The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-01-30
OUR STORY TELLER
CURIOUS CASES OF CIRCUMSTAN.
TIAL EVIDENCE.
BY MRS. ISABELLA p. MAYO.

There is one grim old story in ancient
law-books of murder committed at an
inn., 1t was a little country inn, in a
rather unfrequented place, and there on
one wintry night arrived two sets of
guests. One party consisted of an
elderly invalid gentleman and his man
servants the other, of two gentlemen.
friends, travelling in company. The
accommodation was rather limited, and
the man-servant was slowed away in az
loft. The two friends agreed to share
one chamber, while the old gentleman
was to occapy that next to theirs. The
three gentlemen SPENT the evening to-
gether in the common room, the land
lord and the man-servant coming to and |
fro in attendance. 1t transpired, how
ever, that the elderly invalid was trav
cling in possession Of considerable val |
uables. This matter was touched upon |
but lightly; in fact, it was little more |
than an inference which might be drawn |
from something he said. About mid |
night all the travellers retired to rest |
An hour or two afterwards one of the
friends awoke.t Lying in, silence, he
heard something like groan, and, on its
being repeated, he aroused his COM
panion, and both listened. The sound
came from the next apartment. They
sprang to their feet, and, thinking their
neighbor might be suddenly and dan
gerously ill, they hastily struck light
and went to his room. But they found
they had been anticipated; light al
ready streamed from his open poor, and
at his bedside stood the landlord, with a
face of horror, and in his hand abloody
knife. AS the gentlemen entered the
room, the invalid gave last groan, and
expired from a deadly wound in his
throat.
Naturally, the two gentlemen seized
and secured the landlord. Between the
telltale weapon in his hand and the ex-
treme dismay and trepidation which he
manifested, he might almost be said to
be taken in the act. They reused the
house. The few sleepy servants came
hurrying in, among them thefootman
Of the murdered man. So greatwas the
hosts terror that it was some time be-
fore he could utter a single word which
might put different complexion on the
case. Atlast he found wits to declare
that, like the gentlemen, he had been
reused by the groans, and, fearing rob-
bers, had armed himself with a knife
and hurried forth, hoping to be, IN time
togive help; that whenhe saw the awful
sight in the bed-chamber, the knife had
fallen from his hand into the blood, and
he had remained for few moments
powerless. Fth
Such story seemed credible enough
but there were sundry circumstances
which instantly falsifed it. The room
where the landlord had slept was toe
remote from the scene of the murder
forany groans to have reached it; and
the knife was not one of those in ordi
nary use, which might have been has
tily snatched up, but resembled other
which were kept locked in his bedroom
OF these circumstances he could offe
no explanation, nor yet of sundry eiac
ulations he, had uttered when first sur
prised.
In spiteo his protestations of limo
cence, in which, somehow, there SCENE,
always aAcnrious reservations, he wa
condemned to die. The night Eefore hi
execution, he made a singular confe:
sion. He acknowledged that his cupidit
had been so excited by the idea of hi
visitors valuables that he had resolve
to kill him and to possess himself @
them. For this purpose he took out
knife and stole from his bedroom Prot
ably in the preoccupation of his horr
bic enterprise he heard no footstep Q
any groan; and the first thing whic
warned him that all was not right wa
finding the visitors bedroom door ut
latched. When his light fell on th
awful scene, and he saw his own Grim
had been anticipated, his knife fell frol
his palsied hand, and when he foun
himself in the grasp of his accusers,
had cried that Gods judgments wei
on him." BE owned that, though he W;
in act guiltless of the murder, yet tn.
he was justly Judged But though b
died with every appearance of SINGER
repentance, the general impression ws
that even his final confession was bl
smother vagary of a scriminal natur
piaying with truth and faisehood to tt
very end.
But years afterwards clergyman W.
summoned to receive the last confdent
OF man sinking in consumption. TIL
was the servant of the murdered inv
lid. Then he owned that it was he WI
had slain his nsster. HE had stole
from his remote loft, and had Just il
hlcted the mortal wound when he W.
disturbed BY the landlord's approachir
footsteps, ahd He'd, Barefoot, in an o.
Posite direction, regained his bed, an
remained there until he was summone
BY the cries OF the other dodgers. Z
indicated how and where he had di
posed of the weapon with which
killed his A master, details which we
subsequently, verified. Hewas too ne
death to be seized by Justice, but Il
particulars of his confession were MAJ
public, though in this case the sto
cannot be concluded by the formu
with which the prim old law reporte
generally sum up such tragedies. 9Th
the innocence Of the other man was tn
completely vindicated."
Fm more piteous As 5 The story
William Shaw, who lived in EdinburJ
in 1721.H He was a respectable trade
man, and he had daughter nam
Catharine, who, unhappily, had troub
some love affairs. Her own heart j
cligedr drto, John Aawsony to- whom h
father Objected, saying. that he was
prohigate youth, addicted to every xii
Of dissipation. Shaw forbade the lov
his house, and when he found that Cat
arine still saw him clandestinely, t
father imprisoned the daughter on l
own premises. .l..., 20 4. ...s
Whether Shaw was too hard,
whether Catharine was too willful, I
body can say. There is one element
the case which draws sympathy to t
girl. There was not only lover to
given up, but lover to be accepte
While Shaw banished John Lawson,
urged forward the suit of one Robe
son. Catharine passionately declar
that she would die sooner than mar
this man; and many alterations we
overheard between the father a
daughter, The family seems to hs
consisted of these two only, and th
lfs anfAflf 'artt ..suLs.
II.II titdIt. .itt
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