Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-03-06

The hallway was dark. Minnie
took him by the hand, and Lee
him into back room upstairs
which was but dimly lighted
He wanted to turn up the gas.
"Don't" she said, seizing his
arm.
"Why not?" he replied, frown.
lingly. 81 want to have lighr
here. | have heard so much a.
bout panel-houses in Baltimore
that | want to satisfy myself
first what sort of a place this is. ,
So saying, he pushed her back
The room was the same in which
the conversation we have related
at the opening of this sketch
took place. 1t was neatly fur
nished. The black walnut bed
stead was filled with snow white
pillows and sheets.
A heavy brown door commun-
icating with an adjoining room,
attracted the strangers attention.
AT the door stood a chair, the
only one i'll the room. Minnie
watched the man with breathless
suspense as he pushed that chair
aside and seized the door-knob.
The door was locked. Then he
laid his hands on the upper panel
of the door, and tried to draw it
aside.
"For Gods sake, don't!'' cried
Minnie, rushing up to him.
He tried again; the panel NOV
ed, and in the aperture appeared
the lurking face of the brutal
young fellow who had uttered
the threats against Minnie. He
burst into a volley of oaths upon
being confronted by the middle
aged stranger.
q thought SOL thought sol"
said the latter, laughing. $50,
my pretty little decoy, you have
inveigled me in a panel-house!
But old Billy Moore is up to your
tricks! He has too much money
in his pocket to be fooled that
way." Minnie stood as if
PETRIFIED WITH TERROR.
The next moment the door
opened and the young fellow
whom she called Charles rushed
in. In his right hand he held
revolver. With his left he dealt
the stranger who had not looked
for SO sudden an attack, a heavy
blow in the face, which caused
him to stagger. Then he leyeled
his revolver at the Strangers
breast.
Don't shoot, Charley" cried
Minnie seizing him by the arm.
With an oath he hurled her
back, and shot the stranger
through the heart.
The victim staggered back.
Minnie tried to catch him in her
arms. As she did so the blood,
streaming from his mortal wound,
stained her dress. She cried:
"MURDER! MURDER!"
The assassin vainly tried to
stifle her cries. At last, when
he saw that she would not keep
still, he fired at her, too. With
a groan she sank to the floor
beside the stranger, who was al
ready dead.
The assassin quickly rified the
latter's pockets. lie distracted
from them a large sum Of mon
ey, nearly $1,000, all in 500 and
$500 bills. He also took the
dead mans gold watch and chain.
Then he felt Minnie's hand.
1t was clammy and cold.
"She is dead, too" he said.
'EWhy in the hell did she squeal?
It's her own fault. / will leave
my revolver here. 1t will look
as if the stranger had murdered
her and then killed himself"
He listened for a moment.
Nothing was to be heard in the
house. 1t was uninhabited, and
the two shots had evidently not
been heard. Charley then turn
ed down the gas and hurried
from the house. Half an hour
later he was on his way to the
City of Brotherly Love. About
the time he arrived there some
thing occurred at the scene of
Charles murderous deed on Sar-
atoga street.
MINNIE TRAINoR SUDDENLY
AWOKE
AS from a heavy sleep. She rails
ed herself up utterly oblivious of
what had occurred. 1t was very
dark in the room. She tried to
grope her way toward the gas
burner, but suddenly she STUN
bled over the corpse of the muir
dered stranger.
Then the whole terrible truth
flashed upon her. Uttering a
piercing scream, she rushed ont
of the room, down the staircase
and into the street.
s'Murder! Murderi" she Shrek
ed in a shrill voice. Two police
men were speedily on the spot.
They found her in fainting con-
dition on the stoop.