The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-01-09
near the body of the murdered peddler

he reached 1t out Tor the hammer, MS
cheeks grew deadly pale, his lips became
parched, and, though he held the ham,
mer in his hand, his staring eyes were
were fixed on the questioner.
Anything like that nsilf' Mr..
O'Brien repeated, clamly looking at the
witness.
eyes, sir" Steele replied at length,
with difficulty
"ShouId you say tha nail had been
made in Holderness, r. Steele2"
at looks like 1t, sir" was Steele's re-
ply.
"Mr. Steele" the counsel said, almost
moving up to him, and standing 30 that
Judge and jury could see both witness
and interrogation distinctly. "did you
ever see that hammer before you saw it
in this COURT"
eyes, sir; saw it in the hands of the
coroner"
At this juncture there was a disturb
ance in the court, and the officers were
striving to prevent a young man from
quitting the room.
The young man was Richard Steele,
the blacksmith's son.
"Let me CO." he said. That's the
old scoundrel that did it. He knows
that hammers his well enough. He
knows that he planned the whole thing,
and led me into it. PIl turn kings evi
dence; I'll blsb the whole story. Let
me go, and I'll hang the old villain,
though he is my father"
The scene that followed can not be
described. Suffice it to say that nolle
proSequi was entered, and Scott was
transferred into an important witness,
Steele and his son being duly indicted
and tried for the murder of the peddler
Scott swore to the blscksmith's having
taken the nail from the old horseshoe,
remarked that it had been made il
Holderness, and driven it into the
hammer-head as wedge. The hamme
was Furthermore identified as having
belonged 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 msrket-man
swearing he passed them near Doncaster,
going in the direction of Vickhill, at
three o'clock on the morning of the Dist
of June. But the evidence that settled
their fate was Scott's valise, which they
had taken at the time of the murder Of
the peddler. 1t was discovered in the
ash-heap at the back of the smithy.
Steele and his son were convicted and
sentenced to be hanged, and both made
full confession to the following effect:
Steele, SEN, resolved on the robbery
and murder, if need be, Of the psddler
Immediately ter he discovered that the
man was possessed of large sum Of
money. After the peddler and his COM
psnion had quilted the smithy Steele
closed it, and communicated to his son
his design respecting the peddler. The
son, who was a prof1igate man, conse nted
to the scheme. Both were about to start
after the two men and get ahead of them
by bridle>path, but the smith changed
his plan. 1t 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 out buildings
in which they were to sleep. He pro-
posed, therefore, that they should rob
the peddler in his sleep, and only use
violence in case it were necessary to
secure their safety. When they entered
the out-building the smith went toward
Scott's bed, while Richard remained
near the door. Finding the man wanted
was not there, Steele and his e. son
approached the other bed and found the
peddler, knowing it was he from his bald
head. They tried to remove the valise
on which he slept from under his head,
but he evidently had his hand in the
strap, and the tug awoke him.
The reader knows the rest from the
story told by Scott. After the smith
moment, and then handed it back to hi
counsel. The ne1t instant he clutched
it, drew it from O'Brien's grasp and
scrutinized it with the most intense
interest. Then he leaned on the dock
and 81 oke in hurried tone to his coun-
sci The latter, with flushed face and |
hssty movements, made his way to the
and his son had quilted the room with |
what they supposed was the peddler's
valise, Steele's mind misgave him, and a
dread that Scott had been an observer of |
the bloody deed and would recognize the
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 bis hammer in affrigh
the only explanation to his mind of
Scett's absence being that he had wit
messed the crime and quilted the place
secretly to give the alarm The smith
and his son departed panic stricken, and
on reaching home discovered, to their
Intense modification and dissppoint-
ment, that the yalise for which they had