Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-02
trial, and shown to the jury. One of
them remarked to the court that it WAS

Scott glanced his eye over it for mo-
ment, and then handed it back to the
counsel. The next instant he clutched it,
drew it from O 'Brien's grasp, and scruti-
nized it with the most intense interest.
Then he leaned on the dock and spoke in
hurried tone to his counsel. The latter,
made his way to the side of the prosecut-
ing officer, then spoke with the judge,
and after few seconds beckoned an Of
tcer and whispered to him few words.
Mr.. Steele, the blacksmith, was recalled
to the witness stand by Mr.. O'Brien, who
said:
"Mr. Steele, you are an old and expe-
fienced blacksmith, are you not2'
eyes, SIR Steele answered. with a per
ceptible tremor in his voice.
did you work at your trade in Holder
ness?'
eyes, sir, when was young man."
Anything peculiar in the manufac-
ture of horse shoe nails in that district,
Mr.. Steele?''
II think there is, SIR
spray tell we what that regularity is,
Mr.. Steele"
''The head is divided like in the mid
dle.''
Anything like the head of that nail
used as wedge in the handle OF that
hammer, Mr.. Steele?" the counsel asked,
handing the witness the weapon found
near the body Of the murdered peddler.
The witnesses hand shook like a leaf as
he reached it out for the hammer; his
cheeks grew deadly pale. his lips be-
came parched, and though he held the
hammer in his hand his staring.eyes were
fixed on his questioner.
"Anything like that one?' Mr.. O'Brien
repeated, calmly looking at the witness.
eyes, sir" Steele replied at length,
with difficulty.
SHOULD you say that nail had been
made in Holderness, Mr.. Steele?"
sit looks like it, sir" was Steele's
reply.
"Mr. Steele" the counsel said, moving
almo.t close up to him, and standing so
that the Judge and jury could see both
witness and the interrogation distinctly,
did you ever see that hammer before
you saw it in this court:''
The witness gave gasp, and then re-
covering himself, said:
eyes, sir; I saw it in the hands of the
coroner"
At this juncture there was disturbance
in the court, and the officers were seen
striving to prevent a young man from
quitting the room.
The young man was Richard Steele, the
blacksmith's son.
''Let nae co." he said. ''That's the old
scound1el that did it. He knows that
hammers his we'll enough. He knows
that he planned the whole thing and led
me into it. I'll turn Kings evidence, I'll
blab the whole story. Let me go, and I'll
hang the old william, though he is my
father"
The scene that followed cannot be de-
scribed. Suffice it to say tina: mozzc
prosequS was entered, and Scott was trans
tered into an important witness, Steele
and his son being duly indicted and tried
for the murder of the peddler. Scott
swore to the blacksmith's having taken
the nail from the old horse shoe, remarked
that it had been made in Holderness, and
driven into the hammer as a wedge. The
hammer was furthermore identified as
belonging to Steele, and testimony was
given which showed that the blacksmith
and his son were absent from home on the
night of the murder, a marketman swear
ing he passed them near Doncaster going
in the direction of Vickhill, at three
o'clock on the morning of the 2lst of June.
But the evidence that settled their fate
was furnished by SCOTS valise, which was
taken at the time of the murder Of the
peddler. 1t was discovered in the ash
heap at the back of the smith. Steel and
his son were convicted and sentenced to
be hanged, and both made full COMES
sion to the following effect:
Steele, ST., resolved on the robbery and
murder, if. need be. Of the peddler imme-
diately after he discovered the man was
possessed of large sum of money. After
the peddler and his companion had quit
ted the smithy, Steele, closed it, and COM
municated to his son his design concern
ing the peddler. The son, who was profit
gate man, assented to the scheme. Both
were to start after the two men and get
ahead of them by bridle- path, but the
smith changed his plan. If they did they
would have to attack them both in the open
road and on horseback. The smith knew
the inn to which they were going, and
was well acquainted with the outbuild-
i9gs il which they were to sleep. He
proposed, therefore, that they should rob
the peddler in his sleep, and only use
violence in case it were necessary to Sc
cure their safety. When they entered
the outbuildings the smith went toward
SCOTS bed while Richard remained near
the door. Finding the man wanted was
not there, Steel and his son approached
the other bed and found. the peddler,
knowing 1t was he from his bald head.
They tried to remove the valise on which
he slept from under his head, but lie evi-
IDENTIFY had his hand in the strap, and the
tug awoke him. +,
The reader knows the rest Of the story
told by Scott. After the smith and his
son had quilted the room with what they
supposed was the peddler's valise, Steeles
mind misgave him, and a dread that
Scott had been an observer of the bloody
deed, and would recognize the perpetrat.
ors, seized him.
/. He hurried back to the room, resolved
to brain Scott if he found him: awake.
On discovering that the bed was empty,
the smith dropped his hammer in af-
fright, the only explanation. to his mind
OF SCOTS absence being that he had wit
messed the crime anu quilted the place
secretly to give the alarm. The smith
and his son departed panic-stricken, and
on reaching home discovered to their in
tense modification and disappointment
that'the' valise for which. they had murd-
81 ed man and exposed themselves to the
gallows, contained only few old clothes
and a Bible. Steele and his son were
hung at New York, December 8, 1887.
Among the wash fabrics of the cominp