The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-08-08

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inside-click--so could throw most men
and 1t was the ability to do so tha
made him so daring when poaching
and that caused him to care so little fo
the keepers. He was the best whistler
too, in the whole district; and as few
could beat him at a comic song he wa
the very life and soul of all parties
when the village lads and lasses got to
gether, or the old folks congregaied.
His apprehension, therefore, on sucl
a charge, had been a great grief TO The
villagers, and loss and an annoyance
to his neighborhood and as those who
employed him considered his only faul
was poaching, and from which no re
monstrance could wean him, they, a:
their presence in court duly testified
were one and all considerably interest
ed in his trial, which had commenced
on the previous day, aud was now abou
TO terminate, and as they feared, termi
nate badly.
The evidence, as we have said, was
circumstantial, and his defense was ar
alibi; but as it was an alibi without
proof being entirely unsupported by
the slightest festimony--it was felt by
all there that the verdict would be
sguilty;" and even if he escaped with
his life, that the sentence would be O
heavy one, for he was too old poachel
not to be made an example of.
| AS for Perks himself, black as things
looked against him, he still held his
head up just as though he was wholly
innocent and counted on an acquittal.
mo blood of his" said he, ais on
these hands, my lord; l was miles
away, too"
But the Tale he told to strengthen
what he said sounded more strange
than true, and few believed it.
Briefly the evidence was this:
On the night in question-on Monday
night the twenty-third of November
Walter White the keeper, the man who
was said to lave been murdered turned
out with three of the watchers to 20
through the covers--the Home Wood,
Fox Hill and the Lockets-hoping to
meet with Perks, of whose intention to
visit them that night they had received
intimation; and they were determined
to capture him if they could, as a few
nights previously he had threatened
White that the next time he interfered
with him he should have something for
his trouble.
An old grievance, it was stated, had
existed between them, and they had
been at enmity for long time; and It
was in no wise lessened by the fact of
Whites wife being Ralph's old sweet
heart, pretty village girl, who, after
she had promised Perks, preferred the
keepers cottage to the blacksmith shop.
1t was shown that when the two men
were lads and ut school together they
were at cnmity even then, for Perks
could throw and thrash him with the
greatest ease, and did 80 frequently, as
he had done since, they having had
many bout together during the past
four years, whcm, Sir Norman having
engaged White as a keeper, they found
themselves settled down at last in the
same parish.
For many years an inveterate poach-
Ell but never taken, Ralph Perks, after
Whites marriage, became more daring
than over, and whenever he was ON the
drink at the village ale house or booz-
ing at the cider shop, he used to boast
how little he cared for the keeper, for
big as he was, he could ''turn him over
in two minutes and thrash him hand
somely"; while White, on his part,
used to chatter about the time when he
would have Perks I" safe in jail" There
was, therefore, no love lost between
them, and people predicted that some
day it would end badly to one or both
of them, as they were alike equally de-
termined and unforgiving.
A few nights before the murder-for
murder ii was presumed to be-they
had met in Fox Hill; but as Ralph was
In ride, public path, and had neither
gun nor stick, visible to him at least,
threats only had passed between them.
When White and the watchers enter
ed the Home Wood, hoping to meet
with Perks, they went on by the big
elm together to where the rides diverP-
ed, and then, signal being agreed up
on If either needed help, they separated,
the keeper taking the middle ride,
Clarke the outer one, and Crump and
Kirby the inner one, as the cover there
was unusually thick and strong from
dense scrub and brush; beside which,
as a fOotpath led from there across the
fields and SO to the village, escape was
usually made in that direction.
The night was foggy, and before the
m men had reached the end of their beat q
shot was heard from the middle ride
and though the signal was not given,
they at once turned right and left and
went towards it.
| AS the three men met at the bottom
of glade where the middle ride termi.
mated, they found White down and
groaning, his gun beside him. On
raising him up,
"Take Perks" said he: "Pm done
for"
| He then fell back and died,
They brought the body home; then
went for Perks. He was out; they
waited. At four O'Clock two hours
from the time that shot was flred-he
came back to his cottage. His clothes
were bloody and his head was cut, aud
one barrel of his gun had been dis
charged and that quite recently, and
his coat wss torn and had mud Oh it.
He was quite lame, too, and hobbling.
That day they took him.
AT the inquest and before the magis-
trate things looked dead against him
and though his solicitor brought for
ward all he could In hls favor, It was
felt, twhen he was committed for trial,
that it would 40 hard with him,
For the defence an alibi was set up. and
the keepers death accounted for by the
accidental discharge of his own gun, one
barrel of which had been fred: but as
Whit had been up in the wood prior to
going with the watchers, and might then
have shot at some poaching dog OF
lurcher, little could be made oft. AS to
the words, Take Perks I'm done. for
it was strongly urged by the prisoners
counsel, when the trial commenced, thai
they were In fact only the words OF Q
man strong in his duty and who was BEN
on carrying out that for which the,
were together. .lI UsI.
"He felt" said the counsel, "that ht
was done for, shot by his own gun
through o fall or a stumble. 1t was
therefore of no use hindering with him
Perks was out let them 60 and tax,
him." o., .,.. .,.....
i but such a solution of the difficult,