The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-05-29
The Midnight Cry.

In the early days Of Il certain Western
State II crime was committed which has
gained place among the annals of dark
deeds. 1t was murder; but the circum-
stances surrounding it nrc so noteworthy
that we shall here transcribc them. They
present the most remarkable instance Of Il
young man scaling his lips when his own
life was in jeopardy, III order to conceal a
petty vice-the most remarkable instance OF
the kind on record.
One night in March, 1881, farmer
named Busllirk left town where, during
the day, lie had disposed of Il lot of hogs.
lie rode a sorrcl horse and carried the pro
cceds of his sales in heavy leather saddle
bags. The money was mostly in silver
coin of the dollar denomination, and the
amount, therefore, was quite .wcighty.
Buskilk, q fearless man, did not go armed,
but rode unconcerncdly from town, a little
under the influence Of liquor, but not drunk
enough to call attention to the fact
AS he lived but twenty miles from the
market, he expected to reach home about
midnight. But when the morning dawned
Iimri Buskirt was still absent from his
farm. Ills horse stood at the stable door
neighng for admittancc. The wcll-known
sadllc-bags were missing, which immcdi-
ately gave rise to suspicion Of foul play,
and search for the farmer was at once in
stitutcd.
AT Il distance Of five miles from home the
body of Buskirk was found lying by the
roadside, and not far away lay the saddle
bags, ricd of their contents. The villain,
in his haste to get at tho money, had cut
his way to it, instead of unbuckling the
heavy stiaps. The farmer was found to be
quite dead; one side Of his skull had been
crushed rs if by blow fr ,m bludgcon, or
some murdcrous weapon Of that sort, and
his pockets like the saddle-bags, had been
despoilcd of their contents.
The excitement from the moment of the
discovery became intense. Zimri Buskirk
was one of the mcst influential farmers of
the neighborhOod, and man universally
liked lie was not known to possess all
enemy, and no one ever dreamed that the
murder had been committed for anything
but that of subsequent plumber.
Though the country was secured for the
pcrpetrdtor Of the deed, no traces were dis
covered; but a clcw was suddenly furnished
in a startling manner.
The body of the farmer had been discov-
cred not far from farmhouse occupied by
a family named NIilligcn, which consisted
of the parents and two children, son and
daughter, who had passed their minority
While the excitement still ragged, Ellen
Miligan came forward and desired to
make statement that she said had tortured
her ever since the night of the murder. She
said that she had been the posscssor of a
guilty secret which she could no longer
keep; she could not sleep for it, and it was
the spectre of her waking hours.
The girl then proceeded to state that she
was up at tho hour of half-past eleven or
thcrcabout, OH the night Of the --th, and
that she heard q horse coming down tho
frosty road from the .directiod of P.
Not regarding the sound of any mo-
ment, she was about to rc-entcr tho
house, when she heard an oath, followed
by dull thud and groan. Then she
heard name uttered twice in Il tone Of
mingled agony and supplication.
A moment later the sound of hoofs came
again to her ears, and the horse seemed to
be galloping toward tho Buskirk farm.
The excitement that followed Miss Milli-
gems narration may be imagined, for pen
cannot describe it. 1t was believed that
the name she had heard was that of the
murderer, which had fallen from the lips of
his victim before inscnsbility or death fol-
lowed the blow. The young girl visibly
hesitatcd when asked by the magistrate to
pronounce the name. She covered her face
with her hands, and in all probability would
have fallen if she had not been supported
by her brother Hiram. She did not like to
utter the name that might doom one of the
young men. of her acquaintance to tho gal
lows, for she could not believe him guilty,
yet she had heard Zimri Buskirk call Oh
him to spare his life ON that awful night.
Ellen Miligcn was pressed to mention
tho name, and further the ends of justice,
in which tho whole country was interested,
and at last her lids parted.
"God help him and pity me |" she said.
''1'hc name / heard was Abner Tcnney's. y
If a thunderbolt had fallcninto tho breath
less crowd, astonishmcnt would not have
been more complete. Men started at the
name, and women uttered cries that added
to the confusion.
Standing near the witness was a young
man Of five and twenty, the only son OF q
minister who watched over the little flock
of believers that worshippcd in the church
hard by, and o youth OF exemplary habits
to the outer world. His face was as pale
as death, and at the mention of his name he
btuTtcu DUCK WITH cry anu IOuNu tne cycf
Of all hxed upon him.
His name was Abner Tcnney.
He made no efforts to fly, and wher
strong hands were laid upon him, he smiled
and told the people he would face the accu
sation. &, ss,..s,,.g ti.
The young man wax formally arrested OF
Ellen Nilligen's statement, aud brought Il
the bar of juatce. lHe denied the crime
but astonished everybody with his answel