St. Landry democrat., 1879-02-08
The FATAL HORSESHOE NAIL.


Like yours the brightest In decay.
THE FATAL HORSESHOE NAIL.
On the evening of June 20, 1887, a
peddler on horseback stopped at the
smithy of one John Steele, on the OUT
skirts of the town of Tickhill, near DOM
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
quickly as he could, as he wished to
each Doncaster early, and get bed at
his old place; for the next day being
Statues" or fair, q 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 desiring
the smiths service, as his horse had cast
a shoe.
The two strangers and the loungers
got into conversation, and the peddler
finally opened mahogany case which
was suspended by strap from his shout.
der and exhibited his wares, which con-
sisted of rings, gold and silver chains,
watches, and 80 forth. On the last
comer's hearing that the pedd.er was
going to Doncaster he offered to accom-
pany him, as he was going in the same
direction, adding that as he was a stran-
ger the peddler might take him to some
house where he could getaccommodation.
The peddler replied that he was going
to :" The Travellers Rest" on the out
skirts of Doncaster, as it was a good
house and he knew the landlord.
When the smith removed the shoe
from the horse Of the last conner, he ex-
amined 1t closely, remarking that it had
been made in Holderness, :peinting out
the fact that the nail was peculiarly made,
having half split in the head, and say
ing that that was a Holderness fancy.
"Pll keep this NAIL" the smith said,
and he drove it as wedge into the han.
die of small hammer, where it passed
through the head. ... H.. e. ~
The peddler sent for a fagon of ale,
and they stood drinking and talking for
some time. When the blacksmith ioked
the peddler about being in such hurry
when he came in, he laughed and said:
30, that's alright. I've made I'D my
mind to sleep in the big clubhouse,
where have slept before; it's comfort
able, and you take anybody you like in
there, you know" the peddler added,
with wink.
When the two men were ready to de.
part the 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. IS $500
The two men rode ssoff together, and
the smith cleared his place and closed for
the night. -.. .....-~ ... .s@.
In due time the peddler and his new
friend reached the Travellers Rest"
and told the landlord they would sleep
in the out building in the rear, in which
there were several beds. The landlord
said there was good accommodation
there, and promised to make them COM
Portable. The peddler retired first, and
the stranger remained behind to have
supper and linger over his ale. At
eleven o'clock he went to the eut-build>
ing, 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 entering
the room discovered the peddler in his
shirt lying on the floor at the far end, in
pool of blood. His head was battered
in, and near him was lying a hammer
with blood and hair on the head. He
was dead and cold.
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 suspicion 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 of that town, on the
road to Sheffield. The keen eyes of the
officers, however, caught sight of horse
among the brsmbles in the valley to the
left of the road, and there the man was
captured. e was terribly frightened,
80 much so as to be unable to articulate
for some time. Strapped to his saddle
bow was valiss, and, on opening it, al