
? ! proce ated to complete her errand.
, But all at once she stopped, and the
y next moment wild aud despairing
e shrek welled from her throat. a norri id
sight had encountered her gaze.
la the strip OF moonlight, on the floor
r near the desk. lay the body of q man
9 and the CHASTITY face visible in the tigh
a Instantly proclaimed his identity.
The girl swooned upon the inanimate
o form. and the frightened Sc wants who
It had neard her cry found her seHseless
e there.
The banker was dead, and the knife
wound In the breast told the story O
y assas sination.
Liberty was startled to It's umos
suburb by the fearful crime, and despite
the hOwling winds OF winter and thu
u cold snow drifts, al excited crowd as
;, sembled before the house eager to oatcl
az every report.
Amy was unable to give any iuforma
: tion concerning the death Of her father
& that nigut, owing to her critical nervous
e ness; but on the following morning sht
l. made statement which, coupled with
8 the reports already in circulation
|. caused the arrest Of the teller.
l. The young man was charged with hav
% ing taken the life of the bank president
r. There seemed TO be evidence agains
;. him sufficient to warrant his arrest, ant
n it amounted to this:
"a For several months prior to the mur
der the banker and his teller had no
been soclable, and report was curren
>, tnat the removal Of the latter WAS no
~ mad been the last man seen with Jaspel
u Treutnam,> and Amy said that he haC
accompanied her father to his bedroom ;
k lew hours prior to her discovery of hi,
10 dead body, aud she furthermore sait
ID mat the teller had lett the house alone
1T while her parent had remained in tht
chamber. Added to this was the tesLi
IA m0ny of no less a person than Majo
m Mcdonald, who deposed 10 having seei
L. the teller emerge from The President
n. residence in an excited manner, ant
lhat he had heard him say: ''It is al
over; we've settled accounts al last!"
= Fhe tolls were tightly drawn a. ount
- the young man, ana he found public sen
=. timent decidedly against him. 1t wal
with great difficulty that the mob spir
was Kept in abeyauCe at his preliminar!
examination. and an excited crowd iol
le lowed him TO the very doors OF the Jail.
10 BY the accused the murder was siren
J uously denied. He said that on the fata
ID night he had been summoned to tn,
g Ptesidenps house by that person him
self. and that an adjustment of their dill
a lerences had there taken place. He de
in MED that he quilted the house in an ex
ID cited manner, and said that ii the word
At quoted by his rival, Mcdonald, had tall
u en- from his lips they referred to the hap
nv reconciliation between the banke
10 and himself.
's The majority Of the people of Liberty
q in the moment Of excitement, were in
~ clined to receive the teller's statemen
,e with many grains Of allowance. The
is saw him suitor for Amy Trentham'
" hand, and were ready to believe that b
had swept an opposing parent from hi
y path. :.
s. Amy returned from the examination i
~ no enyiabie frame OF mind.
70 she found herself parentless in tn
y midst OF a cold world, and with the on
10 whom she had given her hearts, fres
love in the shadow Of the hangmah'
IN moose.
os For in the moment oil his peril he
,h whole soul went OUT to him, and she be
,r tlevsd that his hand had not stricken he
hl father.
lie such was Amy Trentham's love.
of he did not kill father, who didf
or she asked herself again and again; bu
10 no satisfa otory reply rewarded her, an
.. the mystery grew deeper than the sea.
Id The sun was setting when Amy er
a Itered the little room from whence tn
b. loid maA's spirit had taken fight.
She had not visited it since the hour