River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-03-06
THE FATAL NAIL.

5mlthy OF one JOhn steele, on the out
skirts of the town of TIckhill, near Don
caster, England. Several persons were
in the smithy at the time, besides the
| blacksmith and his son Richard. The
peddler asked Steele to shoe his horse as
I quickly as he could. as he wished to reach
! Doncaster early, and get to bed at his old
| place; for the next day being statutes, y
or fair, a number of visitors would be
! looking for accommodation.
While the smith was attending to the
peddler's horse, another stranger arrived,
also on horseback, and likewise desirlRg
the smiths service, as his horse had cast
| d shoe
The two strangers and the loungers
! got into conversation, and the peddler
finally opened a mahogany case which
was suspended by strap from his
shoulder, and exhibited his wares, which
consisted of rings, gold and silver chains,
watches, and so forth. On the last
comers hearing that the peddler was GO
| ing to Doncaster he offered to accompany
him, as he was going In the same direc-
4 ton, adding that as he was stranger the
peddler might take him TO some house
where he could get accommodation. The
peddler replied that he was going to
The Travellers Rest on the outskirts of
Doncaster, as it was good house, and
he knew the landlord.
When the smith removed the shoe from
the horse of the last conner, he examined
it closely, remarking that it had been
made in Holderness, pointing out the fact
that the nail was peculiarly made, hav-
he nd hot
that was a Holderne S fancy.
"I'll keep this nail, said the smith, and
be drove it as a wedge into the handle of
small hammer, where ii passed through
the head.
The peddler sent for fagon of ale,
aRd they stood drinking and talking for
some time. When the blacksmith joked
the peddler about being in such a hurry
wien he came in, he laughed and said:
'Oh, that's all right. I've made up
my mind to sleep in the big clubhouse,
where have slept before; it's comforta-
bic, and you take anybody you like in
there, you know" the peddler added with
a wink.
When the two men were ready to de-
pant, tie peddler took large wallet from
the valise on his saddle bow and paid the
smith. The peddler seemed to make a
rather ostentatious exhibition of his wal
let, which was crammed with bank notes
and gold.
The two men rode off together, and the
smith cleared his place and closed for the
night.
Ia due time the peddler and his new
friend reached "The Travellers Rest, )"
aud told the landlord they would sleep
in The outbuilding In the rear, in which
there were several beds. The landlord
said there were good accommodations
there, and promised to make them com
Portable. The peddler re ired first, and
the stranger remained behind to have
supper and liDger over his ale. Ateleven
O'Clock he went to the outbuilding, and
five minutes later the landlord observed
the light put out.
Next morning neither the peddler nor
his friend appeared, and the landlord
went to the outbuilding to arouse them.
He found the door open, and on enter
ing the room discovered the peddler in
his shirt, living on the floor at the far
end In pool of blood. His head was
battered in, and near him was lying
hammer with blood and hair on the head.
He was cold and dead.
When the alarm was given it was found
that the man who had accompanied the
peddler and occupied the same room
with him was missing, and suspic
ion at once fell on him as the murderer.
The authorities were notified and officers
were in pursuit of the supposed assassin
before the day was an hour older. They
tracked him to Coninbro, but lost trace
of him Just outside that town, on the
road to Sheffield. The keen eyes of the
officers, however, caught sight of horse
among the brambles in the valley to the
lett of the road, and there the man was
captured. He was terribly frightened
so much so as to be unable to articu
late for some time. Strapped to his sad
dle-sow was valise, ana on opening it
a heavily filled wallet identified as the
peddlers was found.
Before the coroner the prisoner, who
said his name was Henry Scott, told
most astonishing story. He said that
wheU he went to the clubhouse the ped
dler had already gone to bed, which was
a high, old fashioned tent bed with cur
tains- Scott took bed at the opposite
end If the room. This bed had curtains
also, rs the room was large and draughty.
fIe placed his clothes on chair and
flung his vaise, or holsters, on bit of
CARPET at the side of the bed. When he
put ont the light he observed that the
moon was shining full into the room. He
lay awake for some time, and presently
.eard footsteps in the room. The next
IN )mcnt the curtain of his bed was gen
tiy drawn and he saw a face looking
down upon him. He lay quite still,
though greatly alarmed. The face dis
appeared, and retreating steps were heard.
He rose on his elbows and peered
through the curtain. He distinctly saw
two men at the further end of the room
near ;he peddler's bed. They passtd
round the foot of it and disappeared at
the other side That moment he heard a
scream and saw the face of the peddler
protru1c from the curtains. There was
scu!ie and suppressed cry, and the
next moment the peddler bounced from
the bed and ran screaming murder" to-
ward Scott's bed, holding his valise at
arms length. The two men followed the
fugitive, and Scott, Mortified and fear
stricken, slipped from bis bed on the
other side and hid himself IN a closet
4 He heard the groans and blows, and the
sounds of retreating footsteps. then all
was still. The next instant, however, the
door opened, other footsteps were heard
along the floor, and the curtains of SCOTS
he'd we're hastily drawn. The visitant
whoever he was, uttered an oath OF dis
appointment and fled fiom the room.
After waiting some time, Scott came
/ forth from the closet and found the ped
d Ter living ON the floor, dead. Scott was
! in a terrible dilemma, and saw at glance
that tie would be suspected of having
murdered the peddler. Panic stricken
he hastily dressed himself, picked up his
valise from the floor, took his horse from
the stable, and departed from the inn, re
solving to seek safety in flight 1t wa;
daylight when he reached Coninbro, and
then Tor the first time he discovered thst
the vaIise he had taken from the fool
WIS not his, but the peddler's. which b.
b ia ne doubt dropped when the murder
ers fell upon him, and in place of which
they doubtless seized aud carried Of
Scots, which lay on the carpet close by
This extraordinary story was no
I believed by the corners jury in the face
of all she damning evidence against Scott
l, was shown that he had seen the peddlel
produce his wallet from the valise in tb,
blacksmith shop; that he offered to &C
company the peddler TO DoncGsier, anC
that he had taken up his quarters at thi