The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-06-12
The Midnight Cry.

In the early days Of a certain Western
state a crime was committed which has
gained place among the annals of dark
deeds. Ii was murder; but the circnm-
stnces surrounding it are so noteworthy
tat we shall here transcribe them. They
PRESENT the most remarkable instance oil a
Iomg man sealing his lips when his own
life was in jeopardy, in order to conceal a
betty vice-the most remarkable instance of
the kind on record
One night in March, 1881, farmer
named Buskirk left a town where, during
lthe day he had disposed of a lot of hogs.
1 He.rode a soTel horse, and carried the pro-
eeeds 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 weighty.
f}uslirk, a fearless man, did not go armed,
but rode unConcernedly from town, little
aiidef the influence of liquor, but not drunk
enougHto call attention tothe fact.
As le lived but twenty miles from the
/ market he expected to reach home about
midnitht But when the morning dawned
Zimh Buskirk was still absent from his
farm. His horse stood at the stable door
neighng for admittance. The well-knOwn
sadde-bags were missing, which immedi-
ateiy gave rise to a suspicion of foul play,
ana search fof the farmer was at once in
sitVlted s+
Madistance bf five miles from home the
sbodN of Buskirk was found lying by the
roadside, and mol far away lay the saddle
oags, rlfled of thu kir contents The villain,
IA his haste to gen at the money, had cut
nis way to it, ingstead of unbuckling the
reayy straps: LHie ftsiiHHessE, was found to Rf
mitc dead; one side Of his skull had b il
crushed as if by a blow from bludgeon, o.
some murderous weapon of that sort, and
his pockets, like the saddle-bags, had been
despoied of their contents.
The excitement from the moment of the
discovery became intense. Zimri Buskirk
was one of the most influential farmers Of
the heighborhood, and man universally
liked. He was not known to possess an
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
perpetrator of the deed, no traces were dis
covered but a clew 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 Milligen, which consisted
of the parents and two children, son and
daughter who had passed their minority.
While the excitement still ragged, Ellen
Milligan 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 possessor 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 the hour Of half-past eleven or
thereabout, on the night of the ---tll, and
that she heard a horse coming down the
frosty road from the drectfod of P.
Not regarding the sound of any mo-
meat, she was about to re-enter the
house, when she heard an oath, followed
by dull nnd and a groan. Then she
heard name uttered twice in 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 the Buskirk farm.
The excitement that followed Miss Milli-
gems narration may be imagined, for pen
cannot describe ii 1t was believed that
the name she had heard was that of the
murderer, which had fallen from the lips of
his victim before insensibilty or death fol-
lowed the blow. The young girl visibly
hesitated 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 bad 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 the gal
lows, for she could not believe him guilty,
yet she had heard Zimri Duskik call on
him to spare his life on that awful night
Ellen Milligen was pressed to mention
the name, and further the ends of justice,
In which the whole country was interested,
and at last her lids parted.
''God help him and pity me V she said.
"rhe name heard was Abner Tenney's" "
II thunderbolt had falleninto the breath
less crowd, astonishment would not have
The cleveland Mailgn started at the
ing the best business thaS-tila' aoueo
done for years. AL
tho time. Mr.. " witness was young
Wv .,"" N .,.a, ~ wenty, the only son of q
few days slncstched over the little flock
employ mthat worshipped in the church
lug ordand youth OF exemplary habits
..lsys pdter world. His face was AS pale
R1eHh, and at the mention of his name he
td back with a cry and found the eyes
u fixed ppon him,
{Blis name'was Abner 'Tenney
,v lie made no efforts to fly, and when
Ytrong hands were laid upon him, he smiled
wand told the people he would face the accu-
u sation.
The young man was formally arrested on
Ellen Milligen's statement, and brought tc
the bar Of justice. He denied the crime,
but astonished everybody with his answer