The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-04-16
TaE msesIsmr oaY.
nYr G HARBAuGH.

" SstSih Ssneo q tsibic " 40 COmtHit-
ted, which nas AHed place among
tne aunals OF dslk deeds IL was
murdef; ous tas csrcamstanc sur
rounding 1t are 80 noteworthy that
se snail nefe tra1scrIbe them. Iuey
present tae most reMarkaDle Instaace
VI d young niau seaiIag bis lips " ~neD
nis Own life was Ia Jeopardy, to order
- coaceai pests ylce--tne must
remarkaoie lasLa-ce ol tue kind ou
record.
Oae oignt 10 Match, 1881, fasmer
uamea BuskuS left tnrIglng toan.
where. during the day, nc nad dis
posed Ut u lot oi hggs. He rude
suirel horse, Snd carried the proceeds
oI his saies la ne.vy iestBera saddle
oags Inc nosay Was Inos.ly Ia
silver cola Ot I8e Gilar DENOMINATION,
aud tue amount, lberelore, was 4uise
weish,y. BdsAiss. fearless mau,
diu not go afaest nu5 rode uacon
cernediy from to@ ht.ie auder tns
innaeuee of liqao4 but nvs dsuuk
snoash 70 e-ii Fs-sntioa 70 me
iact.
As be lived bul wenty miles feom
the market, ne pecIed 10 reacl
home about mid6ignt. But wnen
the morning dswned Zimri Buskirk
was still absent from his farm. His
horse stood at the stable door neigh
ng tor admittance. The well known
addle bags were missing, which fact
immediately gave rise to suspicion of
fJul play, and search for tue farmer
" as at once instituted.
At distance Of five miles from
home the body OF Buskirk vas found
lying by the roadside, and not far
away lay the saddle bags, riaed OF
their contents. Tne vIllaIn in his
haste 10 get at tue money had ca.
nls way 10 IL, Instead Of unouckiiag
the heavy straps. The farmer was
found 10 oe quite dead enc side oi
nis skull had been crushed as il by u
oiow from d bladgeon, or some mur.
dero1s weapon OF that sort, aud his
pockets, like the saddle bags. had
oeea clearly despoiled Of their coa
tents.
Tne exciiemeat from The moment
oi the discovery became intense.
LImrl Basklfk was one of the most
iaiiuential farmers of the neighbor.
nocd, and man universally liked.
lie Was not known 10 possess one
enemy, aud 40 one ever dreamed that
toe murder had been committed for
tne sake of anything bot that of sub
aequeng murder
Though the country was secured
Tor the perpetrator OF The deed, no
traces were discovered but clew
"as-suddenly furnished IN a startling
robbery
The Dody of the farmer had been
discosered not far from farm house
occupied by a family named Milligen.
"rlch Consisted of the parents and
two children, son aud daughter. who
had passed their minority. While
the excitement ssIll ragged, Ellen Mil
iigen came forward and desired 70
lrake statement which she SAID bad
tortured her ever since the night of
the murder. She said she was The
possessor of q guilty secret which she
could no longer keep she csuld not
sleep tor it, aod it was the spectre OF
her waking hours.
The girl then proceeded 10 state
that she was up At the hour of half
past eleven or thereabouts, On the
night of tbe--ih. and that she heard
a horse coming down the frosty road
from the direction of B.. Not re- !
gsrding tbe sound OF any moment,
she was about TO re-enter the house. |
when she heard an oath, followed by
a dull thud and groan. Then she
heard name uttered twice Ia q |
tone OF mingled agony and suppli-
Gallon.
A moment later the souad of hoofs |
came again TO her ears, ana the horse
seemed to be gsilopIng toward the |
Busklrk farm.
The excitement that followed Miss
Miiiigen's narration may be imag-
ined. Tor pen CANNOT describe it.
ltwas believed that the name
which she bad heard was that OF the
murderer, which had fallen from the
iiPs OF the victim before inseBsibiiity
or death followed the blow. The
young girl visibiy hesitated when
asked by The magistrate to pronounce
the Name. She covered her face
with beT 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 10 the gal
lows, for she could not believe him
guilty, yet che had heard Zimri Bus
kirk call on him to sparc bis life on
that awful night.
Ellen MiiIigen was pressed to men,
ton the name, aud fsrther the ends
Of justice, in which the whole coun-
try was interested, and at last heri
lips parted.